A LOW INCOME FAMILY in Morocco

Hello, my name is Mariam and I am helping to raise funds for a lady (Touria), her husband (Abdel Galil) and her daughter (Manar) who live in Meknes, Morocco. Touria and her husband are well past their 60s and their daughter is 16.

Unlike the UK, Morocco does not help its citizens who are struggling to make ends meet and does not have a well-structured pension system that supports the elders.

Touria and her family lived on around £100 per month with her husband working as a labourer (his work shifts involved working away from home for 2 days and having a day off).

After reaching the age of retirement he started receiving much less from the government as he was no longer working. Due to this, he started looking for other work but with no qualifications, this proved very difficult. However, in the end, he found work as a gardener in the local park but this was only summer work that paid him much less than his previous work.

Nonetheless, around a year ago he found work as a labourer which allows him to bring around £80 a month. However, as their daughter gets older the funds required to support her needs (sanitary towels, school books, school bus, internet for studying, laptop to study with...) are increasing and the salary that used to cover the basics is no longer stretching enough, especially with the current financial status of the world after COVID.

To explain the issue further here are some examples that highlight Touria and her family's situation:

1. They cannot afford internet/ or data so they borrow internet from the neighbours for a few hours a day so that their daughter can complete her studies (to use a computer at a library requires money and is also expensive for daily use)

2. In Morocco most people who live in old builds do not have showers/ baths in their houses and so they have to pay to shower in the community baths (hamam)

3. Their daughter does not get new clothes (when she outgrows them) only if we send her them (once a year) or she receives hand-me-downs from cousins

4. School supplies and books are not provided by schools and therefore they have to be bought (she is entering Bac (A-level) so they are expensive)

5. She does not have a laptop or a suitable electronic to study with so she uses my old iPhone 5 to do her homework

6. They do not have a bank account as my uncle gets paid in cash at the end of the week and there's no such thing as savings - so the future is unplanned for.

7. Healthcare in Morocco is not free. Touria has high blood pressure, reduced vision and reduced hearing in her left ear due to age and is not able to afford the medication, glasses or appointments required to deal with these. Additionally, her daughter has multiple teeth that have tooth decay and this is something that also has not been dealt with.

Me and family try to support where we can by sending money/ clothes but as times get tougher we are struggling to do so and are now reaching out to the wider community to help us raise funds for Touria and her family. The money will be sent through Western Union or Remitly so that it can be collected.

Any small amount would be greatly appreciated and if you can't donate please spread the word.