Khadija: An elderly refugee in Canada

As an elderly woman and a refugee to Canada, Khadijah was struggling to support herself. Having just been moved off the Resettlement Assistance Program and onto Ontario Works, Khadijah saw a significant drop in the government support that she was getting. Her total cost of living was roughly $1,150 a month, and the financial aid she was getting was only $720. Furthermore, Khadijah was straggled with an immigration loan from when she first arrived in the country and was not going to be able to make her payments by the end of August.

Compounding Khadijah’s financial problems were that of her health. She suffered from partial blindness and was scheduled to have a Glaucoma Surgery in April. This, in combination with her old age and the cultural and linguistic challenges Khadijah faced, made it difficult for her to find any kind of employment.

Khadijah could not make ends meet without support from the community. Planning to apply to the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) for increased financial support, Khadijah had to figure out a way to make it by in the short-term without harming her long-term future.

Fortunately, Khadijah encountered NZF. The short-term support that she received from NZF was about to sustain her until she received approval for ODSP assistance. Now, by Allah’s mercy, she has enough to sustain herself.

Support NZF, donate now at nzfcanada.com/donate