Zakat Stories

01 Sep 2026

“May God forgive him. He ruined his life and dragged us down with him. Life was tough, but we managed to get by—we didn't have to end up like this. Things were so much better back then compared to what we’re living today,” says Um Yaseen* (pseudonym).

On the International Day Against Drug Abuse, and driven by its social responsibility, Tkiyet Um Ali shares the story of one of dozens of families benefitting from its programs families plunged into extreme poverty due to drug abuse and trafficking.

Sharing her ordeal in hopes of raising awareness and making her voice heard, Um Yaseen recounts: “My husband was sentenced to ten years for drug trafficking. He went missing for days. I was used to him being away for work, but I had no idea he had been arrested on drug charges. From that moment on, our lives completely changed.”

Her husband had turned to drug trafficking thinking it would solve his financial struggles, driven by an unstable daily-wage income and mounting debt. Instead, his decision landed him a ten-year prison sentence for felony drug trade, leaving behind a wife and five children facing an uncertain future.

Um Yaseen recalls facing heavy social stigma and pressure from her family to divorce him and leave the children with their father's relatives. “I refused,” she says. “I had to stay strong for my children. I received emergency aid through the prison, and later enrolled for support from the National Aid Fund.”

She continues: “I applied to Tkiyet Um Ali via WhatsApp. They visited our home and evaluated our situation. At the time -four years ago -my eldest daughter was in high school (Tawjihi) and my youngest was in kindergarten. To this day, Tkiyet Um Ali continues to stand by our side.”

Despite the hardship, her eldest daughter managed to pursue higher education and is now in her final semester at university on a scholarship from the Student Support Fund. Her second son had to defer his university enrollment for a whole year to save up for tuition, but he is now back in school.

Um Yaseen firmly believes that education is her children's shield to face life’s hardships. “I married young at 16 and never finished my education. Today, my daughter is educated, and the rest will follow so they can face the world. Maybe if I had been educated, our lives would have been different. Tkiyet Um Ali relieved so much of our burden, and thank God, helped us get to where we are today.”

Her husband is expected to be released in five years, when their youngest child will be in the tenth grade. Um Yaseen reflects: “I don’t know what the world will look like then, but the kids visit their father every week. No matter his mistakes, he is still their father, and they deserve to know him.”

“May God forgive him. He ruined his life and dragged us down with him. Life was tough, but we managed to get by—we didn't have to end up like this. Things were so much better back then compared to what we’re living today,” says Um Yaseen* (pseudonym).