Come Ramzan and the belief that this is a blessed month when we are given an opportunity to share with the less fortunate, the good things of life that God has bestowed upon us, is demonstrated everywhere.

It’s heartening to see households giving away ration to their domestic help with the advent of Ramzan.

A Ramzan package varies from person to person. Zohra works at a house for four hours a day. She was particularly happy in anticipation of the ration she was going to get from her employer in Ramzan. The amount and variety of food she gets from this house takes care of her 5-member family’s needs.

Halima, who lives in the same vicinity but left housework a year ago, is still awaiting ration. "Nobody has given us anything so far but the kothi which gives us ration every year does so after the 15^th of Ramzan. That is yet to come but she is hopeful. "Ration means a lot to us. I have just paid Rs4,000 electricity bill and the house rent is still to be paid. Alms in such a situation are most welcome."

Zohra and Halima both live in the slums next to a posh locality of Lahore from where most domestic help are employed in the big houses.

There are others who leave their children as help at kothis  sometimes for months. I recently met a mother and daughter who were travelling with two 50kg sacks of rice which an employer had given them as Ramzan gift.

Then there are widows and orphans who are not employed at any house and barely make their ends meet. "I received a 10kg sack of flour and one kg packets of rice, sugar, white gram, besan, dates and oil each. I am disappointed. I have spent Rs60 to reach here and will pay as much bus fare to reach back home," says Razia, a widow.

She takes out a paper safely folded in polythene and shows it to me. It is her husband’s death certificate. "I am not lying. My husband is not there. I deserve help. If I get ration to feed our four children it will take so much worry off my mind." Someone gave her an address and she did get provisions from there the next day.

While Razia is a common folk who wouldn’t hesitate in talking about her travails, Nabila, too, is a widow without an earning hand in the family but does not utter even a word that she needs help. Fortunately, she received a Ramzan package this month and heaved a sigh of relief, "One can only be grateful to God and his people who care. This is help indeed. Now one can use money somewhere else. It is needed at so many occasions," she says.

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There is a widow raising four children in Pattoki. Her sister and her husband Arshad who live in Lahore, ensure that she gets the essentials of life. Arshad makes a living by distributing milk. He has told his customers that he needs alms to help this family before eid.