The heat was blistering hot, so much so, that the rays dug into my back as I was holding my black straw hat and gazing out of the window as we were travelling to a school in Senegal. We were in a black jeep, me, my dad, my mum and my sister all huddled together against the old tattered leather as the smell of sweat, dust and smoke surrounded us. We had a water bottle to share between the 4 of us, as the rest had been annihilated previously by our thirst -we weren’t used to this heat. I was sweating in places I didn’t know I could sweat in, it didn’t help that I was wearing all black…
As we arrived at our destination, we clambered out of the car waiting for the others to come. The sweet sound of children’s excited mummers, running through the sand to gaze upon the strangers that entered their land was soothing, and I had forgotten about the blistering trip that we encountered on the way here. It wasn’t long before we were surrounded: eyes of wonder, smiles of hope illuminated our view as they edged closer to us. The sound of the other members of the crew broke the harmonious state that I quickly found myself in; I rapidly caught a glimpse of their shiny new water bottles that I could see was being held out in glee. It was almost as if it were a trophe, a prized possession that we had labourously worked for. Suddenly, my dry cracked mouth broke the serenity that I was bathing in, and raging thirst plummeted through my body. I need water.
I laugh to myself, looking back at it now. Need is such a big word, it certainly wasn’t apt for the situation that I was in; we had drunk plenty in the car, albiet being a bit warm and fuzzy, but it was still water nevertheless. How selfish was I? How selfish was I, that I felt entitled to have it, when the children in front of me have had none, for the entire day.
Ah, the look in their eyes, the longing was indescribable – if only you were there. None of this is an exaggeration, God is my only witness to what happened next..
With a guilty selfish heart, I gave one of the boys that were surrounding me a bottle, clearly seeing the hunger that inhabited his eyes. Expecting him to gulp it all down, just as I did, I was in utter shock to see him delicately open the lid, and pass the bottle around to those around him. Each one had a calculated sip, so that everyone could enjoin in this splendour. Finally, as he had done his rounds, with a smile of triumph, he brought the bottle to his lips and took the last drop.
Thats when it hit me.
That level of selflessness is only achievable because he could empathise how they felt, for it was a reality that he was living himself. He knew the pangs of their thirst from the inside out, whereas I saw it from the external, he could feel it.
In July, we will be climbing 3 mountains in a day, in order to raise money for a sustainable micro dam in Mali, so that everyone can have what is a necessity we take for granted.
This Ramadan, I’ve consistently come across ayahs of God complaining that we don’t take heed to His blessings. By God this is true. We aren’t and will never be grateful enough for everything that He has given us.
If we don’t help them, who will? Who’s there to share their stories? Who’s there to capture their struggles?
I would love for you to be a part of this and join me in this journey towards providing a basic necessity to those who need it the most.
https://y3p19.everydayhero.com/uk/aneesah
Please give whatever you can, and spread the word by sharing my page with your friends and family. Thank you in advance for your generosity, it means more than you know, not for me, but for them. Please do look at the videos and pictures below. May God accept it, and allow us to be the coolness to their eyes. Ameen.
This picture was taken in Senegal, when Human Appeal International blessed us with the opportunity to see their projects.
This was our team, the beautiful souls.
The story of Aneesah بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ 