Rashid: ‘The gifts are things I could never afford’

Rashid may have missed out on school, but at the age of 15 he has wisdom beyond his years. Growing up at the brick kiln where his parents work, in Punjab province, Pakistan, he says: “I must work to help my family survive.”

Every rupee counts in situations where the combined earning of a family equates to as little as £3 per day. So, you can only imagine how much it meant to Rashid to be presented with a Box of Blessings, sponsored by Blythswood’s 2025 Shoe Box Appeal.

“The gifts are things I could never afford,” he says. “We struggle to meet even our basic needs like toothpaste, a tooth brush and warm winter essentials.

Rashid explains that the gift means more than the things inside. “It reminds me that someone cares about young people like me,” he continues. “We gathered to pray and to listen to a message about God’s love and care for his people. As I listened, I felt encouraged. The first time in a long time, I felt that maybe God could change my life, too.”

Last winter, Blythswood’s partners in Pakistan made up 2,000 boxes and distributed them to families such as that of Rashid, living in extreme poverty. “Our partners told me that the volunteers who filled the boxes with essential everyday items were moved to tears by the experience,” says Blythswood’s chief executive Jeremy Ross. “Their involvement brings more ownership. Like our shoebox volunteers here in the UK they discovered that it’s more blessed to give than to receive.”