Rubina’s life changed overnight when her husband was diagnosed with diabetesinduced kidney failure. The illness progressed, and soon enough, he needed regular dialysis. For almost two years, everything revolved around endless hospital visits, treatment schedules, and mounting medical bills. Their savings didn’t stand a chance; they were depleted before they knew it.

To pay for her husband’s dialysis, Rubina first borrowed ₹2.5 lakh from a
moneylender, put her house up as collateral, handed over the original property papers and signed a contract that stipulated that if she missed three consecutive payments, she would have to forfeit her home. The treatments dragged on, and with no steady income and nowhere else to turn to, she did the only thing she could - she took an additional loan of ₹2 lakh and this time the moneylenders occupied her house with the condition that when she pays the entire ₹2 lakh, they would vacate the house.

Two years later, Rubina’s husband passed away, leaving her with crushing debt and no safety net to break her fall. She couldn’t keep up with the loan payments, additionally covering the rent of her current residence and with the constant fear of losing her home for good, looming over her.

When we at AAF learnt about Rubina’s situation, we understood just how dire it was. She needed immediate help, to prevent her from losing her home forever and perpetuating the cycle of poverty for her family.

To help Rubina break out of this cycle of debt, AAF has cleared her second debt of ₹2 lakh, and helped her go back to living in her own home, leaving her feeling more secure and stable than she has in a long time.

But we knew that just helping her with the debt wasn’t enough. Rubina needed a way to support herself going forward. AAF helped her land a caretaker job that paid ₹30,000 a month - the kind of income that could have changed everything for her. Unfortunately, her own health problems made it impossible for her to stay on in the job, so we are now looking for other livelihood options so she can earn a living without putting herself at risk.

Going forward we plan to support Rubina with another ₹2.5 lakh. This will help repay the rest of her debt and secure her property papers so she can live stressfree.

Once her job is secured, AAF has asked Rubina to start investing her money in SIPs
which she would have otherwise given as loan repayment installments. Paying herself the loan back in this manner, she will be converting a liability into an asset.

Our on-ground team is also providing continued support to help her find the right kind of work, centered around her health.

Rubina’s story shows just how quickly a medical emergency can spiral into debt, insecurity, and loss of dignity. With AAF’s help, through money, housing, and job support, she’s starting to rebuild.

It’s not just about her surviving the crisis. It’s about giving her a real shot at a safer, more independent future - and that’s what AAF’s mission has always been: standing by those in need, not only when everything falls apart, but even as they pick up the pieces and start over.