Roadside Rice Pudding: Help Ahmed's Family Survive

Hi everyone,

My name is Eliza Davis. I'm an American from Santa Cruz, California, based in Amman, Jordan for the past several years. I set up this campaign for my friend, Ahmed Abu Daher, and his family who are trying to survive in the north of Gaza.

I was first introduced to Ahmed in 2022 when he married a close friend of mine. They live in northern Gaza and have remained there since the start of the crisis in October 2023. We have remained in touch, internet permitting .

I set up a previous gofundme campaign for Ahmed and his family this past summer, after their home was destroyed in an air strike and they were rendered homeless for the third time. The first campaign was successful, and I was able to send Ahmed money to cover three months of rent and basic survival supplies, which allowed his family to move out of an overcrowded shelter mere days before it was bombed.

Ahmed’s family is extremely grateful to everyone who donated, but with no end to the conflict in sight and the “stratospheric rise” of the price of basic goods in Gaza, these initial funds have been used up.

Ahmed does not want to continue to rely on charity, so he and his wife are planning to launch a small business: setting up a roadside stand to sell rice pudding.

Ahmed is an aficionado with the traditional Middle Eastern sweet. It is one of the few things for which the materials can be semi-reliably sourced and there is consistent demand.

Ahmed has prepared a budget and found sources to secure the ingredients and materials for the initial set up. In addition to the start-up costs of launching their new business, the family is also asking for support to cover basic needs for one more month—rent, food, and medicine.

The total goal is $8,350: $5,900 for initial project costs, and $2,450 for one month of basic expenses. A detailed budget breakdown is included below.

With this initial investment, Ahmed and his family will be able to generate their own income to cover rent for the coming months as well as buying food, water, and other basic supplies on a sustainable basis.

Ahmed and his family are warm, resilient, loving, and generous people who have been living through unimaginable horrors for the past year. Your generous contribution can help them take control of their own survival—even in the face of extreme hardship.

Thank you so much for your support.

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Budget breakdown:

This campaign will cover:

Project costs ($5,900)

Survival costs, 1 month ($2,450)

Total: $8,350

A note on costs: According to Reuters , prices of basic goods in Gaza have more than quadrupled in the past year. They write, as an example, “The price of three potatoes is currently at 150 Shekels ($41.01). Before the war, one kg (2.2 lb) of potatoes cost two Shekels ($0.55).”

Similarly, a recent report by Relief Web details “skyrocketing” food prices, with goods like onions “50 times their pre-war price.”

In the north of Gaza, where Ahmed and his family reside, prices tend to be even higher.

Transfer details:

Funds will be transferred directly from my Bank of America bank account to the family’s Bank of Palestine account via international wire transfer. I have already succeeded in sending money this way twice as part of the previous campaign.