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Palestinian student living in Limerick, Duaa Ahmed appeals for support to help reunite her family
Palestinian student living in Limerick, Duaa Ahmed appeals for support to help reunite her family
Duaa Ahmed, a Palestinian student living in Limerick, has appealed to the public for support to help reunite her family after fleeing Gaza
By I Love Limerick Editor, Cian Reinhardt
Duaa Ahmed, a Palestinian student living in Limerick, is appealing to the public for their support in helping reunite her family after fleeing Gaza and pursuing her studies in Limerick.
Duaa is currently studying a Master’s in Education in Limerick as part of a scholarship, having previously worked as an English teacher with UNRWA in Gaza.
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The Limerick-based student explained she spent years applying for scholarships, overcoming many challenges, to secure her chance to study abroad, but the opportunity has come with the cost of leaving her husband and two young sons behind in Gaza.
Writing on a fundraising initiative, she said, “Eventually, I was blessed with the chance to study in Ireland, a chance to change our future. But in order to take this opportunity, I had to make the most painful decision of my life: leaving my two young sons and my husband behind in Gaza. Since then, every single day has been filled with fear, uncertainty, and longing. I constantly worry whether I will see my boys again, or whether I will ever be able to hold them in my arms. A mother should never have to live with this kind of fear.”
The Palestinian woman explained that her family has lived through “unimaginable hardship”, with her young children experiencing “displacement, loss of safety, hunger, and fear that no child should ever know”.
She added, “Our home was destroyed, and my family has been forced into extremely difficult living conditions, trying to survive without stability or security. As a mother, knowing they are going through this while I am far away breaks my heart every day.”
With a target of £5,000, the fundraiser has raised more than £500 through GoodHub, with messages of support coming from donors.
Speaking at the recent Catalyst International Film Festival in Limerick, Duaa addressed an audience at the Belltable, saying her family was displaced numerous times “with the sky never silent, and the ground shaking beneath us”. Duaa explained how she and her family did everything they could to survive, including eating pet food, drinking salty water, saying, “ There were nights so terrifying that even now my mind refuses to remember them.”
She added, “ What’s happening right now is not over, and the so-called ceasefire is a fake one. They are still bombing. People are still suffering. My family is still suffering there, and I’m also still suffering here, like, thinking about them all the time. I’m still living this pain every day. We can’t forget. We can’t stop talking.”
In her appeal through GoodHub, Dua thanked everyone for their support so far, saying, “I am asking for your help so I can reunite my family and protect my children’s lives. Every contribution, no matter how small, brings us one step closer to safety and togetherness. More than anything, I just want to hold my boys again. Thank you for reading, supporting, and sharing our story.”
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