School fees unpaid, brothers stay at home

DUBAI Two school-going Pakistani brothers have been forced to sit at home as their debt-ridden parents claim they cannot afford to pay their tuition fees.

Seven-year-old Abdulla Wasim and his brother Naman, six, have not attended school since September. Their mother Rabia, 35, said the family, whoich has been living hand to mouth for a year now, can no longer sustain their children’s school fees.

Abdulla is a Grade 2 student while Naman is in Grade 1. Both study in Dubai schools.

Cancer treatment

Their father Wasim, who works for a private company, said most of his salary goes towards repaying bank and credit card loans he took three years ago to pay for his mother’s cancer treatment. “Five years ago my mother contracted cancer. Initially, I used my savings to pay for her treatment. We even sold whatever gold we had. But her situation got worse. I was forced to take a loan of around Dh200,000 for her treatment. I had to borrow against my credit cards too as cancer treatment in Pakistan is very expensive. How could I leave my mother in the lurch? Unfortunately, my mother died last year and I am now sitting on a fat debt. I feel terrible that my children are unable to go to school - I feel very burdened and just don’t know where to go for help.”

Wasim said unable to pay the electricity and water bills, the family was forced to sleep on the beach at one point last month. “We borrowed water from people’s houses even to bathe. This month, looking at our plight, a good friend paid our bills. We don’t know what is going to happen next month.”

Rabia said: “Our rent is due and the landlord has been haggling us for payment. We hardly have any food to eat. Our life is a complete mess and we don’t know where to go.

She said her five-month-old daughter Reem is yet to get a proper medical check-up at a hospital.

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