Habiba’s Story: Elders in Poverty

Fleeing her war-torn country, Habiba arrived in Canada with her elderly husband and disabled daughter with hopes for a more stable life and a brighter future. Like millions of seniors in Canada who find themselves dependent on financial support, Habiba was feeling anxious about her prospects and potential to find a job to support her family. However, as she looked for employment, she never anticipated that government support would leave them barely making ends meet in their new home. Habiba’s situation is not so different from thousands of other Canadian seniors – a staggering 12.5% of Canadian seniors are living in poverty, and this number continues to rise*. 

Not too long after their move, Habiba’s husband passed away. Habiba found herself in a catastrophic situation – she was now an elderly widow who was not only sick herself but was also now the sole provider for her daughter who needed medical support to survive. Shuffling between different medical facilities for her and her daughter, paying medical invoices, drowning in paperwork, along with maintaining the never-ending household needs left Habiba emotionally traumatized and financially drained. She finally hit rock bottom when she received a notice from the government stating that her income support would be decreasing – she had no idea how she and her daughter would survive. 

Studies show that low income seniors are falling into poverty at a higher rate than the rest of the Canadian population, making them even more vulnerable as their ability to recover from their situation is low. Like many Canadian seniors, Habiba’s earning potential was limited. As a newcomer to Canada, this automatically placed her into lower wage or manual labour work, however her age and health posed as barriers for her to enter the workforce. Thousands of Canadian seniors struggle with the same barriers, which leaves a sizable population with food and housing insecurity as well as physical and mental health issues.  

Thankfully for Habiba, a friend referred her to National Zakat Foundation and advised her to seek our assistance. Through the power of your Zakat, we were able to provide her with financial support, as well as connect her with other organizations who could help support her in her road to recovery.  

We believe that our respected elders should always feel safe, have access to nutritious food as well as the resources and support they need. As the number of Canadian seniors living in poverty continues to rise, it is our duty as Muslims to ensure they are well cared for, especially during the difficult times of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Our mission at National Zakat Foundation is to spread selflessness and self-sufficiency as Muslims and care for our community, regardless of age, color or social status and we could not achieve these goals without your continuous support and ongoing donations. To donate and help support others like Habiba, please visit nzfcanada.com/donate.

* Source: Health Care of Ontario Pension Plan 2017