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This is the story of Salma, a young survivor, shared in her own words.
She did not come to ask for pity — but to be seen, heard, remembered, and to remind the world that she and her family are not numbers, they are human.
Your support can bring more than aid. It can bring dignity, warmth, medicine, and the chance to rebuild hope.
Please help Salma and her family survive this winter and believe in life once again.
Salma and her family have lost everything — their home, safety, food, and medical security.
They urgently need:
• Medicine for her sick mother
• Blankets & winter clothing
• Food to avoid sleeping hungry
• Basic stability to begin rebuilding their lives
Salma’s Story (In Her Own Words)
Life Before the War
“How was your normal day for you and your family before things changed?”
Our normal day was that me and my younger sister would go to school, and my brother when he had a job he would go to it, and my sister to the university, and my father and mother were at home.
We used to live a calm life, far from problems and everything bad, in a house far from noise, in a quiet simple place surrounded by beautiful green nature.
No matter how much I describe my life before the war, I truly cannot express how beautiful our life was.
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“What were the things you or your family enjoyed when life was safe?”
We used to enjoy our humble home that filled us with love and safety.
We did not look to go outside because our home did not make us feel lacking anything from the outside life.
Almost every Friday, we would make a barbecue party, and we enjoyed spending late-night gatherings on the balcony looking at trees and a beautiful sea. Our life was truly beautiful!
As I told you, we used to make parties, birthdays, and very sweet memories, and we enjoyed every moment in it.
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“What are some happy memories from your home or community?”
One of the most beautiful memories was when I would see my mother choosing beautiful clothes for a special occasion, and I would say to her, “Mama, you are so beautiful,” and she would laugh.
And also when my father would give me money and say to me, “Go buy whatever you want,” I would feel that I was the richest person in the world.
And also my older sister always cared for me and protected me, and my brother would take me with him to places I loved.
Every moment was a beautiful memory… By God, there was not a single bad memory before the war.
️ How Life Has Changed
“How has your daily life changed since the conflict began?”
Our life changed 180 degrees. We started living in fear and terror from every sound and every movement.
Our home that was full of comfort became under the rubble. We no longer have a house, and there is no longer a place called “home.”
My mother started crying silently, and my father became a body without a soul, and my siblings started looking at the sky without hope.
We used to sleep to the sounds of bombing and martyrdom, and wake up to the screams of mothers.
Life became nothing but an attempt to stay alive… nothing more.
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“What has been the hardest part about trying to stay safe or keep life normal?”
The hardest thing is that we cannot protect the ones we love.
When you see your mother crying and you cannot do anything for her… When you hear your brother say “I am hungry” and there is nothing to feed him…
When you feel that death is closer to you than anything else.
The hardest thing is to feel that you are a failure because you cannot live a normal life like other people.
The hardest thing is to be afraid of tomorrow.
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“What do you miss the most from before?”
I miss my home… my room… my bed… my toys… my clothes… my memories.
I miss my mother’s voice when she wakes me up for school, I miss my father’s laughter when he says: “Hurry up and don’t be late.”
I miss Fridays when we all gather and eat the dish my mother prepares with love.
I miss opening my closet and choosing what I will wear… now there is nothing.
The thing I miss the most is “safety.”
Family & Hope
“Who is with you now — can you tell us a little about each family member?”
I am now with my mother, my father, my younger sister, and my brother.
My mother is a very strong woman, but she has started to suffer in silence and does not want to show her sadness to us.
My father was always my support, but now he has become very tired… he is not as he used to be.
My little sister tries to laugh, but she cries when she sleeps.
My brother tries to be the man of the house, but he is just a child who feels afraid.
Each one of us breaks my heart in a different way.
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“What keeps you going on the hardest days?”
The only thing that keeps me strong is my faith in God, that after all this torment there will come relief.
And also my mother… when I look at her I say: I must not be weak.
My dream is to see my family laugh again… that is what makes me endure.
I no longer live for myself only, I live for them. ️
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“Are there dreams or goals you still hold onto despite everything?”
Yes… I still have a dream to become a successful woman, to study, to work, to achieve something that makes my family proud of me.
I dream of building a new house for my family, and saying to them: this is instead of the house they destroyed.
I dream of living a day without fear, without war, without blood.
I dream of laughing from my heart… just to laugh. ️
Despite everything… I still believe that God will not forget me.
Support & Urgent Needs
“What would help the most right now — things like food, shelter, medicine, or other essentials?”
The most important thing we need now is medicine for my mother, she is very sick and cannot bear the cold or the pain.
We need blankets, winter clothes, something to protect us from the rain and the cold.
We need food, not a lot… just enough so that we do not sleep while we are hungry.
We are not asking for luxury… we just don’t want to die. ️
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“Is there something you wish people understood about what families in Gaza are facing?”
I wish people would understand that war is not just news on television, we are human… we dream, we grieve, and we fear.
I wish they would understand that the child who dies here only wanted to play.
I wish they would know that the mother who screams did not lose a house… she lost her heart.
We do not need pity… we need justice. ️
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“If people could help with one thing right now, what would make life safer or easier?”
If they can help with one thing… let them help us live with dignity.
Not only with money, but by standing with us… by telling the world that we deserve life.
Give us safety… and we will do the rest.
We are not afraid of hardship… we are afraid of being forgotten.
❤️ Message to Supporters —
“If you could say something to people who might help, what would it be?”
I would say to them… thank you for still seeing us.
Thank you for not closing your hearts to us like the world did.
We are not numbers… we are human.
I promise you… if we live, we will rebuild again, and we will not forget those who stood with us.
I do not ask you to be sad… only, do not forget us.
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“What does hope look like for you and your family right now?”
Hope for us is to wake up one day and not hear the sound of bombing.
To see a house instead of a tent.
That my mother laughs from her heart… that my father returns to how he was.
Hope is to see my brother play without fear… and for my sister to sleep without tears.
Hope… is to live, just to live. ️