It was one of the hottest hours of the day in Tanzania when we finished the Qurbani sacrifice and set out for distribution. I was walking with meat packages in my hands when I saw Auntie Ayşe smiling at us from her doorway. I did not know then that this moment would stay with me.

Auntie Ayşe lost her husband many years ago. One by one, she also buried all nine of her children. Today, she lives alone in a small one-room mud house. Some days, she told us, she has nothing to eat.

“The only time I eat meat during the year is when you come,” she said. I felt like hugging her, so I did. Then I handed her the Qurbani meat. We said goodbye with smiles on our faces.

Tanzania, 2024

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