Munawar Jan is in desperate need of medical treatment. Without it her health will rapidly deteriorate. But she can’t afford her treatment.
At the age of 80, Munawar Jan is still active and self-reliant. She cooks, cleans and takes care of all her domestic needs. Though hard of hearing, this boisterous woman is full of stories about her life and loves to tell them. When she does, Munawar Jan leaves little room to wonder how she’s come to be so strong.
Hailing from a small village on the border of Afghanistan, Munawar Jan was born into a poor family who ran a local fruit stall. At 15 she was married to a man more than 20 years her senior, who already had two wives and eleven children. This was the custom in her culture, and because her husband was a wealthy man, it was considered a good match. But her new family were unkind. Munawar Jan was the younger third wife and was only two years older than the oldest daughter. This meant she was beaten and severely treated by everyone including her husband.
Munawar Jan had three children. She raised them as well as some of the children of her sister wives. Her life as a married woman was one of domestic labour and abuse. When her husband passed away in 1980 Munawar Jan took her children and left his household. She travelled to Rawalpindi, where she sought refuge with one her brothers.
After a fifteen-year legal battle, Munawar Jan was able to receive her meagre share of an inheritance from her late husband. With it, she brought a small patch of land and built a house for her family. Today, this is when Munawar Jan lives by herself. Her children have all married and moved away to different cities. Occasionally her grandchildren come to visit her, but recently she has lost one of her daughters. The untimely death of her children has shaken her more than anything she’s had to face in her lifetime.
When Munawar Jan came to Zohra Foundation, our medical staff diagnosed her with cardiovascular disorder, psychosis and a serious skin disease. The medication she was prescribed costs roughly £80 a month. Munawar Jan cannot afford her treatment. Yet without it her health will deteriorate very rapidly. Zohra Foundation has been supplying Munawar Jan with medication on a monthly basis, but we need your help to continue. Can you support us?
