Stand with Gaza: Help Save Lives and Rebuild Hope

Hello, my name is Samah, a translator and English language teacher from Gaza City. It is painful to inform you that I lost my freelance job due to the interruption of internet and electricity services in the city, and I have been left without income.

I am currently ninth months pregnant and have spent the months of pregnancy during this war, without rest, healthy food, supplements, or vitamins. I have two daughters, Nay who is five years old, supposed to finish KG2 and move on to first grade, and Sara who is four years old, supposed to finish KG1.

Before October 7, 2023, they had completed their first month in kindergarten, and Sara had started to adapt to leaving the house and going to kindergarten without crying.

Unfortunately, their lives turned upside down, and instead of spending their time between kindergarten and playing enjoyable activities, they now live a terrifying life full of fear. Nay and Sara were forced to leave Gaza with me through an unsafe passage, while their father remained in Gaza City, meaning they have not seen him for over three months. Now they understand the meaning of displacement, bombing, tanks, martyrs, casualties, and the destruction of homes.

Our home after being destroyed.

Their questions have shifted from those of two young girls about Disney princesses and Peppa Pig to questions about ceasefire, cessation of fire, returning to Gaza City, and our home that was destroyed by Israeli army missiles. I will never forget the moment they informed me about a shell penetrating their playroom. I hope my daughters will have a better life after this war. I do not know how they will overcome the painful times they have experienced.

Our home after being destroyed.

We left our home for another one in Gaza City on the first day of the war, taking only a few summer clothes with us. We then went to Al-Shifa Hospital and stayed there until the hospital was surrounded by the occupation forces and we were deported to Khan Younis city through an unsafe passage. After that, we moved to Rafah city, which is crowded with displaced people.

 The stations of displacement repeated during the six months, we lived in fear, terror, and instability, in addition to the scarcity of food and medicine, I wish to travel in order to give birth to a child in a safe and healthy environment, and to receive postnatal care. My blood type is O negative, which means I need an anti-D injection after giving birth due to the blood type difference between me and the fetus.

I decided to start this fundraising to help us to start a new and safe life for me and my children Nay and Sarah. This will help us to rebuild our lives and to give us the motivation for a new beginning. I decided this after losing hope and feeling frustrated about what we are experiencing here. In the end, I do not wish for anyone in this world to go through this bitter experience.

In the heart of Gaza's turmoil, my cousin, Samah Almasri, stands as a beacon of resilience and hope. Amidst the devastation, her dream of providing education to children in war-stricken zones remains undeterred. Once a vibrant classroom is now in ruins, but Samah’s spirit is unbroken. She continues her mission, transforming every corner of our city into a place of learning and hope. This fundraiser, initiated by me, Yousef Abushaban, aims to rebuild not just the walls of a classroom but the futures of countless children, ensuring Samah’s light continues to shine brightly against the shadows of conflict.