My name is Fei, and I’m fundraising for my friend Yahya, his wife, and their twin baby girls in northern Gaza. Before the war, Yahya was a baker who loved feeding his community. He hopes to do that again but right now, his family needs protection from the elements, food, and other essential supplies in order to survive the winter.

I met Yahya through social media in the fall. Since then, we have exchanged messages nearly every single day. He tells me about the reality of the situation there. How there is no sign of humanitarian aid where he lives. How food and supplies can be purchased but they are scarce and extremely expensive. And now winter is setting in, bringing heavy rains and temperatures as low as 8°C/46°F.

Yahya's family has no shelter. When it rains, they sleep on mats in dangerous half-collapsed buildings because the risk of the building collapsing further is still better than sleeping in the rain.

So this fundraiser is our first step. If we can raise enough to give his family a warm, dry place to sleep, some winter clothing for the babies, and the basic supplies they need to get through the coming weeks, then Yahya will be in a much stronger position - not just to care for his own family, but eventually to help his community again through baking and shared meals.

Immediate Needs in USD (Phase 1)

Tent for Yahya’s family: $700

Waterproof tarp/other shelter needs: $100

Winter track suits for the twins: $80

Essential consumable goods - bare minimum for one month (formula or milk, food, water, firewood or fuel to cook with, diapers, electricity for phone charging): $600

Total: $1480 USD / $2100 CAD

Phase 2: Community Meals

Once Yahya’s family has their most critical survival needs met, we plan to begin Phase 2: building towards grassroots community meal sharing.

Before the war, Yahya was a professional baker. Even while displaced, he has taken part in grassroots meal sharing efforts. With the right support, he can begin doing this again.

The situation in Gaza changes daily, and it’s impossible to know which ingredients will be available when we reach this goal. But to give a realistic sense of what small-scale community baking might look like, here is a rough estimate for preparing one serving of bread per family member for 15–20 families:

Flour, 25kg bag: $50–$80

Yeast, oil, salt, water: $10–$20

Fuel/firewood: $20–$40

Estimated total: $80–140 USD

With additional support, this effort can scale. Yahya already knows the people in his community who are willing to help bake and distribute food, and he has the skills and experience to make this happen.

If we can help strengthen his family’s stability, he has the potential to help many others during an incredibly difficult time. As this campaign progresses, I will continue to share updates and provide more detailed plans for this second phase.

Questions

How will the money get to Yahya?

It can be difficult to get money to Gaza, but with the help of countless trusted community members who facilitate the distribution of funds by acting as intermediaries, it is possible. I will withdraw donations as a Canadian and then work with an intermediary to get the money to Yahya. I am always looking for better ways, but so far this has been quick and I have had no issues.

Is anyone charging a fee for their time or help?

It is also very important to say that no one is taking a cut, but there are fees for GoFundMe, Paypal transactions and currency exchanges. I will personally cover any unavoidable fees so that 100% of any donations sent go to help Yahya and his family.

Why are there no photos of Yahya's wife?

For safety, we will not share any photos or videos that could reveal Yahya's wife's identity. Additionally, we will not share the girls' real names, but Lulu and Soso are their nicknames.

If you have read this far, I want to thank you for taking the time to read and learn about the struggle in Gaza, and for considering what you can do to help. Even a very small donation communicates that you care and that there is support for this initiative. But helping amplify this story is also critical to our success - please tell people about this work, share this page on social media or reach out to me if you have some time and would like to learn or help more.