Mariam is a mother to 6 children, aged 7 to 19 years old. Since her husband passed away, Mariam has juggled her small business selling soap, shoes and brooms with staying home to look after her children. However, the little she earns is not enough to provide regular and quality food to her children.
“With my low income, it is quite impossible to have meat regularly in our diet.”
Mariam and her family live in Mali, where they are supported by Islamic Relief’s orphan sponsorship programme. This means her children are now attending school and are able to access healthcare services, but despite this support, half of Mariam’s income is spent on food and eating meat remains a rare treat.
“We only eat meat in quantity during big events like Eid and when I receive the sponsorship allowance. It makes my children happy once in a while.”