Help Fatema's Family Rebuild Their Lives

Hello there friends, my name is Said and I am organizing this campaign on behalf of my cousin, Fatema Alhayek. I would like to assure all donors that 100% of the funds raised will go directly to Fatema’s family. Fatema will receive funds by direct bank transfer.

“I am Fatema Alhayek from the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza. I am a mother of four beautiful kids, with a 5th on the way. Mohamed (7), Amal (3), Said (2), and Yousef who was born on October 6, 2023. He is nearly 9 months old.

From left to right: Amal (3), Mahmoud, Said (2), Fatima, Yousef (~9months) and Mohamed (7)

I used to work as an educational supervisor at Meera Kindergarten. My husband, Mahmoud, worked as a Pharmacist - serving our people and providing them care. We used to enjoy life! Our children enjoyed school, and our daughter Amal loved her dolls. Like all families in Gaza, our peaceful lives have been destroyed. We have been uprooted. We have been displaced 8+ times. Everything has changed.

On the fifth day of the war shrapnel fell on us like rain. I was feeding Yousef, who was only days old, while Mahmoud and I held our children closely – trying to provide them with some sense of safety – an incendiary shell hit our apartment, destroying our safe haven in the blink of an eye. The fire that swept through left only charred memories and shattered hopes behind.

Alhayek family home in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza

Driven by desperation and fear, we fled - searching for safety and shelter. We have moved from one place to another - first to my father’s in Eastern Gaza, and when he was seriously injured we fled to have him treated in the Indonesian Hospital. The Israeli occupation besieged us and bombed the entrance to the hospital and the operating room. Random shells of death were upon us, and we miraculously survived. Through coordination of the Red Cross to evacuate the injured and their companions in the middle of the night, my family arrived at the European Hospital east of Rafah. We then sought refuge at Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, and then to Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, where my two-year-old son, Said, suffered a thigh and foot fracture. After that, we went to the city of Rafah and were displaced once more to the city of Deir al-Balah. We have suffered various wounds - a three-year-old girl, our daughter Amal, suffered a fracture in her shoulder and hand. Though the physical pains continue to add to the psychological trauma, Mahoud and I have been numb to all emotion except the daily fear to keep our children safe.

Said being treated for his thigh and foot fracture.

We are currently residing in the city of Deir al-Balah under harsh conditions, struggling to sustain our day-to-day life. Every day, we face immense challenges in feeding our kids, caring for them, and providing them safety. We are unable to feed Yousef the appropriate food for a 9 month old. There is extreme inflation and scarce resources.

This is not just a story of loss and destruction, but also a story of a mother's struggle who still harbors a glimmer of hope. Despite our circumstances and all odds, I am five months pregnant with our 5th child. Even with the destruction that surrounds us, I still dream of rebuilding a better life for my family, and providing a secure future for my children.”

Immediate Needs Identified by Mahmoud & Fatima:

How You Can Help:

Let us extend a helping hand to Fatema, Mahmoud, and their children, to help them survive and rebuild their shattered dreams, in a world where hope prevails over despair.

Thank you for your kindness and solidarity, and for giving the Alhayek family hope.

Family Details:

Parents: Fatema (mother), Mahmoud (father)

Children: Mohamed (7), Amal (3), Said (2), and Yousef (>1yr old)

Note: Fatema is ~5mo pregnant