Hi, my name is Ahmed Abu-Abed from Toronto (Canada) and I am collecting donations for my cousin Zakaria Abu-Abed who is from Gaza where he was working for 25 years as an accountant, and has a family of 5.

In an instant war broke out in Gaza and everything was lost for Zakaria, and my cousin has no income for the past 9 months. His 2 teenage children, Aala and Mohammed, finished high school last year and were accepted in Gaza universities that were destroyed. Because of the war Zakaria would like to send them outside Gaza for college education.

Zakaria built his house and garden from his life savings so that he and his family could live the rest of their life in peace. Now their house is completely destroyed alongwith, and nothing was left for them. They left home to Khan Yunis to live in a tent in Rafah, and were pushed out again from Rafah to the ruins of Khan Younis.

Zakaria was a generous man who helped the poor of Gaza generously and organized donation drives before the war. Today his family lives in difficult conditions in a tent shared with 6 brothers and their families. They have very little money left. There is no electricity and little food , and everyone barely gets one meal a day. There is no clean running water, and they line up in long lines to get water and bread as well.

Zakaria’s son and daughter lost hope education in Gaza universities as their colleges have been destroyed recently in the war, and he would like to educate them in Egypt. Costs include coordination for travel, university fees, and living expenses. Donations will also go for his family’s food and living expenses in the temporary tent shelter. If you are able to do so, please donate for the teenagers education, and for the living expenses of Zakaria’s displaced family members in Gaza.