A Grandmother’s Escape from Gaza

Hala, 81 years old, shouldn’t have to start her life over. At her age, she should be surrounded by the laughter of her grandchildren in the home she built over a lifetime. Instead, she sat in a small room in Melbourne, holding the only thing she had left: her passport.

For two years, Hala was trapped in Gaza. She lost her husband. She lost her son. She lost her daughter-in-law. She lost four grandchildren. The war took everything she loved and every possession she owned.

When she finally arrived in Australia to live with her surviving son, she came with empty hands and a heavy heart. Her son, struggling to support his own family, tried his best, but the medical bills and basic living costs for an elderly parent were overwhelming. Hala needed medicine. She needed clothes. She needed to feel safe.

"I arrived in Australia with nothing," she told us.

This is where your Zakat transformed a life. It didn't just buy medicine and food, it bought a sense of belonging. Local Zakat covered Hala’s essential settlement costs, ensuring she had a warm bed and the care she required without placing a crushing burden on her grieving son. Hala is no longer just a survivor of war, she is a cherished member of our local community. She knows now that even across the ocean, she has a family in us.

Hala’s story reminds us that those in need here look just like the grandmother you see walking slowly to the shops, holding onto her memories of a home that no longer exists.

Zakat in Australia became her safety blanket, proving that even when you arrive with nothing, our local community will ensure you are never truly alone.