What is your value for money? A series from the front lines of the cost of living crisis where people who have been hit hard share their monthly expenses.
name: Mo Salwa
Year: 50
Profession: Owner of Salwa Street Kitchen in East Jerusalem
Live with: Wife Ilona and their three children – one son, Ruslan, 20 years old, two daughters, Anastasia, 10 years old and Ulana, 5 years old. The newest addition to their family is Yorkie, a brown and white pet rabbit. A store across the street.
live: One of seven apartments in a building in Ras al-Amd, a Palestinian neighborhood in East Jerusalem, that Mo's family has owned since 1954. Mo herself was born and raised there with her six brothers and her two sisters. In the 90 square meter (about 1,000 square foot), two-bedroom, three-bathroom home, Mo, Ilona and the girls share a large bedroom, while Ruslan has a small bedroom to himself.
Household monthly income: Before the war, Mo earned 10,000 Israeli shekels ($2,697) a month. By comparison, the average monthly gross salary in Israel as of May 2023 was 12,009 shekels ($3,238). This month, Mo earned 500 shekels ($137). He is currently relying on his own savings to support his family as his only source of income, but he expects that to last only six months.
Total expenses for the month: 23,173 shekels ($6,286.70).
