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MARIWAN, Iran – Mala Saeed leads a hand-to-mouth existence, but his generosity knows no bounds.
The 60-year-old, from the city of Mariwan in western Iran's Kurdistan Province, survives by collecting recyclable pieces of rubbish to sell. Divorced and without children, he has no kin to depend upon.
"The reason why I do this is not to be dependent on others," Saeed said. "Doing this means I don’t have to come and beg someone like you for help."
Saeed barely has enough money to feed himself, let alone pay rent - so he's turned an abandoned shell of a building into his home.
Though he struggles to survive, he shares whatever he finds or earns with the area's stray dogs.
"The dogs don’t bother the locals when they are here in this room, that is why I gave them refuge," Saeed said. "Some women and children were scared of the dogs, so I collected them here in this place. I give them meat and bones and at night they rest here with me so they don’t bother people."
Poverty and unemployment in Iran - already rife due to chronic corruption, government mismanagement and the devastating impact of US economic sanctions - have been further exacerbated by a global crash in the price of oil, on which the Iranian economy is heavily dependent, and the coronavirus pandemic, which has so far claimed almost 7,000 lives in the outbreak-stricken country.
The government last month announced a series of measures to contain the coronavirus and alleviate economic pressure, including the provision of welfare packages to three million low-income households and $5 billion in low-interest loans to struggling businesses. Government spokesman Ali Rabiei said 7.3 million jobs had been adversely affected by the outbreak.
The 60-year-old, from the city of Mariwan in western Iran's Kurdistan Province, survives by collecting recyclable pieces of rubbish to sell. Divorced and without children, he has no kin to depend upon.
"The reason why I do this is not to be dependent on others," Saeed said. "Doing this means I don’t have to come and beg someone like you for help."
Saeed barely has enough money to feed himself, let alone pay rent - so he's turned an abandoned shell of a building into his home.
Though he struggles to survive, he shares whatever he finds or earns with the area's stray dogs.
"The dogs don’t bother the locals when they are here in this room, that is why I gave them refuge," Saeed said. "Some women and children were scared of the dogs, so I collected them here in this place. I give them meat and bones and at night they rest here with me so they don’t bother people."
Poverty and unemployment in Iran - already rife due to chronic corruption, government mismanagement and the devastating impact of US economic sanctions - have been further exacerbated by a global crash in the price of oil, on which the Iranian economy is heavily dependent, and the coronavirus pandemic, which has so far claimed almost 7,000 lives in the outbreak-stricken country.
The government last month announced a series of measures to contain the coronavirus and alleviate economic pressure, including the provision of welfare packages to three million low-income households and $5 billion in low-interest loans to struggling businesses. Government spokesman Ali Rabiei said 7.3 million jobs had been adversely affected by the outbreak.
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