Gorillas' Mustapha: financial horror after accident - appeal for solidarity

Mustapha crashed while working for Gorillas. He is in deep financial shit. [A financial appeal that no longer runs was here].

Mustapha’s case has been resolved. Thanks to all for your solidarity.

It’s three months after your accident. You’ve made a big financial drop. We are going to ask people to show their solidarity by transferring money to us so that we can give it to you. Can you tell us a little bit about your current situation?

My situation is very bad. Financially I have gone greatly backwards. I went from 600-700 euros per week to 350 euros per week income. I worked long hours at Gorillas to pay off debt. I was paying that off nicely. I was happy and had got my life back on track. My life was on the mend again until my accident. I got in financial duress and had to bring my stuff to the pawn shop and services were closed off. I could no longer pay people I still had to pay. You have to make choices, then you see what you can do with that little bit. I can’t get around anymore.

I try to pay off the people and companies I had to pay off, but I can’t. I also transfer some for my rent every week, but not enough. I have a large rent arrears, I was told I am the tenant with the greatest arrears in Amsterdam. I also have debts to health insurance, tax authorities, physio, telephony, internet, television, etc. Payment arrangements I had made have expired. I used to pay for all that, but that’s not possible anymore. I can’t even do normal groceries. I wanted to buy a bread of 30 cent and I tought I still had it but no. My fridge is empty all the time. Luckily my sister recently went shopping for me. You want to do your own shopping, but I have no other choice.

In December we spoke with the director of Gorillas Netherlands, Joost Claessens. He then promised that he would do everything so that you can work on your recovery. You have to go to the physio for physical complaints, among other things. You have to get scans because you have lost your taste and smell. You have to see a psychologist because you are traumatized. You have to go to the intestinal doctor because you have developed complaints with your intestines. Can you work on recovery?

In the beginning, yes. Because I thought that when I spoke to Joost Claessens, everything would be all right. That they would work on it. So I went to the physio to work on my recovery. But now I get the bills from physio. I have no idea how I’m going to pay for that. I thought about going to the psychologist for a long time. I really need that. But if I can’t afford that physio, how am I going to pay for it? I stopped those treatments. I’m afraid of more bills. I’m really scared of bills. While I’ve actually already had such blows mentally, and now more and more things are added. I’m not recovering, just salting the wounds. I am depressed. I sit at home every day. I’m going crazy. At some point you just lose hope. So often I sleep on the couch. I dream about money problems and about money. I dreamed I had money and things would be okay, but when I woke up I was still in shit. That’s how life goes now.

We’re in a pretty bare house here. It’s not that much. Mustafa has had to pawn most of the stuff, and many services have shut. He has been plunged into acute, abject poverty by Gorillas. What do you expect from Gorillas now?

I don’t even think about that anymore. When I start expecting things, I only get disappointed.

But what do you want from them?

That they cover the damage. That they take their responsibility. Their legal obligation. They must admit liability and give me a quick advance so that I can get out of the acute trouble. I worked for them, on their bicycle. I also did my best for them and drove as fast as possible to bring those orders. Then I also expect them to do their best for me. Unfortunately they let me down.

We will not be able to cover that full amount with donations. But we are going to call on people to make small contributions with tens and nods, to help you through this difficult period, until Gorillas admits his liability. We also demand from Gorillas that they come up with a protocol to solve these kinds of accidents, which happen at a delivery company, quickly and neatly, so that people do not fall into acute poverty after an accident at work.

[A financial appeal that no longer runs was here].