ZARIF Ali and his eight-month pregnant wife Natasha Nisha should be preparing to celebrate the birth of their first child.
Instead, they are desperately looking for a place to stay after they were kicked out of their home in Nadiri settlement, Nasinu two weeks ago.
Ms Nisha is worried about what kind of environment her child will be raised in, while Mr Ali said he was willing to do anything to provide for his family.
The couple used to survive on whatever he earned as a cobbler.
But when COVID-19 containment measures were enforced, jobs became scarce and income dwindled to nothing.
“Right now we are staying at a neighbour’s house.
If it wasn’t for them we would have ended up on the streets,” the 36-year-old said.
“I need a job right now and I am willing to do anything because we are expecting our first child,” he said.
Mr Ali said he had to borrow $5 from a neighbour to top up his e-ticketing card so he could go around looking for work.
“Only one person is working in the family where we are currently staying and we don’t want to be a burden on them. We can’t sleep at night because my wife is so worried about our baby because she has not been able to prepare anything.
“I found a piece of land but we have to pay $2000 to the landowner and we do not have any money with us, so we are pleading for any kind of assistance.”
