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Kamal is a 28-year-old resident of Beit Lahiya, in northern Gaza; he has epilepsy, which requires constant medication to manage and control the seizures. Kamal’s daily life is challenging as he struggles to support his family of seven. His wife is deaf, and two of their children have learning disabilities requiring specialized rehabilitation and treatment.
Unable to find full time employment, Kamal relies on sporadic income from the collection of plastic.[1] He finds it difficult to provide for his large family. Their limited financial resources make it difficult to cover essential needs and medical expenses, on top of their accrued debts with local shops. Like many in Gaza, inadequate housing conditions further compound their difficulties.
Thankfully, WA’s Ramadan Fresh Food Parcels project in 2023 provided Kamal and his family with four weeks of fresh food parcels during Ramadan. The parcels contained a diverse range of freshly harvested, high-quality vegetables, herbs, and fruit each week, along with a source of protein such as chicken or eggs – enabling families to prepare balanced meals throughout the week. In the week of Eid, goods from local women’s cooperatives were also included in the parcels, i.e., Eid cookies as well as maftoul (Palestinian couscous).
To read about this project and its impact in full, please click here.
These fresh food parcels enabled the family to prepare the healthy meals they had missed because they could not afford to buy many of the items provided. They looked forward to collecting their parcels each week and planning their meals as they unpacked them! This assistance relieved them of most of their monthly food expenses, enabling them to pay off some of their debts and buy medications instead. The children enjoyed the Eid Cookies provided in the weekly parcels just before Eid, it was an opportunity to celebrate with family and friends and brought a sense of normality to their lives.
This vital assistance has offered temporary relief to Kamal and his family, although their broader financial hardships underscore the need for sustained support to families like Kamal’s, to improve their overall quality of life.
Kamal told the WA project team:
“We haven’t been able to go shopping or buy vegetables, certainly not meat, for a long time. Thanks to this assistance, we enjoyed proper meals with chicken and celebrated Eid. I was able to buy the medications we need and Eid clothes for my children.”
Reflecting on the impact of the food parcels, Kamal’s wife said:
“This month of Ramadan was different. Everything we needed was available: vegetables, fruits, chicken, and eggs. I am thrilled. We are grateful to Welfare Association for this project, and to your donors who supported us. It has given families like ours support we really needed at an important time during Ramadan. I hope such initiatives will continue.”
Here you can see Tamer, who joined the WA team for this project, packaging food parcels for beneficiaries like Kamel. To read Tamer’s Story, please click here.
Click here to see the impact of this and other WA projects during Ramadan 2023.
[1] Plastic collection: some people in Gaza collect plastic items for recycling as a source of very low income, approximately US $60 per month, a sign of extreme poverty
* Names have been changed
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