STORIES FROM GAZA: Ahmed's Story
I was struck with Ahmed’s generosity. Even with the horrors he is facing Ahmed had the kindness and generosity of spirit to ask me about my children.
Ahmed, like me, is a teacher.
For years before October 7th, he taught English to students in Northern Gaza.
He didn’t become a teacher by accident.
His father was also a teacher. As a boy, he found a love of learning, of literature, and of education — especially in the face of Israeli Occupation.
But today, Ahmed isn’t in a classroom.
Today, Ahmed is living in a small, overcrowded shelter in Deir al-Balah.
It is a struggle to provide for his wife, two young children, and extended family of 20.
Each of them look to him as the one to ensure the family will survive day by day.
Recently, the shelter’s solar panels—the only power source Ahmed has had to charge batteries and stay connected to the outside world—were destroyed.
Now, every day, Ahmed makes the impossible choice of whether to try to raise and save the money needed to evacuate his children to Egypt, which costs over $2,500 per person, or spend it daily on essential items like food, water, and medicine.
Ahmed’s two beautiful children, two year old Tia and and four year old Jamal, are true blessings. They ask him for simple things: an apple, a banana.
But the markets are bare, and fresh food is a distant memory.
He has tried to explain the situation to them.
But no explanation can erase their hunger or their confusion about why these basics are beyond their reach.
Ahmed told me that the hardest part of his day is watching his children long for these things, with nothing he can offer to comfort them.
With every bomb, he holds them close, whispering words of love, and distracting them with games, stories, and songs.
His broken trampoline, worn but cherished, has become a place where his children laugh and play.
He cherishes these small moments that help them forget, even for a while, the chaos around them.
Ahmed dreams of safety for his family, of raising his children somewhere they can live freely.
We have an opportunity to make that possible.
Your generosity can help Ahmed provide food, clean water, and a working battery for power.
Please give generously to support Ahmed and his family. Every contribution helps, and together, we can provide hope, stability, and the safety he so desperately seeks for his family.
Author’s note: I was struck with Ahmed’s generosity. Even with the horrors he is facing Ahmed has the kindness and generosity of spirit to ask me about my children. My children who are completely safe take up space in his mind because of his generosity and goodness.
I resonate deeply with Ahmed’s story. Talking to him, I can imagine the pain of not being able to provide and protect my children. The frustration and hurt I feel that I cannot save his children is only a fraction of the daily pain he must feel.
Please follow Ahmed on Instagram - the interaction with the world is vital for donations but also vital for a sense of hope. He, like every Gazan I have spoken with, is so grateful for the connection and sense that he is being seen.
https://www.instagram.com/ahmedjamal3375
You can also read more about his story in USA Today.
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