Poverty Along With Physical Disability

“Yes, that woman over there is my mother. She is in her seventies. She has been suffering from many chronic diseases, and lately, she had a broken leg. Tragically, regardless of my physical disability, nine family members are my responsibility now,” stated Qasim.

How painful it is to look after seven young children and a mother with chronic illnesses while you are disabled, and your whole body is covered with severe burns. Not to mention how alarmingly the situation in this country keeps escalating day after day which makes it difficult for this vulnerable family to continue struggling for survival. Indeed, poverty and physical disability have left this afflicted person unable to keep feeding his family or even to satisfy their basic needs.

Qasim Alshowkhi, a fifty one – year old man, has four daughters and three sons. He lives below the poverty line with his mother, wife, and seven children in a small old cabin in Alaqibah sub-district of Fara Aludayn district, Ibb governorate. Sadly, Qasim’s father died as a result of a cholera outbreak disease last year. Until then, the burden of responsibility became much greater and intolerable for him as he is physically disabled.

Several years back, Qasim was perfectly healthy and in a better shape. However, while he was working one day at a gas store in Taizz governorate, the whole workplace got burned to the ground due to a gas leak. That was sorrowfully a terrible disaster for Qasim who found himself covered with serious burns to the point where he thought he would never live again. “The fire was eating every part of my body except my eyes which the Almighty God has protected,” noted Qasim.

Sadly, Qasim is the one responsible for his family! The whole family depends on him as he is the only source of income! He now became nothing more than a crippled man on crutches! Have you ever thought of the unimaginable grief and suffering this vulnerable family would feel the moment they all knew what happened to him? It was in fact the darkest night ever when the family heard about this tragic and disastrous incident.

The whole family especially Qasim’s wife took good care of him and shouldered all the responsibilities until he got better. However, Qasim is still not able to support his family due to his physical disability. “That’s my painful story which I’ve been suffering from. I don’t know if you feel that way, but it kills me to be not able to help my mother, wife, and children,” Qasim’s last words.