Hi, I’m Melissa. I’ve created this fundraiser for my friend Ra’eesa, who is in Gaza.

I met Ra’eesa through her sisters, Sabreen and Nour, whose campaigns I also manage. Since we connected, I’ve learned just how much hardship she has endured — displacement, hunger, illness, and the devastating toll of trying to care for her family with no resources and nowhere safe to go.

Ra’eesa had a previous fundraiser, but the campaign manager had to close it. She lost access to the remaining funds, which has made an already terrible situation worse. I’ve set up this new campaign so she can receive support directly. All transfers are done securely, and receipts are always available.

Ra’eesa is the mother of six children. Her youngest, Allam, is only 8 months old and already suffering from malnutrition. Like many mothers in Gaza, she’s going without food herself just to try and keep her children alive. They’re currently sheltering in a tent in northern Gaza, where they face an extreme shortage of food, clean water, and medicine. Her husband, Ahmad, has not been able to work since a serious leg injury, and the family has no income at all.

Before the genocide, Ra’eesa managed a beauty salon. She was proud of the life she built — comfortable and stable. She worked hard, and she made things beautiful, inside her salon and at home. Now, they’ve lost everything.

Ra'eesa's family is:

• Ahmad – 38 (father)

• Ra’eesa – 36 (mother)

• Abdelkarim – 15

• Fayrouz – 12

• Ibrahim – 10

• Ahmad – 7

• Muhammad – 4

• Allam – 8 months

In Her Own Words:

“I am a mother from Gaza…

I have six children — six hearts that beat from my own.

Six mouths waiting for a bite of food, but I have nothing to give.

I can’t even afford a diaper for my little one,

no milk to ease his cries of hunger.

He is wasting away before my eyes, his tiny body so thin,

his eyes pleading with me — and I have no answer.

He suffers from malnutrition… and so do I.

I drink salty water just to fool my stomach,

clutching my belly from the pain.

My husband is sick, too weak to stand,

and I am slowly collapsing in silence —

with a voice no one hears.

Is there anyone who hears the cry of a mother dying every moment?

Not for herself… but for her children."

Funds from this campaign will go toward the most basic and urgent needs: food, clean water, and medicine — as well as warm clothing ahead of winter, and materials for a better, more secure tent. If possible, Ra’eesa hopes to find a small apartment for her family. Every dollar helps her provide for her children and regain a measure of safety and dignity amid unimaginable hardship.

Please consider helping Ra'eesa and her family. Any amount makes a difference. And if you’re not able to donate, sharing the campaign is also deeply appreciated.

You can find us on Instagram here:

Ra'eesa @raisas_in_gaza

Melissa @mmortars_

Thank you for standing with this beautiful family.