Help Us Heal: Rebuilding Our Home and Lives in Gaza

Hello world,

My name is Lana, and I am 11 years old. I live in a city often called the city of sadness and war – Gaza :( . Once, my life was filled with joy, laughter, and learning. Our home was beautiful and full of everything we needed. I loved going to school, where I was a top student, always achieving the highest grades and ranking first at the school level.

I have a little sister, named Hala, who is 8 years old, and a brother, Loua, who is 5 years old. Together, we played and laughed with our cousins in our big house. Our laughter echoed through every room, filling our home with happiness and warmth.

Let me introduce you to my cousins.

This is Maryam, she is 8 years old, and this is Khaled, he is 6 years old, the children of my uncle Hossam.

And these are the children of my uncle Hatem: Raghad, who is 13 years old, Reem, who is 11 years old, and finally, Hamza, who is 8 years old.

But then, everything changed since the war started. On November 5, 2023, the war came to our doorstep. Our relatives' house was targeted, and 37 members of my family, including my beloved uncle, were killed. We were forced to flee our beautiful city, seeking safety in the south. Our hearts were heavy with grief and fear as we left behind the life we knew.

My uncle’s death left a void in our lives. He had three children who now faced a future without their father. Despite our pain, we hoped to find some semblance of peace, but the war's cruelty and tyranny followed us. On April 11, 2024, our residential area (Al – Shifaa Hospital area ) was targeted and destroyed, including our home

Now, we are homeless, living in constant fear and uncertainty. The war has taken everything from us – our home, our family, our peace. But it hasn't taken our spirit. We dream of rebuilding our home, of creating a place where laughter can once again echo through the halls, where we can live without fear.

Despite these challenges, we remain hopeful and determined to rebuild our lives. We are reaching out to you today with a humble request for your support. Your generous donations will help us in the Reconstruction of Our Home our goal is to rebuild our home that was destroyed. Your contributions will go directly towards the reconstruction efforts, providing us with a safe and stable place to live once again.

So here is how the fund will be spent (break down the cost for the reconstruction and finishing of the home):

1. Reconstruction + Finishing Costs:

o Second Floor:

 Area: 100 meters

 Cost per meter (Contraction + Finishing): €200

 Total cost for reconstruction of the second floor = 100 meters * €200/meter = €20,000.

o Third Floor:

 Area: 100 meters

 Cost per meter (Contraction + Finishing): $200

 Total cost for reconstruction of the third floor = 100 meters * $200/meter = $20,000

o Fourth Floor:

 Area: 100 meters

 Cost per meter (Contraction + Finishing): €200

 Total cost for reconstruction of the fourth floor = 100 meters * €200/meter = €20,000

Total Reconstruction + Finishing Cost = €20,000 (second floor) + €20,000 (third floor) + €20,000 (fourth floor) = €60,000

2. Finishing Costs:

o First Floor:

 Area: 190 meters

 Cost per meter for finishing: €100

 Total cost for finishing of the first floor = 190 meters * €100/meter = €19,000.

3. Additional Costs:

o Finishing and painting the outside of the home: €3,000

4. Furniture Costs:

o Furniture for each floor: €5,000 per floor

 Total furniture cost for 4 floors = 4 * €5,000 = €20,000.

5. GoFundMe transaction fees:

 Around 8000€ covering GoFundMe transaction fees (2.9% + 0.30€ per transaction).

6. Total: Summing up all the costs:

 Total Reconstruction + Finishing Cost: €60,000

 Total Finishing Cost: €19,000

 Additional Costs (outside finishing): €3,000

 Furniture Cost: €20,000

 GoFundMe fees: €8,000

Total = €60,000 + €19,000 + €3,000 + €20,000 +€8,000= €110,000

Please don’t read this as a tragedy story, I’m here to ask you to prevent it from getting more tragedy and to help us start our life all over again. I’m here to ask for your help not your sympathy, to ask you to act whether by donating or by sharing this to everyone you know who can help, please read this with your heart and act as if it’s your family, your mom, your siblings who are under these conditions.

We need your help to make this dream a reality. Every donation brings us one step closer to rebuilding our home, to giving my siblings and I a chance at a normal childhood, and to restoring hope in our hearts. Please, help us turn the echoes of a shattered dream into a symphony of hope and renewal.