At just 12 years old, Amira has already confronted an unimaginable measure of hardship, bearing the profound loss of her father, the trauma of displacement, and the total destruction of her family home. Yet, amid the relentless adversity that defines daily life in Gaza, she remains resiliently committed to her education, holding fast to her enduring dream of one day becoming a nurse.
Amira’s childhood shifted dramatically at the age of nine when she lost her father to cancer. She remembers him vividly as a foundational source of love, safety, and steadfast strength in her life. His passing irrevocably altered her world, casting a long shadow over her formative years. Not long after she began to navigate the complex grief of losing her father, the devastating conflict in Gaza erupted, plunging Amira and her family into yet another harrowing cycle of loss, uncertainty, and pervasive fear.
Forced to Leave Everything Behind
Before the escalation of the conflict, Amira lived a relatively stable life alongside her mother, Manal, and her siblings in the Al-Salam neighbourhood of Rafah. That stability vanished the moment the family received orders to flee their home as violence closed in around them. With little time to prepare or gather their possessions, they were forced to leave the vast majority of their belongings behind. They packed only a few essential items: a handful of spare clothes, basic bedding, and a few rudimentary kitchen utensils, holding onto the fragile hope that the displacement would be short-lived and that they would soon be able to return to the comfort of their home.
That hope, however, was quickly shattered. They soon learned that their house had been completely destroyed in the fighting, rendering a return impossible. Left with no permanent shelter and no other options, the family remained displaced, eventually constructing a makeshift tent to serve as their dwelling.
Life inside the tent presented a daily struggle for survival. The structure offered virtually no protection against the extreme elements of the region. During the scorching summer months, the tent trapped the heat, turning the interior into an oven. In contrast, the bitter cold of winter swept straight through the thin fabric, bringing freezing temperatures and damp conditions. When storms arrived, rainwater leaked directly into their living space, soaking their few remaining belongings while the ground beneath them steadily dissolved into thick, unforgiving mud.
Securing basic provisions proved equally grueling for the family. Access to clean water and adequate food was a constant, exhausting challenge. Amira and her family members frequently had to spend hours waiting outside in long lines to collect water from passing distribution trucks. When they lacked the financial means to purchase food, they were forced to rely entirely on community kitchens, depending on the generosity of others simply to get through the day.
Losing Everything Again to Fire
The family’s precarious existence was upended once more when disaster struck their temporary settlement. In a sudden and devastating turn of events, their tent caught fire and burned completely to the ground.
The blaze consumed what little they had managed to salvage from their previous life. Their remaining clothing, essential cooking equipment, and personal belongings were all reduced to ruins in a matter of moments.
“Everything we owned was turned to ashes,” Manal shares, describing the sheer devastation of the incident. The fire stripped the family of the few remaining items they desperately needed to maintain a semblance of daily routine and dignity.
In the wake of the fire, their material needs have grown even more acute. They are now urgently in need of a sturdier shelter equipped with waterproof coverings to withstand the harsh weather, as well as a private bathroom, functional cooking equipment, and basic garments including clothes and shoes for every family member.
Continuing to Study Despite Displacement
Despite the crushing weight of these dire living conditions and the continuous disruption to her environment, Amira refuses to abandon her education. She continues to study online whenever possible and is currently navigating the academic demands of the seventh grade.
Balancing her studies with the overwhelming domestic burdens of displacement requires extraordinary effort. With no access to electricity or modern conveniences such as a washing machine, Amira actively contributes to her household by washing the family’s clothes entirely by hand. Despite these backbreaking chores and the emotional toll of her circumstances, she maintains a clear vision for her future. Amira dreams of pursuing a career in healthcare as a nurse, and she clings to the hope that stability will eventually return so she can see her education through to the end.
In her rare moments of downtime, Amira finds joy in drawing. It remains a cherished creative outlet for her, though the lack of basic materials currently prevents her from practicing it regularly. Her immediate, tangible needs remain starkly pressing, centering on essentials such as winter clothing, proper underwear, and durable shoes to protect her from the elements.
Supporting Orphaned Children in Gaza
The hardships endured by Amira and her family reflect a broader, heart-wrenching reality shared by countless children across Gaza who have lost parents, homes, and any foundational sense of safety. Yet, within these stories of profound loss, children like Amira continue to study, dream, and look toward a better future.
Organizations like Islamic Relief have long worked to address these vulnerabilities on the ground. Through its dedicated Orphan Sponsorship Programme—which has been active in Gaza since 1999—the organization provides structured, consistent support to orphaned children and their surviving guardians.
The programme operates on a one-to-one sponsorship model, directly matching an individual donor with a child. The child’s guardian receives a regular monthly financial disbursement, offering a reliable safety net. In Gaza, families are given the autonomy to utilize this financial support according to their most urgent, shifting needs, whether that means purchasing food, securing seasonal clothing, covering healthcare expenses, or investing in education.
In response to the escalating crisis and the mounting wave of need, Islamic Relief has significantly expanded the reach of the programme. Today, more than 25,000 children in Gaza receive vital sponsorship support, while over 5,000 additional children remain on the active waiting list, highlighting the immense scale of the ongoing humanitarian challenge.
Where operational access and conditions permit, sponsored families also receive supplementary seasonal aid. This includes specialized support such as Ramadan and Qurbani food parcels, festive Eid gifts for the children, and essential winter items designed to help families weather the coldest months of the year.
For children like Amira, whose aspirations stretch far beyond the confines of their current hardships, such support represents more than just financial relief—it is a vital anchor. Her primary hope remains remarkably simple: to continue her education uninterrupted, fulfill her ambition of becoming a nurse, and ultimately live somewhere safe and secure alongside her family.
Through Islamic Relief’s Orphan Sponsorship Programme, individuals have the opportunity to help provide regular, dependable support to orphaned children and their families throughout Gaza. By stepping forward, donors can serve as a crucial lifeline for Gaza’s children, helping them preserve their education and their dreams for the future.