Give our children Social Justice through Zakat

Meet Essa and his mum. They travelled to Lahore from Gujranwala for treatment. Essa has been undergoing chemotherapy since last year at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital. He has pre-T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma, and without support, Essa’s mum would not have been able to afford his medical care. Your Zakat made that possible.

Watch the message from Essa’s mum, who believes Shaukat Khanum Hospital is not a hospital, but a blessing.

You might remember Huzaifa. He was the face of Shaukat Khanum Hospital’s Zakat campaign for Ramadan 2016. To save him, his family, his village and all of our hospital staff fought hard. Huzaifa fought the hardest. But two years later, despite all our efforts, we lost him.

Huzaifa’s was a poor family from a poor community in Nowshera. Their village was heavily affected by floods and its people had still not recovered. Huzaifa’s father used to work as a labourer in Peshawar. When his youngest was diagnosed with sarcoma, he had to leave his job and relocate his entire family to Lahore for Huzaifa’s treatment.

Huzaifa’s dad: "The move from Nowshera cost us immensely. The people of our village got together and raised this money for Huzaifa, to save his life.”

To make the family’s move possible, the people of Huzaifa’s village – family, friends and neighbours – pooled their money together. These were people who had lost their houses and cattle. They too lived in poverty, leading extremely difficult lives. But to save little Huzaifa they gave what they had.

In Pakistan, desperate families like Huzaifa’s and Essa’s are often forced to borrow money. The danger in this is if loan sharks get involved. It can often mean a lifetime of debt and even bonded labour, which is passed down from parent to child. This is essentially modern-day slavery, which is still rife in Pakistan. By providing free cancer care and all the support we are able, we aren’t just saving the lives of patients. We’re also saving their families from a fate worse than death.

Huzaifa’s dad: “I ask myself every day; what would we have done if there was no Shaukat Khanum? I’m a poor man. How would I have been able to afford treatment for my child?”

Today, at Shaukat Khanum Hospital in Lahore and Peshawar, many of our child patients have the same story as Essa and Huzaifa. Some of them are from families who have been displaced, even left homeless, following last year’s super floods in Pakistan. These are people who are suffering the brunt of global crises they did not create. Against poverty, the effects of climate change and crippling inflation, they fight to survive. And we stand in solidarity with them.

Imran Khan: “What is the reason for people coming into this world? If Allah gives you a lot, He puts a responsibility on you – what are you doing for those who Allah has not given a lot to? This is your life’s test.”

This Ramadan, our patients will be relying on your Zakat more than ever. Thank you for trusting us with your Zakat for 28 years. Thank you for helping us strive for healthcare equality in Pakistan.