30 January
As an aid worker, making a positive difference and assisting people is very important. It is an integral part of our job.
Islamic Relief has been delivering the basic things that people need to survive - food, medicines and blankets. People express happiness when they receive the food parcels and other items we deliver but we can't bring back their loved ones, I wish we could.
Whilst distributing aid with colleagues in the Jabaliya refugee camp I met Monir. He was standing in line waiting to get a package which included food, a kitchen set, hygiene kit and blanket. Monir was deaf but I learnt that his home had been destroyed and all that he had left were the clothes that he was wearing. He was crying as he tried to explain to me his situation.
Most people in Gaza are at least able to express their pain through words - Monir doesn't have that option. Monir, like so many people I've met over the past month, has left a lasting impression on me and I left him with a very heavy heart wondering how he will ever get over his loss and how he will rebuild his life.
I also learnt today that one of our sponsored orphans, 14-year-old Sana, had her house destroyed. I could really sense Sana's desperation as she spoke to me. During previous military incursions into Gaza, she lost three members of her family including her father and young brother. Her family was already poor - now they have lost their home and are destitute.
I wonder what goes through the minds of Sana and her mother, and others like them. They have already lost their dearest family members and now they have no homes. How do we begin to convince them that the future will be different? That they have a future. This is one of the biggest challenges in Gaza - convincing people that the future will be different.