Finding Aunty Fatima

Aunty Fatima

A street lined by trees quickly turns to one lined by 4 storey flats and low cost housing as we cautiously meander our way through a neighborhood not too far from ours.  Houses covered in barbed wire, broken windows and bars, evidently not keeping out criminals which this neighborhood infests.  We reach the flat where Aunty Fatima lives and are overcome with  a sense of apprehension while we are met with a few guys sharing bottles of their afternoon beer and chatting whilst little kids donned with fez’s are playing in their midst.

We are greeted by Aunty Fatima, grateful for the very little things we were able to bring. She houses 25 children some orphans, others mostly foster, saved from either abusive parents or left by ones that have abandoned them at birth.  We sit in the lounge of a tiny three bed roomed flat chatting to this remarkable lady who tells us the story of how she has been doing this for the last 35 years and that she cant imagine her life being any different.

It is the 4^th day of Ramadaan and I sit there thinking that I had ready made pies and other delicacies in my freezer and that this lady housing 25 children was wondering what to make for supper for their choices were so limited. It is the 4^th day of Ramadaan and I sat there thinking that Allah has given us this great opportunity to help and He Hehhas brought us here to show us that all this planning and requests for appeals is worth every ounce of work, as people like Aunty Fatima will benefit

It is the 4^th day of Ramadaan and once again the streets turns to those lined with trees. Overwhelmed,  we drive back home wondering how many others  there are like Aunty Fatima who have unselfishly given up their own lives to look after other children and it is then that we realize that they are all Allah’s children. That we are just instruments, that good only comes through His mercy.