The powerful testimony of a homeless woman & the magnificent photography of Gmb Akash who never patronizes his subjects & always highlights the beauty of humanity.
I am very grateful to Allah. I have a home to sleep in, food to eat, children to love. There are homeless people who are living near this train station who suffer from the cold at night, who beg for food in the afternoon, and who have no one to look after them. When I see them, I stop complaining to Allah about the little problems I have. Though I live in this dilapidated house, eat only rice and lentils for lunch as well as dinner and suffer from illness, I am still grateful to the Almighty for all the blessings he has given me. I have no major problem to share with you. I am grateful for the life I have.
I have never done anything for anyone. Poverty made me unable to do anything for the people who are less fortunate than me. This thought gives me pain all the time. I often ask myself, “What will I take with me when I die?”.
In addition, I do not know if I can manage to live another winter or not. People of my age suffer badly this time of year. No one notices us. When you are old and poor, you suffer silently because there will be no one to hear your pain; no one will come to you to give you warmth. During this crucial season, some of us gather together besides a fire every morning; all of us are waiting for death. Every winter one of us dies. Last year, Safura died of pneumonia. We do not know who will leave us this year.
Life is not easy for me. I have never had any new clothes, but that is okay. There are many people my age who do not expect even what I have. A few days ago, for the first time in my life, I received a winter shawl. For days I was not able to open it and wear it. I keep looking at it and when I decided to wear it, I saw my ninety-year-old neighbor, Mariyum, who does not even have a proper saree. I gifted my shawl to her. I want very much for her to survive this winter. If my shawl can keep her warm for some time than it will be the best reward of my life. And what about me? I can manage with this old shawl….and when I feel too cold, I say prayers. You can believe it or not, but when I pray, I feel warm.
– Morsheda Begum
If you want to be part of gifting a winter Sweater for winter among poor elderly people, feel free to message me on this page. I will share addresses where you can send your gift for women like Morsheda. Like every year, I am going to gift winter sweaters and other winter essentials and distribute them among poor elderly people who live in the street and in rural areas. I hope that during this winter, you will also be able to make someone warm with your love.
Love and Light!
GMB Akash