Help Ahmad from Gaza Survive and Rebuild his Dream

My Childhood Dream

My name is Ahmad Abu Raida, and I’m 26 years old, living in Khan Younis, Gaza. For as long as I can remember, my biggest dream was to own my own home. As a child, I made a promise to myself that I wouldn’t rely on anyone—I’d work hard and save for my future. At just 12 years old, I started doing odd jobs wherever I could, balancing work with school and later university. It wasn’t always easy—I missed out on some of the fun moments others my age had, but I always kept my dream in sight. When I wasn’t working, you’d usually find me watching football (I’m a huge FC Barcelona fan) or hanging out with my friends.

By 2020, after 13 years of hard work, I had saved enough to start building my own house. I was thrilled! It was going to have two bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, and two bathrooms, built as an extension on top of my parents’ house. I even helped with the construction myself to save money. Slowly but surely, the house began to take shape, and in 2023, there was only one month of work left. I could almost taste the joy of moving in… but then, fate struck.

From Dream to Destruction

On October 7, 2023, Gaza was plunged into chaos, and my life was changed forever. Like so many others, I lost friends and relatives, and was displaced many times, living in a tent with my parents, siblings, nieces, and nephews for nearly five months before we were able to return to my parents' house.

Then, on August 8, 2024, as I was alone in the house, my home was hit by an airstrike. In a split second, both floors of my house and my parents’ house collapsed. I was trapped beneath the rubble, badly injured and struggling to breathe. It took seven hours for rescuers to find me. As I slowly lost consciousness, I realized my dream was gone. I never got to live in the home I’d worked so hard to build.

A Long Road to Recovery

After being pulled from the rubble, I was rushed to intensive care with severe injuries to my head and stomach. I spent a month in hospital, and I am incredibly lucky to be alive. But my fight is far from over. My injuries are still with me. Every day is a challenge as I worry about how these injuries will affect my ability to work and provide for myself in the future.

But my biggest struggle right now isn’t just the physical pain—it’s survival. All of my savings went into building my home, and now, with no income and no jobs available, it’s been incredibly difficult to get by. Everyday necessities like food have become prohibitively expensive. For example, just before the ceasefire, 25 kg of flour cost around $400-500. How do you survive when you have no income and prices are this high?

Why I Need Your Help

While the temporary ceasefire has brought some relief, in many ways life has unexpectedly become harder. Aid is coming in, but very little of it is given out for free. Most of it is sold at prices that are out of reach for people like me. At the same time, donations from abroad have sharply decreased, likely because many now assume we are getting help. This is not the case. I’ve registered with countless charities, but so far, I’ve received no assistance. That’s why I’m reaching out to you today.

Rebuilding My Dream

My family and I are currently staying with friends, but we’ll soon have to move back into a tent. In Gaza, 90% of homes have been destroyed or damaged. Rebuilding will take decades—some estimates say anywhere from 10 to 20 years. Can you imagine being homeless for that long?

My nephews standing on the ruins of my house

Despite everything I’ve lost, my dreams are still alive. I still dream of providing my family, nieces, and nephews with daily living necessities and a safe place to live. But I can’t do it alone. This is where your support can make all the difference.

If just enough kind-hearted people donate the cost of a cup of coffee, we can avoid starvation and perhaps even start rebuilding my home. Every donation, no matter how small, will have a real impact. If you’re unable to donate, please consider sharing this message with your friends and family—spreading the word is just as powerful.

A Heartfelt Thank You

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for considering my plea. Your support will not only help my family and I to survive but will also restore hope in a future that felt lost. Your generosity means more to me than words can express.

With all my gratitude,

Ahmad

A Few Words from the Manager of my Fundraiser

Hi, I’m Eija, from Finland. I’m helping Ahmad create this fundraiser because GoFundMe is not available in Palestine. I got to know Ahmad in 2024 when he reached out to me for help. Once I had triple- (or quadruple- :D) checked that he is who he says he is, we started chatting and video calling and eventually became friends.

Throughout our friendship, Ahmad has endured unimaginable hardship—lack of food, shelter, safety, and healthcare (not to mention a debilitating tooth ache for a few months). Despite everything, he has always been patient, kind, and concerned about my well-being, even though he himself is facing facing one of the worst circumstances in human history. He is a genuinely lovely person, and I promise you, if anyone, Ahmad truly deserves your help.

I know many of you may be skeptical about donating to someone you don’t know, but please remember that GoFundMe offers a one-year full refund guarantee if anything doesn’t seem right.

While many people prefer donating through registered charities (and that’s a great choice), I want to let you know that in Gaza, much of the aid that comes from charities is being sold at market prices that are far too high for people like Ahmad. Since the first phase of the ceasefire, prices have decreased somewhat, but as the second stage of ceasefire is still uncertain, it's not enough. Ahmad, with no savings, no job, and no income, is unable to afford even basic necessities, and he is in desperate need of our support.

By donating—even just a small amount—or sharing this page, you can make a real difference in Ahmad’s life. Together, we can help him survive, rebuild, restore hope, and turn a story of loss into one of resilience and hope.

Thank you for your generosity.

All donations will be sent directly to Ahmad's bank account at the Bank of Palestine. They will go towards 1) funding any immediate emergency and ongoing needs, such as food and hygiene products and 2) rebuilding Ahmad’s house.

For Those of You in Finland

Note that due to Finnish legislation, this fundraiser is not aimed at a Finnish audience. More information in Finnish:

Lahjoitusten kerääminen Suomessa vaatii pienkeräysilmoituksen, joka kuitenkin oikeuttaa keräämään lahjoituksia vain Suomessa. Jos lahjoituspyynnöt on kohdistettu muualle kuin Suomeen, kuten tässä keräyksessä, ei kyseessä ole Suomessa toimeenpantava rahankeräys eikä pienkeräysilmoitusta edellytetä. Tällöin keräys ei kuitenkaan saa kohdistua Suomen alueelle. Jos siis sijaitset Suomessa, pyydämme sinua kohdistamaan lahjoituksesi sellaisille gazalaisille perheille, joiden lahjoitussivu on luotu muualla kuin Suomessa. Tähän keräykseen ei voi osallistua Suomesta.