Rahima Begum, a resident of Shiberbazar village under Hatkhola union of Sylhet Sadar upazila was widowed long ago. Rahima is now 60. She falls ill now and then, yet has to go to work. Otherwise, she would without food.
Rahima somehow manages to support herself, working as a domestic help. She resides in a dilapidated hut with a tin-roof and mud walls.
Her condition worsened even further in this year’s floods. On one hand there is the food crisis and on the other she was worried over repairing her devastated home. This has wiped the smile off of her face.
In such circumstances, she cried out of joy after receiving a packet of relief, distributed at the initiative of Prothom Alo Trust.
Not just Rahima, a total of 75 flood-affected people from Shiberbazar, Nazirgaon, Paikraj, Shahporan villages under Sylhet Sadar upazila as well as Kuarpar and Monipuri Rajbari areas of Sylhet city received relief items from Prothom Alo Trust on Wednesday.
Each of them received five kilograms of rice, a litre of soybean oil, a kg of lentils, a kg of flour, a kg of salt, 100 grams of chilli powder and 100 grams of turmeric powder. They expressed their happiness over receiving the relief.
After receiving the relief Rahima Begum told Prothom Alo, her son had left and she doesn’t even know where he went. About four years ago, her daughter-in-law also remarried and started a new family. Rahima is surviving somehow with difficulties, with her grandson and granddaughter.
She took refuge in a shelter with her grandchildren on 16 June as their house was flooded. After returning home several days ago, she received an electric shock. Later, she hurt her foot with a pin. She cannot even go to work. But now she won’t have to worry about food for several days because of the relief.
Local social worker Salek Chowdhury, general secretary of Prothom Alo Bondhushava in Sylhet Antor Shyam, other secretaries of the committee Drishty Barman, Gayitri Barman, Toma Sutradhar as well as members Yahya Hossain, Farhana Haque, Haimanti Das, Abdul Muhaimin and others were present during the relief distribution.
Salek Chowdhury said, Prothom Alo has been by the flood-affected people since the beginning of the disaster. This is a huge example of humanitarianism.
You too can come forward to help flood-affected people. Cash assistance can be transferred through banks and Bkash. Funds can be deposited to Prothom Alo Trust/Tran Tohobil and the account number is 20720011194, Dhaka Bank Limited, Karwan Bazar Branch, Dhaka. Or, you can pay with Bkash, on this merchant account number, 01713067576.