Twelve Dollars in the Account

Layla checked her banking app again. Twelve dollars. School fees were due in two weeks.

She had come to Australia on a student visa, sent here by a family who had saved for years to give her this chance. The visa came with a limit: she could not work regular hours. Campus work study jobs paid minimum wage, when she could get one at all.

Rent and fees took everything she earned. Some months her family sent money from overseas. Some months they had nothing to send.

She skipped meals rather than miss a payment. She rationed her phone data. She wore the same clothes because there was no room in the budget for anything new. She borrowed from friends and paid them back when she could, then borrowed again.

Layla searched online for support and came across the National Zakat Foundation. She applied straight away, knowing she had nothing to lose.

Your Zakat. Her Right.

Even in a country like Australia, there are still people who struggle to access basic necessities. Through local Zakat, Layla was able to cover food and essential living costs while staying enrolled. It meant she could focus on her education instead of worrying about skipping meals.