Kindness of strangers
81-year-old Mohammed Forman Ali lives with his wife, Asia Begum in a small house in Brahamandanga in Jessore, Bangladesh. The couple used to live in a larger house but had to sell it along with their land and possessions to pay for Mohammed’s medical treatment. The hut they are now living in has no kitchen or sanitation facilities and leaks whenever it rains.
Mohammed makes a small amount of money by begging on the streets but makes barely enough to buy sufficient food. He said, “We have no food in our house and no children to go out and collect food for my wife or I. When the time comes, we don’t celebrate Eid but just wait to see if one of our neighbours will bring us some food.”
No meat
“Usually we eat rice and sometimes some vegetables, but we never have meat because it is too expensive. The only time during the year when we are able to eat meat is at Qurbani when our neighbours give us some.”
Mohammed continued, “When I was well I used to grow and sell vegetables and fruit and we always had enough food. I always used to help my friends and neighbours with food and money, and that is why they loved me. But illness and age took away all my happiness. I have been ill for the last 15 years, and now we do not even have enough money to buy medicine.”
‘All I can do is cry’
“My wife sometimes goes out to collect whatever food she can find growing around the house. She helps me when I am too weak to go out begging. I want to help her but there is nothing I can do but cry,” said Mohammed. “I am worried what will happen when I finally pass away, who will look after my wife then?”
Food for a month
“The Imam from our local mosque came to tell me the other day about Islamic Relief’s food distribution,” said Mohammed. “The food I received will help me for the next month and means I won’t have to worry about finding food for us. I don’t know who gave us this food or where they are from, but they must be very kind to help us in this way. “
