I am Claire Guderjahn, living in the United States. I have been friends with Abdou (Abdullrahman Yahia Aljaouni) throughout this war, and am helping him to raise funds for his brother Zakaria's family, including his three sweet daughters. Here is their story:

Zakaria AlJaouni Story – A Journey of Resilience and Hope My name is Zakaria Al-Ja'ouni, from Gaza, Palestine. I am married and a father of three beautiful daughters. Life used to go on normally; I would go to work every day, return home to my girls and wife waiting for me with smiles that brightened my days. We used to stay up late together, go out as a family, and enjoy the simple moments of life that we often took for granted. But everything changed in an instant. War shattered our lives. We were forced to flee our home multiple times. I watched as our house was bombed, and my daughters were injured as a result of the strikes. We were left with no safe place to go, and I could no longer provide my daughters with the security they deserved. My dreams crumbled when I found myself unable to protect them. Today, I stand in the face of these overwhelming challenges, trying to rebuild for the sake of my family. My life was once filled with joy and love, but now we live in harsh conditions, clinging to any glimmer of hope that will bring us back to normal. I am reaching out for help to provide a decent life for my daughters, to rebuild a future far from fear and destruction. Any support, no matter how small, will give me the strength to rebuild our lives and provide my family with the safety they deserve.

My children and I are in dire need of help. Living conditions are very difficult. I cannot meet all their needs for food and education. My daughter Maria was injured after the house was directly targeted while we were inside. We are living a very difficult life. I hope from the bottom of my heart that I will find someone who will provide me with support and assistance in order to improve the conditions of my children.

This is my daughter Maria, who is suffering from burns all over her body due to the bombing. She miraculously survived. She needs treatment. We don't have hospitals, and treatment is very expensive. All hospitals in northern Gaza have been targeted. I hope to find someone to help me for the sake of my children.

This is my daughter Rita, my blessed daughter, she is 8 years old, a very special child with high ambitions. She was very good at school and got excellent grades until the war came. Now Rita cannot complete her studies or continue her life like other children because of the difficult circumstances of the war. Rita has changed a lot after the war. She has no dreams or goals. She only wishes for the war to end and wishes that the necessities of life would be available to her because our lives have become very difficult and we live with exorbitant prices. I cannot provide the simplest things for her.

This is my daughter Maria, she is 6 years old. Maria's house was bombed and she miraculously escaped death. For a long time, Maria suffered from disturbances, fear and panic because of the difficult circumstances that this child lived through. Maria was deprived of education and does not have an opportunity to learn. Her circumstances are very difficult. Maria wishes that she would have good food and a good opportunity to learn. These are pictures of my children before the damned war. I provided them with everything. Now I cannot provide them with anything.

This is Laura, my youngest child, she is 4 years old. She spent her entire childhood in war. She does not understand anything except the sound of shells and missiles. Laura is terrified of everything because of what she lived. Laura was deprived of childhood and toys. She does not know anything except fear, terror and deprivation. I hope that you will provide help to me and my children so that I can provide them with a simple life. I hope to find someone to help me.