Escaping the poverty trap in Gaza and Chechnya
“My husband’s health condition means he is unable to support our family,” says mother-of-eight Wafaa (above). She lives in Gaza, where occupation, blockade and recurring conflict have brought the economy close to collapse. Unemployment is commonplace, particularly among women. “Every day my family suffered: we could not afford food and everything was a struggle.”
Many families like Wafaa’s have no choice but to rely on humanitarian aid from charities like Islamic Relief, who provide food, clean water, safer homes and support for vulnerable children. We also help people break out of dependency – this year Wafaa joined 24 other Palestinians to receive our support, training and cash grants to build a small enterprise.
“I was able to establish a small project selling and raising sheep. Working with this project makes me feel warm inside: my joy is indescribable. My debts have now greatly reduced, and my daughter is able to study at university.”
A similar project helped Zaira, who lives in Kirova, Chechnya. In her area unemployment, low wages and lack of social support trap many in poverty.
“When my husband was 17 years old, like many other young people, he used to collect scrap metal to sell to feed his family,” says the mother-of-four. “One day he stepped on a landmine. He lost his left leg and damaged his intestines. He is unable to work and has undergone around 30 operations.”
Zaira struggled to pay the medical bills and meet their basic needs, until she received a cow and fodder through an Islamic Relief project helping 175 people in her area. With milk from the cow, Zaira produces and sells dairy items like cottage cheese and sour cream, giving her family more food to eat and a reliable source of income.
