The storm at the door?

Alina and her four children have no money for heating

The weather is stormy and rainy, but while most of us will spend the evening in a warm home, there are those who can not afford heating even on the coldest days of the year.

We met a mother and four children that the State of Israel literally leaves to freeze

Between Ashkenazi

25/01/2022

Tuesday, 25 January 2022, 13:04 Updated: Wednesday, 26 January 2022, 09:52

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We could not photograph the next family except when she was covered with a blanket: not only because it was minors and not even because of the shame (which should be the shame of us all), but mainly because blankets are the main means of heating at home: over the sweater, over the coat - and especially in lack of money. Slightly more efficient.

These days, the heyday of winter, cause many of us to shut ourselves in the cozy and warm home, in front of the TV, with a delightful cup of tea, occasionally looking at the heavy rain volleys that fall outside and rejoicing in our part that we are on the right side of the glass.

But while we relish the winter, there are those left by the State of Israel to shiver.

Exactly so.

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A family covered in the shame of us all: Alina and one of her children "warming up" (Photo: courtesy of those photographed)

Academic, mother of 4, with no money for electricity

Alina (real name withheld) is a 37-year-old single mother of four. It is doubtful if there is a classic profile for distress, but if there is one, Alina does not match it. She has a bachelor's degree in marine science, ostensibly one who was supposed to earn a decent living, but due to the fact that she is the mother of four children whose father is not involved in their upbringing, she is forced to work shifts and hours in nursing - and meager income is far from sufficient for family needs.

At the height of winter we found the family in isolation, thinking twice about whether to turn on the heating - even for a few hours. On the one hand, it is cold for children, but on the other hand, there is not enough money to pay the electricity bill, especially since electricity tariffs will increase from a few more days, by 4.9%.

Alina immigrated to Israel at the age of 15 as part of a high school (immigrant youth before parents) from Moscow.

Her main problem is in the area of ​​employment: there is no position she can hold that will fund the frameworks for her four children and leave money for the family economy.

Therefore, even though she is an educated woman with an academic degree, she chooses to work part-time in the field of nursing.

Alina's children and the usual means of heating in the house: another layer of cloth (Photo: courtesy of those photographed)

And thanks to the High Court of Justice for recognizing the supply of electricity as a "constitutional right"

"I want to work in a profession I learned and invested in my studies quite a bit, but because I am a single mother I must work in a job that will allow me to take care of my children."

She tells in a phone call.

"In the last month I have not worked almost because of the children's insulation, so I can not afford to turn on heating, certainly not for a long time because I do not know how I will pay the electricity bill, some of the children I cover with clothes and blankets."

Alina describes the difficulties and wants to emphasize that this is not just her personal story but of everyone who struggled like her to close the month and raise children, in the absence of a proper source of income.

We will emphasize again that this is an academic, but due to the fact that due to the circumstances of her life she became a single parent and all the burden of earning a living at home and caring for children fell on her shoulders, she could not engage in the profession.

Alina's application for public housing from the Ministry of Housing was recently denied.

Luckily an organization helps her give in the supply of food baskets.

: "No one imagines that he will not be able to heat his children's room or that his grandparents will suffer from a freezing cold in winter because they do not have enough money to run a heating system in their home

. Hundreds of thousands of families living in poverty and economic hardship are

unable

to meet the basic needs of living with dignity, and we make no effort to provide heating in the winter for thousands of families, the elderly And needy Holocaust survivors, who are sometimes forced to choose between food, medicine or home heating

.

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