🏫 Thank You. We Can Now Begin Construction on Our New School for Young Orphans in Gaza!
1,812 donors helped us raise $206,127. Now we begin the process of securing land, hiring staff, and building.
As-Salaam-Alaikum and good morning from New Jersey!
My friends, I am writing today with deep gratitude.
Because of 1,812 donors, we have now raised $206,127 to help build a school for young orphans in Gaza.
Alhamdulillah.
That means, because of you, we can now begin the next formal steps of this project: securing the land, hiring the teachers and staff, finalizing the local details, and beginning the construction process for a school that hundreds of orphaned children in Gaza desperately need.
I want to slow down and let that sink in.
This did not happen because of one person. It happened because good people all over the world came together and gave what they could. Some people gave thousands. Some gave hundreds. Some gave $50. Some gave $5. Some gave even less, but gave sincerely and from the heart.
And every gift mattered.
Allah knows what each of us is capable of giving. Allah knows what is easy for us and what stretches us. The person who gave $5 may have sacrificed more than the person who gave $500. Allah knows best. I am simply grateful for every single donor who helped carry this school from an idea, to a sketch, to a verified campaign, to a project that can now begin moving on the ground.
This is what happens when people refuse to let despair have the final word.
This is what happens when people see children who have lost parents, homes, safety, and years of school, and decide that grief alone is not enough.
This is what happens when mercy becomes action.
In Islam, orphans hold a sacred place in our hearts and in our obligations. Again and again, the Qur’an commands us to honor them, protect them, and never oppress them. Allah says in Surah Ad-Duha, “So as for the orphan, do not oppress him.” And the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught that the one who cares for an orphan will be close to him in Paradise, holding his fingers together to show that closeness.
So when we help build this school, we are not just funding walls.
We are helping fulfill a sacred responsibility.
This school is being designed for orphaned children in Gaza ages 5–9, serving Grades 1, 2, and 3. It will include 6 classrooms, space for approximately 270 children, 6 washrooms, a teachers’ room, an administrative office, a dedicated counselor’s space, solar power support, secure fencing, and an outdoor artificial grass play area.
A school cannot erase everything these children have endured. But it can give them structure again. A teacher again. A desk again. A morning routine again. A safe place to learn, play, heal, and begin again.
That is what you helped make possible.
We still have work to do. The full goal is $250,000, which means we still need $43,873 more to fully fund the school.
This project is LaunchGood verified, tax-deductible, and for Muslims it is Zakat eligible. I am a full-time employee of Human Concern International, and I do not receive fees, commissions, percentages, bonuses, or personal compensation from this fundraiser.
Not a penny.
From here, I will update donors privately as we receive progress reports, photos, construction updates, staffing updates, and every major development from the team. You deserve to see what your generosity is building, and I intend to keep you informed as carefully and honestly as I can.
To every donor who helped us reach this point: thank you.
You helped us unlock the next phase.
You helped us prove this school can be built.
You helped give Gaza’s young orphans something the world has tried to steal from them: a future.
Love and appreciate each of you.
Your friend and brother,
Shaun
Alhamdulillah 🤲🏽
Big hug 🫂 and thank you to each donor and everyone involved ✊🏽♥️✊🏽