Help Dina's Family Escape Gaza

My name is Dina Muhammad. I am writing to you from Deir al-Balah, the central part of Gaza, asking for your support to help my family survive. My husband Farhan and I are doing our best to parent our two toddlers, Julia and Ahmed, shielding them as best we can from the violence that surrounds us. But it is inescapable. My sweet Julia is 3. That means she’ll have spent over 25% of her life surviving this. My baby Ahmed is just one year old. That’s 75% of his little life living in fear, in survival mode. I’m so afraid their little hearts can’t handle the fear. When they can’t sleep because of the bombs, I show them videos of peaceful places with waterfallls and animals. I tell them to imagine we are there, safe and sound. My babies, all of our babies, deserve safety and full bellies. They deserve to fall asleep to lullabies, not to the sound of bombs. They deserve their childhoods and the chance to grow up.

While we initially started this fundraiser to evacuate, we have had to shift to using it to survive until a crossing opens. We live in a shared apartment with many other people. Our expenses include rent, food, and medicine, all of which have become exorbitantly expensive due to scarcity. Additionally, we have been displaced many times. Each time, incurring expenses for a truck to flee and temporary shelter until we can return.

Parenting takes a village, right? I’m asking you to be part of mine. Your support, no matter how big or small, directly affects our lives. We are so grateful.

My fundraiser has been vetted and verified by the global volunteer collective, @beesandwatermelons.

All my love,

Dina