Salma's Story

A single mother of two young children, one of which is severely autistic, Salma was dealing with many financial problems alongside struggling with her own mental health.  She came from a background of hardships, having faced abuse in both her childhood and her adult life, which left her emotionally and physically scarred. 

The stress of being a single mother was hard enough, but to also be suffering from depression and other disorders made it even more difficult being on her own without support. Not only did she feel abandoned by her family, but she also felt like she didn't have the support of her Muslim community. 

Salma had lost all her savings in a scam and her only source of income was limited government assistance. Salma sank further and further into credit card debt and overdue bills as she tried to make ends meet and keep a roof over the heads of her children. It got so bad that she couldn’t even afford new undergarments for her and her children, resorting to second hand. 

Her difficult past along with her continued financial struggle led her depression to continue to grow. The disability support she received helped connect her with doctors for her mental health treatment, but the burden of debt and despair played a significant role in her mental health.  She didn’t know what to do anymore and was afraid that her autistic child would end up like her, without a future. 

One day, while at her local mosque, she broke down crying in her dua’a. A kind sister saw her and turned to help. At first, Salma was hesitant to tell the sister about her problem as she was always ostracized at the mosque, but she eventually felt safe enough to open up and talk to her. The sister told her about National Zakat Foundation and the financial assistance we provide. 

Alhumdulillah, with the help of your Zakat, we were able to support her with groceries for food and help with her overdue bills. 

While some of the financial stresses that Salma was going through were relieved, Salma still has a long road ahead of her to heal from the abuse and trauma she suffered with the help of her mental health professionals and to be able to fully support herself and her family.