Fatima Slbaskar (55) Lost her son in Syria (Originally from Homs, Syria, now in Mafraq, Jordan)
Fatima who has diabetes fled to Jordan in May 2013, with her 3 of her children, after her son was killed in a bomb attack and another son went missing. She is now living on UN food vouchers and had no available heating for winter.
Fatima fled Jordan after her son was killed in a bomb attack when he crossed the road in her hometown of Homs. He was walking ahead of his wife and 2 children who luckily survived the attack. Around the same time, abductions and kidnappings were becoming commonplace and it was not after, that another of Fatima’s sons went ‘missing.’
When Faitma first arrived in Jordan she stayed at her nephew’s house and during this time he was killed in an altercation between two men. The incident occurred when an aid agency was distributing vital emergency supplies, an incident that serves as an indication of the tensions between refugee and host communities who feel the pressure of refugees affecting the local economy and infrastructure
Later on, one of her married sons joined her in Mafraq and she moved with him. Her son is responsible for the family needs but doesn’t have a fixed job because he had a car accident and is now physically disabled.
Fatima and her family lives on UNCHR food coupons, the coupon she receives is based on the number of family members, 10JOD per-member, but for Fatima that is not enough and the food coupon runs out by the end of the month. Her 20 year old son is unemployed and is unable to find a job. He hasn’t been able to secure work permission from the government due to the lack of economic opportunities as well as restricted access to information about livelihood opportunities and legal framework. During winter Fatima and her family get very cold temperatures can plummet to -5 or -10 at night.
Fatima heard about the women’s circle at ActionAid Community Center in Jordan as part of the “Community Based Social Protection” project she want to be part of this women-led initiative but her illness is an obstacle, she is diabetic and she is tired most of times, Fatima is one of the project beneficiaries she received a heater and 2 gas cylinder. This heater is their opportunity to keep them warm this winter.
Community Based Social Protection aims at bringing both host and refugees communities together as a means for building social cohesion and respond to community vulnerability with women-led-initiative. ActionAid in Jordan works to build women leadership in emergencies as agents of change to shift power in the current context of protracted crisis.
