Starting Over After Displacement

When Ayman and his wife Sumaya arrived in Australia from Gaza last year with their three young children, they came with nothing. Like many new arrivals from war-torn regions, they were unfamiliar with the systems and services available in Australia.

Upon arrival, they received a one-off settlement payment and were placed on NZF’s six-month Gaza Assistance Program to help them settle and rebuild. At the time, they fell under two categories of Zakat, ‘the poor’ having no assets or income and ‘the wayfarer’, as they were travellers unable to return to their homeland.

Since then, their circumstances have changed, but challenges remain. Ayman and Sumaya are now on a bridging visa and attending English classes at TAFE. Ayman recently began working, having to drive over an hour each way to support his family. His earnings from four days of work around $448 per week helped them stay afloat.

However, Ayman was unaware that he could only drive on his Palestinian driver’s licence for six months. Once it expired, he lost access to his car and has had to rely on a friend for lifts to work, this wasn’t always consistent. As a result, he’s had to reduce his work to just two days a week, cutting their already limited income in half.

Although they’ve tried their best to keep up with rent and bills, the family recently fell into three weeks of rent arrears, totalling $1,770, and have an overdue water bill of $300. With a family of five, reduced income, and no access to reliable transport, even providing basic lunchbox food and household essentials has become difficult.

Their current financial assessment showed they were at a deficit of $3699. When they reached out to NZF again, it was clear that while they’ve made progress, they now fall under the “Needy” category of Zakat, those who have some income but still cannot meet their basic needs.

Thanks to your Zakat, NZF was able to step in and help. The rent arrears and overdue water bill have now been covered, easing the pressure on the family and allowing them to continue working towards stability and independence.

Zakat is not just charity, it is a right. For families like Ayman's, it’s the support they need to keep going when life takes an unexpected turn.