Hello everybody,

My name is Zina’s mother. I am a mother of five children from Gaza, and I am sharing our story with a heart full of pain, but also with hope.

Before the war, we had a home, a family business, and dreams for our children. My husband owned a small mobile phone shop called Zidan Phone. It was our family’s only source of income and the way we provided food, medicine, and education for our children.

Then the war took everything from us.

Our home was completely destroyed. My husband’s shop was also destroyed, leaving us with nothing to support our family. Just two months before the war began, we had finally finished renovating our home after paying for the work in installments. We were proud of the home we had worked so hard for. Today, that home is gone, while the debt remains.

I also live with several chronic health problems, including thyroid disease, a rapid heartbeat, and severe spasms in my jaw muscles. I desperately need medical treatment, but we can no longer afford the care or medication I need. My husband suffers from a herniated disc and poor eyesight, making life even more difficult. We also care for my elderly mother-in-law, who lives with us and suffers from several chronic illnesses.

Today, our family lives in a small tent near the conflict zone. We have no home, no business, and no source of income. We wake up each day wondering how we will find enough food, medicine, and clean water to get through another day.

My youngest son was only 11 months old when the war began. He is now three years old. He is still just a little child, and he does not understand why his life is so different from other children’s lives. He asks me for simple things—an egg, a piece of chicken, a glass of milk. Sometimes I have to look into his eyes and tell him that we cannot afford them. Nothing breaks a mother’s heart more than being unable to give her child the food he is asking for.

My daughter is suffering from memory problems that we believe are connected to poor nutrition. One of my sons has constant back pain after repeatedly carrying heavy containers of water. Another son suffers from chronic chest pain and needs medical attention that we struggle to provide.

And my eldest son has his own dream. He recently graduated from high school and dreams of going to university, continuing his education, and building a future like other young people his age. But I cannot even afford the registration fees to help him take the first step toward that dream.

As a mother, the hardest part is not losing our house or our possessions. It is watching my children lose pieces of their childhood and their dreams because we simply cannot afford the things they need.

We have lost our home. We have lost our livelihood. We have lost our sense of safety and stability. We are carrying debts from a life that no longer exists.

But we have not lost hope.

I am asking you, with all the humility and strength a mother can have, please help my family survive this difficult time. Your support can help us put food on our children’s table, obtain urgently needed medical care, provide basic necessities, reduce the debts that are weighing heavily on us, and give my eldest son a chance to continue his education.

Even a small donation can make a difference to our family. What may seem small to you could mean a meal for my children, medicine for someone who is sick, or a little hope for a young person who still dreams of going to university.

Please help us rebuild a life where my children can grow up with dignity, safety, education, and hope.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to hear our story, for caring about my children, and for any kindness and generosity you can offer.

May your kindness return to you and your family many times over.