I am Maryam, a mother from Gaza, from a land exhausted by war that swallowed our dreams. My life was simple, but full of love and hope. All I aspired to was to secure a bright future for my four children, who were the joy of my life and the light of my days.

Mahmoud, ten years old, excelled in his studies and dreamed of becoming a doctor who saved lives. Hanan, nine years old, drew pictures that brought life to the walls and dreamed of becoming an artist. Mohammed, five years old, was preparing to enter kindergarten, filled with curiosity and joy. As for Hala, my little girl, she was born amidst the sounds of bombs and aircraft, and she knew nothing of life but fear and shelling.

Then the war came... and took everything from us.

We were bombed several times, and by the grace of God, we survived.

Our home was no longer a shelter, but ruins that could neither protect us from the cold of winter nor the heat of summer. Part of it was destroyed, and the rest was barely livable. My children shiver from the cold, cry from hunger, and ask me every day: "When will we return? Why is there no food? Will we ever go back to school?"

They used to dream of becoming doctors and artists, but now their dreams are limited to a loaf of bread to satisfy their hunger or a cup of clean water to quench their thirst. I see the fear in their eyes, and I feel helpless in my heart. I have nothing to protect them with, nothing to offer them except a hug that trembles with them.

The war is over, but our suffering has only just begun. The cannons have fallen silent, but the screams of my children have not. Our home, which was a refuge, has become a memory, its walls cracked, its windows shattered, and its roof unable to protect us from the rain or the cold. Being a mother in Gaza means carrying mountains of worries, facing nights without warmth, days without food, and fighting the rodents and insects that have invaded the place.

I don't ask for much...just:

- A safe shelter to protect us from death and the cold of winter

- Food to satisfy my children's hunger

- Medicine to ease their pain

- A moment of security to restore their laughter..