Help Eman Survive

   "I was a woman with a name, a home and dreams... now I dream simply of living." -Eman

   Eman Ahmad is a 33 year old married woman from Eastern Gaza who now resides in a tent with her husband and family in a crowded schoolyard.

   Before the war, she worked as a journalist writing about social gender issues.

   "I believed in words and their power to create change. My life was simple but stable. I came home tired, yet safe. I knew where I would sleep, what I would eat, and who I would be tomorrow."

   But on October 7, 2023, Eman and her family were forced to flee their home when their neighborhood was bombarded by US-Israeli airstrikes.

   "We left without taking anything—no clothes, no memories, no photos. We escaped with nothing but our trembling bodies and a fear I had never known before. We didn’t know where we were going; we were only running away from death."

   Eventually taking shelter in a crowded school run by UNRWA, Eman and her family were packed into a classroom with dozens of other families forced to endure unimaginable conditions.

   "The overcrowding was unbearable..We slept on top of one another, breathing the same air, with no walls, no doors, no privacy... There was no safety, no peace, no dignity."

   Despite everything she was up against, Eman refused to surrender.

   "I chose to help instead of collapse. I volunteered in the school’s administration, working all day without pay just to feel that I mattered- that I was still human."

    Working at the shelter, she gained experience and became a skilled data entry analyst. Amidst the uncertainty of war and famine, Eman maintained her sense of humanity by helping others.

    One day, a man came into the school after his home had been targeted, killing his mother and father. He had been pulled from the rubble after hours of agony.

   "He arrived carried by pain. His body survived, but his soul was shattered."

   Suffering from a brain injury and fractures in his legs and arms, the man was in desperate need of assistance. Eman helped him access what little aid was available.

   "Pain brought us together before love did. His heart chose me and he proposed. We married in the middle of war, displacement and fear."

   Five days later, they received another evacuation order. At 8:00 AM, they left on foot walking for 4 continuous hours. Exhausted, they finally reached the sea, where they lived for another month in the open.

   "We froze at night and spent our days searching for clean drinking water. Those days were so harsh that I counted the hours just to stay conscious."

   Finally, they heard news of withdrawal and the family returned to their original camp, but the school was targeted by occupation forces and left severely damaged. With no doors or windows to protect from the cold, the suffering continued.

   "The cold consumed our bodies, and fear stole sleep from our eyes. Still, I returned to volunteering, again without pay, simply to remain standing."

   To try to regain some semblance of normalcy, the newlywed couple went to stay at a friend’s house. But the very next day, they learned the neighboring house was at risk of being bombed. Eman and her husband fled immediately and returned to the school.

   "That became our life—newlyweds living in a school, without a home, without privacy, without dreams."

   Along with the constant uncertainty of displacement and the fear of death, Eman also lives with the pain of loss. Her younger brother and husband traveled east to the decimated streets she once called home, collecting firewood for cooking. But while searching through the debris to provide for the family, the men were targeted by the occupation. Eman's brother was killed in the attack and her husband was left wounded. 

   "My husband was severely injured, and his spleen had to be removed. He became chronically ill and now needs constant care and proper nutrition."

   Today, Eman, her husband and her family still live in the overcrowded school.

   "We have no home to protect us, no stable income, no proper medical care, and no clean, reliable food. I dream of a small home to shelter my husband and me. I dream of medical treatment so I can have a child who carries his father’s name. I dream of safe food, privacy, and a normal life—even at the most basic level. I dream simply of living."

   "Your support—no matter how small—could be the difference between surviving and completely breaking."

-Eman Ahmad

Hi, I'm Sean from the US helping raise money for families who cannot access fundraising platforms. All transfer fees are covered. Beneficiaries receive 100%.

Please consider becoming a weekly/monthly donor and help provide the consistent support these families desperately need. In the exceptional case you wish to leave a single donation of $1,000 or more, please contact me first. Thank you.