Sameera Casmod | sameerac@radioislam.co.za
9 April 2025 | 12:00 p.m. CAT
2-minute read

Image: Mohammad (@k48k8)

As Israel resumes its military assault on Gaza, more than 1000 people have been killed and over 100 000 displaced—many for the second, third, or even fourth time. Already fragile, Gaza’s infrastructure has suffered further collapse: food and water are critically scarce, electricity is nearly non-existent, and the health and education sectors are on the brink of total failure.

Hospitals have been bombed. Schools, once sanctuaries of learning, are now makeshift shelters for displaced families. Civilian infrastructure continues to be systematically targeted, fuelling what many rights organisations have described as a genocidal campaign.

Amid this devastation, grassroots organisations like Hope Makers Gaza are struggling to bring a semblance of normalcy to children who have lost everything. Based in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, the group offers moral and educational support to displaced children living under siege.

Speaking to Radio Islam International from inside Gaza, Hope Makers representative Zainab Hamed described the dire reality.

“There’s no real school like in other countries,” she said. “Education has stopped in Gaza for nearly two years… The children are very afraid to come from their families to school,” Hamed said.

Hope Makers aims to provide not only lessons but also psychological relief. “We try to give hope to the children through games and emotional support,” said Hamed. “The children want to forget the destruction around them. They want to be great women and men in the future, and want  to play in Gaza again,”.

The challenges are immense. Israel continues to bomb Gaza’s schools, many of which are now temporary shelters for displaced refugees.

While some media have reported rising discontent among Gazans toward Hamas, Hamed noted that public opinion is mixed.

Despite the fear and destruction, she believes that planting seeds of hope is vital. “We can’t always give hope to the families,” she admitted, “but we try to give hope to the children. That is the first step.”

In a warzone where humanitarian efforts are routinely obstructed and danger is constant, Hope Makers Gaza continues its work—quietly defying the odds, one child at a time.

This article is based on an interview conducted by Radio Islam International. Due to ongoing conflict in Gaza, communication with the representative was affected by technical limitations.

Listen to the full interview on Sabaahul Muslim with Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat.