My name is Nidal, and I am writing to you as a father desperate to protect his family. We once had a life in Gaza that, while modest, was filled with hope. My wife and I worked hard to ensure our children had a chance at a better future. My son Musab dreamed of becoming a computer engineer. He would spend hours buried in his books, coding with a determination that filled me with pride. My daughter Huda, so full of promise, was excelling in high school. Even my youngest, Maryam, just seven years old, loved to draw pictures of a world she dreamed of exploring someday.
But all of that feels like a distant memory now.
When the bombs began to fall, we lost everything—our home, our peace, and the life we had worked so hard to build. We had to flee in the dead of night, dodging falling debris and praying we’d make it to safety. The sounds of explosions and the cries of terrified children will forever haunt me. Our home, once a place of love and security, is now a pile of rubble.
We managed to find a small, overcrowded place to rent, but even here, we are not safe. The walls shake with every nearby explosion, and my children flinch at every loud noise. The power cuts off for hours, sometimes days, leaving us in darkness and cold. Clean water is a luxury we cannot afford, and food prices have skyrocketed beyond what I can manage. The war has stolen so much from us. Musaab had to abandon his dream of finishing university—how can he study when survival is our only focus? Huda tries to attend online classes, but with constant power outages and the weight of fear pressing down on her, I see the spark in her eyes fading. Talah, my thirteen-year-old, hasn’t been to school since her classroom was reduced to rubble. And Maryam—she doesn’t even know what it means to be a child anymore. Her toys are gone, replaced by shards of concrete she picks up from the ground.
This is why I am asking for your help. Not just for me, but for my children, who have done nothing to deserve this life of fear and uncertainty. With your support, we can rebuild what was lost. We can find safety, stability, and maybe, just maybe, hope.
Please, don’t turn away from our story. My children deserve a chance to dream again, and with your help, they can.
My name is Nidal, and I am writing to you as a father desperate to protect his fami… Nidal Alwaheidi needs your support for Every little he