You're not alone

Basma was a teenager living in Australia with her father and brother, reliant on their support. Little did she know that she’d become a victim of physical and emotional abuse from her own family.

Basma was like any other Muslim teenager we would know – she was young and ambitious with hopes about doing something great in life. Sadly, this was all overshadowed by the constant abuse she faced as a child which now haunts her in her adolescence.

Nearly a year ago, Basma and her family had moved and settled into a new home where they hoped to start fresh, but nothing really changed. She felt unsafe in her own home as her father and brother would constantly abuse her verbally, physically, psychologically and even sexually. Basma always needed to watch her back in case either one of them decided to attack her. As she grew up, life with her father and brother was becoming unbearable, and so she decided to take a stand and fight for herself.

At the age of 18, Basma hid in her closet and called the police. She told them everything from start to finish, and that she wanted to leave this house and find a place where they couldn’t get to her. Alhamdulillah, after further investigation, the police finally came to the house and helped Basma move out temporarily into a safe house. Her family did all they could to dispel her reports of abuse claiming that she was exaggerating. Her brother even tried to contact her and find out where she was, which got him in trouble with the police.

After some time, Basma decided to move from the refuge and stay in a hotel away from the region worrying that her family would find her eventually. She only had a handful of cash to support her and pay for the hotel; Basma didn’t have the opportunity to get job or apply for Centrelink support to provide some income for herself. So, she reached out to NZF hoping that they had enough donations to fund her daily expenses.

Once she met with our caseworkers, Basma was immediately given financial support to cover her accommodation, daily needs, and public transport expenses. Along with that, our team also helped Basma get back on her feet by giving her access to other support networks, services and resources she needed. Basma recently also asked for help with job applications so she could have a stable income to live in a safer environment and give back to the community when she grows up.

Your Zakat and Sadaqah empowers young sisters like Basma who need to grow sustainably and become advocates of Islam in the wider Australian community.