Support the strong green leaves

Days before the war ,I dreamed that a strong storm hits the area where I live ,I saw my house covered indust then the storm subsided and I found alarge tree in my house with nothing left except some strong green leaves. The storm was unable to drop those strong leaves.

I am Alaa Saheen from Gaza. I am a mother of five children ,like many mothers who give her children all their energy to be proud of them and I have a strong and kind husband Mohamad ,my childern Alma 16, Omar 14 , Salma 12, Ghena 8 and Ali 6 . How beautiful they are and their morals. They have many dreams and ambitions ,leading a life full of successes.

For many years we dreamed to have our owner home that include my amazing family combining our passion for life .Mohamad and I worked for years raising money to build our home and we succeded ,It was built a year before the out break of war ,but we had accumulated alot of debts that we planned to pay off together hand in hand . On the 7th of Oct. I received a call from my brother informing me that I had to evacute the area which I live was dangerous .We are displaced to Rafah where the army asked us as a safe area.

After a few days of displacement , we learned bad news ,which was the death of my husband 's family ,which consisted of his mother, father ,borther and sister .He was very sad ,they were targeted in a residdential apartment in the Deir al Balah area. In the afternoon I preapared food for my family who were gathered in one place , exchanging conversation ,We try to overcome fear .

Suddenly I became a ware of my self under the rubble and I heard someone said '' we are bombed ''. so I realized the disaster I couldn't breathe or stop the pain until I heared my little Salma's voice . told me '' mum don't leave me .'' ,My doutghter is still alive . she couldn't move .She was sourounded by stones . After very hard time they saved me by civil defense .I begged them to take my children out . Whiles I was in the hospital they told me that I had lost most of my family ,dad ,brothers ,their wives ,their children ,my husband and my beautiful boy Omar .

I asked them what about the others. Oh thanks Alah I found Salma covered in blood and then they found my baby's Ali and he was fine .Alma found her in afar away place , thanks God despite the pain . Alot of questions....? . why they blomed us ? we are innocent we did nothing and we didn't harm anyone , .... oh where's my blonde daughter Ghena? their was no news about her at all .

Someone informed me that she meight be in intenseve care ,but I could'nt bear to wait any longer , I crowled with my body down the hospital corridor searching every where for her and I called out but no one answered me .Until one of them come to show me dead girl's her age, Ghena not one of them and the end of the day I learned that they had found her and buried her small body I didn't say goodbye for all of them. I hugged the rest of my children and stayed for many days receiving treatment .And throughout the period ,I saw a lot of shohada (dead pepole) what was strange we were not afraid and our eyes did'nt tremble, because those white shrouds were worn my family ,my husband, my son,and my daughter they became a nice garmentworn by good pepole. I left the hospital ,but I began new actions of displacement to more than 15 places ,feeling with my children from the brutality of the bombing ,every time we lost our food,clothes and the money I had collected . The next disaster was when army invaded by land east of Bureij camp where I live . my house and alot of houses around it were targeted I lost my house ,family ,money and everything.

In that time I realized whether I should resist, stay,and cotinue walking on the rugged road .We are the green leaves that still remaine on the tree despite the strong storm .Finally I ask you to support me and help me so that I can raise my kids ,receive good treatment and appropiate education , rebuild my house ,pay of my debts and work on a project that will support me and live of it, I will remain like a tree that raises it's branches until hugs the sky.