A Widow’s Despair Turns to Joy!

Maryam is a widow who works very hard to provide for her children. Maryam explained, “I cannot afford to pay their school fees, but I feed them. I cut and sell firewood, but it only brings in a little money. When I can, I help people on their farms. When I have to, I beg for food, so my children will not go hungry.”
 
Just when she thought life could not get any more difficult, things got even worse. Maryam said, “I woke up to the sound of my son shouting, ‘Mama, mama! Water is coming into our room.’I got up immediately, took my baby, and we all ran out of the house.”

Their village was hit by a severe flood. After the water receded, Maryam and her children returned and found their home destroyed.  
“I lost everything!” exclaimed Maryam. “My children and I sleep in the cold. We put some sheets on the bare floor and sleep there. I often catch a cold, because we have no extra clothes to protect us. Mosquitoes bite me a lot, too.” 

Because of the constant exposure to mosquitoes, her children caught malaria. Maryam’s son said, “My head aches and I get a fever when I am sick.”

Maryam had no money to take her children to the hospital, and she was losing hope that things would ever get better. “I felt like giving up. I didn’t have the strength to live anymore,” said Maryam. “After the flood, we went for days without food. I had nowhere to turn.”

When Operation Blessing heard about the flooding in Maryam’s village, we went with food and other relief supplies to help struggling families like hers. Maryam and hundreds of other families got food, mattresses, mosquito nets, clothes, and construction materials to help them rebuild their homes.

Maryam said, “I was overjoyed when Operation Blessing visited with food and other things we needed to survive.”

Maryam’s son said, “Thank you for the food and the new clothes. I love it all!”

Operation Blessing’s medical team also provided medical care to Maryam and her children.

Her son said, “We’re no longer sick, because Operation Blessing’s doctors treated my family for free.”

In addition to helping Maryam rebuild her home, we gave her two goats to help her start a livestock business. Now, Maryam can give her children hot meals in a safe and happy home free from mosquitoes and cold. 

Maryam said, “You changed my life completely. Thank you for your help. I pray that God will continue to bless you and keep you safe.”