I'm a grandma-age American woman trying to help a Gazan friend and his baby. For more than a decade, through an online peace group, I've had conversations with a smart, sensitive young man in Gaza and followed his life from teen years to marriage. An Israeli friend was able to meet Ahmed in person and described his gentle, luminous spirit. With a degree in English, he had possibilities ahead of him. Then Oct. 7 happened and the war that destroyed his and his family's lives.

Today, Ahmed is struggling to feed his baby daughter, Rita, in the conditions of famine that we've seen in the news. He and his mom are taking care of her after his wife, who lost her hands to an exploding shell, returned to her parents. His wife and her parents, too, are struggling in the north. I'm sharing a photo of baby Rita from a brief time when she was full of joy instead of hunger.

In a decade, Ahmed never asked me for anything (except an ebook on puppy care), but now he is asking for help to keep Rita alive. I have a reliable way to transfer money to his account via a childhood friend of his who teaches English abroad. 100% of donations will go to Ahmed.

The most basic foodstuffs are only available for exhorbitant prices in Gaza. Two pounds of flour cost $35, and a single diaper is $5. I'm hoping to raise enough to keep Ahmed, Rita, and his family going until humanitarian aid resumes. Every little bit helps.