Shelter
“If a young man honours an elderly on account of his age, God appoints someone to honour him in his old age.”
[Hadith from At-Tirmidhi]
Over 2 million elderly people in Pakistan do not the medicine, food and shelter that they need to survive. Many of the them live in impoverished conditions with no running water, access to food and no source of heating in the cold winter months. These poor living conditions lead to malnutrition and a wide range of health conditions, including respiratory infections, chronic conditions and mental health issues.
Zohra Foundation have been providing shelter, medical support and food packages to the elderly in Pakistan for over 5 years. Just £25 a month can give one elderly person in poverty the food, medicine and shelter they need to survive.
By supporting us with your Zakat and Sadaqah you will be saving the life of someone in need and fulfilling your Islamic duty to care for your elders.
It is our Islamic responsibility to care for our elders and those in need.
How can they survive?
Today Pakistan is one of the fastest aging populations. It is estimated that by 2050 over 43.3 million (15.8%) of the population will be aged over 60. Despite the rapidly increasing elderly population in Pakistan there is very little provisions for this vulnerable community.
In the Qur’an it lays out how the responsibility for caring for the elderly is with the children and wider family. However, what happens when they do not have this support? Increasingly in Pakistan the elderly is being left isolated and alone. Industrialisation means that children are moving away from their parents and do not have the space or financial means to care for their elderly parents. For those who do take on the responsibility it can be a real struggle. In Pakistan 33% of the population live below the poverty line. With barely enough money to feed and provide for their own families how can they afford to give their elderly relatives the basic necessities and medicine they need to survive? This is leading to changing attitudes to the elderly across Pakistan. Instead of viewing their role as a caregiver they perceive elderly relatives as a burden and problematic.
For those who have no one the meagre state pension can barely afford food let alone the expensive medical care they need as they age. Their lives are without the hope, dignity and respect that they deserve in their final years.