The Poor Widows of Pakistan

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the world hard.  No nation has escaped it.  In Pakistan, the pandemic has taken a particular harsh toll on the poor widows of the nation, particularly those who are adherents of a minority faith.  These widows were already struggling to support themselves and their children before the pandemic, and now with the economy devastated, many have no means to sustain themselves.  Most cannot even count on aid from local churches who have also been forced to bear terrible financial burdens due to the ongoing crisis.  

We have been doing all that we can to lend a helping hand to the some of the widows of the Pakistani Christian Community.  These are some of the widows we doing our utmost to help.  

• Tariq Masih lost his wife in April of 2020.  The COVID-19 pandemic forced the Pakistani government to shut down the nation, making it impossible for Tariq and his wife to work and support their children.  Tariq's wife fell into despair over their inability to feed their children, and she sadly took her own life.  Our missionary network has been working to try and assist Tariq and his children ever since.  

• Shabina is a poor widow supporting four children in Lahore.  Our missionary network has been assisting them acquiring food and paying their rent.  

• Robina is a widow with three children who was forced to leave her home in Sialkot and move into a missionary home for the poor in Gujranwala.  We are providing her with shelter and aiding her in acquiring food for her children.  

• Tahira is a Widow living in Lahore with four children.  We are assisting her in paying her rent and obtaining food.  

• Waseem Masih was a former Pastor from Khanawel.  He is a widow who suffered a terrible disease two years ago, which ultimately led to his leg being amputated.  Despite his terrible handicap, he is still trying to care for his three children and our missionary network is currently aiding him in his efforts.  

Some of the Widows that we support not only suffer from abject poverty, but persecution as well.  Two of the Widows that we support not only struggled with the increased poverty of the pandemic, but also from the persecution that so many Pakistani Christians suffer from, simply because of their faith.  

The Widow "Rebecca," whose real name we cannot reveal, suffered terribly for her faith.  In 2008, her family was attacked by a Muslim mob who severely beat her and her husband after their children got into an altercation with Muslim children.  The mob left a damaged Qur'an at their home and then reported the family for blasphemy.  Under Pakistan's infamous Blasphemy Laws, this accusation can be punished with life imprisonment.  Both "Rebecca" and her husband were taken to prison where her husband remained for a year and "Rebecca" for 3.5 years.  Sadly, "Rebecca" lost her husband six months later.  "Rebecca" lives in dire poverty, stitching clothes and running a small beauty business to care for her two youngest children as well as her divorced daughter and her three children.  The pandemic has only made things even hard for "Rebecca" and she is relying increasingly more on our missionary network for aid.  

The Widow "Sarah" also suffered terribly from persecution.  Her husband, much like "Rebecca" and her husband, was arrested for blasphemy and taken to prison in July of 2015.  "Sarah" has not heard from him since.  As of now she doesn't know if her husband is alive or dead.  The police told her that he is still in jail, but the prison officials have told her that he is no longer there.  She seriously doubts if she will ever see him again.  Unfortunately, those who accused her husband also came after her, forcing "Sarah" to go into hiding with her two children and her mother.  Recently, persecution forced her to move again.  "Sarah" does various jobs such as cleaning homes and stitching clothing to try and provide for herself and her family, but the ongoing pandemic and led to a drastic decrease in her employment opportunities.  Our missionary network has been working for years to sustain "Sarah" both financially, and spiritually.

Our missionary network, like many, has suffered from a decrease in donations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  If this trend continues, it will be very difficult for us to keep aiding these widows through this trying time.  If we are to continue helping them, we need your help.  Please donate to our GoFundMe fundraiser located here: Bridge of Grace GoFundMe, and please share our campaign on Social Media.  We welcome all the support that can be offered.  Thank you and God Bless.