Help the Hamadi family

Mohamad Hamadi is a resident of Somersworth, NH, who was unlawfully imprisoned in the Republic of Lebanon for more than seven years. He was declared innocent on July 19 and reunited with his wife and children on July 22.

This family lost everything and they deserve to rebuild the life that was stolen from them seven years ago. The goal is to help them pay off the debts they incurred to get Mohamad home and to help him restart his trucking business.

I met Mohamad’s wife, Khadije or “Juju” as her friends call her, in 2018, when our children were in the same kindergarten class. Her smile was infectious and I immediately saw her as an incredible mother and kind soul.

As our kids grew closer and I got to know her better, she shared her story with me: her husband was unjustly accused of wrongdoing overseas and was being held in an underground prison, without a trial.

I watched this woman work full time and stretch every penny to give her kids a good life, while trying to navigate the legal system in two different countries. She was consistently met with challenges but never gave up. In fact, just weeks after her father was killed in Lebanon by an Israeli missile attack this spring, Juju was the honored speaker at the Dover Adult Learning Center graduation. She received her high school diploma at the age of 32.

The last seven years have taken a significant emotional and financial toll on the Hamadi family. After years of seeking help to bring her husband home, Juju connected with a US lawyer and Lebanese official who negotiated Mohamad’s freedom in exchange for $140,000. More than half of this tab was covered by Lebanese donors, but the family sold their belongings and borrowed from other family members to cover their portion of the cost, and another $20,000 in legal, local and transportation fees (just in the past two weeks).

So, Mohamad is home now, but the family is starting from scratch. Mohamad is a talented truck driver who owned his own business prior to his imprisonment. He lost his truck and his business and will have to rebuild. He’s also in the process of obtaining health insurance so that he can receive necessary medical and dental care.

I’m asking you to help this sweet family get back on their feet. They’ve been through so much and while we may not make a huge dent in their financial situation, any contribution will let them know that they are loved by their friends and neighbors – and caring individuals from across the world.