“How we managed our time during the financial crisis”

Whole my life from the day I was born till now, I have seen my parents go through different financial problems time to time. There were times where we would go outing at least once a month, buy clothes, have fun. There were times when months passed without an outing or fun time when we went short on cash.

Me and my brother used to study one of the prestigious schools in Karachi with fancy name and all. When I was in class 6, my parents went through their first bad financial crisis for me to experience. My father had a setback in his business thus resulting us change school as the bigger the name, higher the fees. My parents had to cut through expenses and save as much as they could. Unlike most the parents who hide their financial problems from their children so they won’t have to face the reality just yet. My parents always had been open about it to us. They always told us that we are going through a tough time. It might be a test from Allah but from our support we will work it out.

Being in one school whole my life, I was quite attached to it. I was heartbroken to leave my school and friends behind. I never complained. I was admitted in school in which my mother studied. It was a plain one. No attractive building, no extra-curricular activities, no talent hunts. JUST STUDY. I whined a little because I couldn’t fathom the change.

My father remained jobless for 1.5 years but we never complained. Baba eventually got a job in a private company with not an excellent pay but it was better then nothing. To support Baba, Mama started stitching work where she would sew bedsheets, clothes on order. We were happy to be back being stable.

Then again after 2 years when I was in my last year of college. My father lost his job. Those years were very crucial for my studies. My parents were tensed about my coaching fees and my brothers school fees plus household expenses. My maternal grandparents supported during that times in paying our fees because they didn’t want us to drop our studying.

During those years, we would have new clothes only on Eid, I would take Chinchi instead of Rickshaw to save money. I searched for jobs so I could support them in anyway I could. I got a job in my coaching for a month. I used to be dead tired but I did it, I remained strong.

Now, it was time for my University admissions. Baba was still jobless. Mama started selling frozen food items through social media. It worked well but was not enough to cover educational expenses. I dropped my aptitude classes to save money for admission test fees. I SWEAR UNIVERSITIES LOOT THOUSANDS OF MONEYS ON THE NAME OF TEST FEES.

Around 9000 were spent on Test fees. I finally got admission in my desired field in a private University. Me and my parents were so tensed about how will they pay the fees. It was 51,000.

I even told them that I would take a year gap. I would find a job in the meantime, save money and then will study. They refused saying that they won’t let me jeopardize my studies because they knew it meant a lot to me. It was always my dream to be a nutritionist and Alhamdulillah I finally had a chance to be one.

They took loans and admitted me In University by paying fees on Installment. That’s how my first year passed. Through that time, I started to search for freelancing projects but wasn’t lucky. The lockdown didn’t help my case.

This lockdown was hard on us too as it was on a thousand others. My father’s business collapsed once again. Still, it is going that way. Our parents told us that Allah has given us skills we can use it in our favor and earn accordingly.

Luckily, I scored my first freelance project. It wasn’t a big one but it was something. Then the chain started and Since then I am having projects every week which pays me good. I will pay my semester fees from it plus my brother tuition expenses.

The smile of proudness on my parents face when they see me working just lights up my day. I feel like those sleepless nights are finally paying.

Allah helps those who help themselves. No matter what state are you in. No matter what you are going through. Just don’t give up. Don’t lose hope. Keep up the Hustle make your parents proud.