On December 22nd, 2022, a police officer knocked on the door in Farato, The Gambia. When 13-year-old Mussa Muhammed answered, the officer asked, "Are you Mussa?" Then came the words that shattered three young lives: his parents had died in a car accident.

That evening, as their Muslim community gathered for the traditional bikkah, the Imam and Muslim leaders brought his parents' bodies home. Mussa saw them one last time at 5 pm. By 7 pm, they were buried. His younger siblings - Sarjo (then 10) and Molamin (then 6) - were kept away, deemed too young to witness such loss.

Then the family they thought would help them turned their backs instead.

When aunts and uncles arrived, they came with an ultimatum: abandon the Islamic faith their parents had taught them and convert to Christianity, or receive no help. Mussa, at just 13 years old, refused to betray his parents' memory. His relatives left and never returned.

With no one else to turn to, Mussa became the sole provider for his siblings. At 14 years old, he began doing what his father had done - going into the forest to cut down trees and sell firewood. It's backbreaking, dangerous work for a grown man. For a child, it's devastating.

"From hand to mouth," Mussa says, using his late father's phrase. Some days there's enough money for food. Some days there isn't.

Here's what their daily reality looks like:

During Ramadan 2023, Mussa fasted while doing grueling physical labor in the heat. Some nights, all three children go to bed hungry when firewood sales fall short.

Their home has holes in the ceiling - when it rains, there's nowhere to escape the water. Until last month, Mussa had to choose between buying data credits for internet access or buying food. And they haven't been to school in three years.

Before the accident, Mussa was thriving. He'd just finished 7th grade where English and History were his favorite subjects. He was an attacking midfielder who scored 2 goals in the primary school tournament championship. When he moved up to middle school (called "Upper basic" in The Gambia), he continued playing football - until everything changed.

Now 16, Mussa has spent his teenage years in the forest instead of the classroom.

Sarjo is 13 now - old enough to help tend their small garden, hoping crops will grow to sell for extra income. Molamin is 9. He was 6 the last time he sat in a classroom. Three years of education, lost.

School fees in The Gambia cost 20,000 Dalasi (approximately $295 USD) per child.

Our goal is $1,000 to get all three siblings back in school with the supplies and materials they need to succeed.

Your donation will cover school fees for Mussa, Sarjo, and Molamin. It will provide uniforms, books, and school supplies they need to return to class. It will help repair their home's damaged roof. It will provide food security so Mussa can stop cutting trees. Most importantly, it will give them a real chance to succeed after 3 lost years.

The Gambian school year starts January 5th. We have a small window to get these kids registered and ready.

After three years of struggling alone, he and his siblings are finally getting help - but they need more support to truly rebuild their lives.

These aren't just statistics. Mussa is a 16-year-old boy who should be worrying about football matches and exam scores, not whether his siblings will eat tonight. Sarjo and Molamin deserve to be in school with their peers, not working to survive.

Education is their only path out of poverty. Without it, this cycle continues. With your help, we can change their trajectory completely.

Every child deserves a chance. Mussa, Sarjo, and Molamin have already proven their resilience and determination against impossible odds.

Now they just need an opportunity.

My name is Abubaker Ahmed and I got a dm on tiktok on December 9th, 10:59pm EST from Mussa Muhammed saying hello, December 15th, I saw and responded wtih my own hello. Since then, we have gotten to know each other pretty well and I even got to meet Sarjo briefly during a facetime call of ours. I asked Musa why he chose to Dm me and he told me he liked when i spoke about honesty on my page. I got to tell him what my username and name Al Siddiq meant "The Honest", and we shared a smile. He is an inspiring young man, and I want to see him have a chance at a good life.