i work with kids. i have a shitty substitute childcare job where i get called in day of to watch preschoolers or elementary students all day and it's ok, i do it because it pays and because working with children is genuinely one of the most fulfilling things i've ever done in my life.
my job can be hard, sometimes. the other day i had a long day of watching preschoolers who were scratching me, trying to get into places they shouldn't every 5 seconds, and then in the last hour of my shift some little girl got her pee all over me. it was hectic but i got through it.
my friend eslam, who i've known for almost two years now, also works with children. she is a teacher in gaza and has recently gone back to work since the war in order to support her three children. she tells me the school has no desks or chairs, so they sit on the ground as they learn. eslam tells me the circumstances of teaching in gaza are hard, but she still does her very best to give them the best education possible, and to give them a sense of hope and normalcy amidst the war.
working with kids is hard already, but i can't imagine teaching kids like eslam does in these conditions. to teach them with so few resources, all while the children are likely struggling with hunger, grief, and ptsd from israeli bombing. i've worked with kids in difficult circumstances, and it breaks my heart to see them suffering sometimes when there's hardly anything i can do about it. i can only imagine how hard it must be for eslam to watch her students face even worse conditions every single day. i admire her so much for trying her absolute hardest to still make sure these kids receive a proper education, and to give them something to look forward to each day.
despite how hard eslam is working, her teaching job still doesn't make enough to help her family survive. i want to ask that if you have any funds to spare to please consider donating to @eslamram2's family and campaign. the funds would go towards helping her youngest mahmoud who has recently fallen ill, and keeping the rest of her family fed and healthy. families in gaza are still struggling. they need all the help you can get.
I am Eslam from Gaza, 30 years old, a mother of two girls, and eight months pregnant. I used to work as a children's teacher, and my husband
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