cross-posted from: https://hexbear.net/post/5757723
My name is Soliman — a young man and student from Gaza, carrying a burden far heavier than my age. Between my studies and the hardships of life, I try to be the backbone of my family in the most difficult of times.
We once had a small farm — olive and citrus trees, and a greenhouse where we planted not just crops, but dreams.
That farm was our only source of income, and more than that, it was a place full of memories, of hope, and of the laughter that once made life a little easier.
But in a single moment, everything was gone.
A fire reduced our years of effort to ashes.
We lost our source of living, our stability — and with it, a part of our souls.
Now, despite the pain, I’m trying to start over. I’m doing everything I can to keep my family standing, to find even the smallest light of hope that might restore our strength, dignity, and sense of humanity.
On top of all this, I’m also struggling with serious health issues.
I suffer from a urinary tract infection caused by the lack of access to clean drinking water.
Here in Gaza, we’re forced to drink water mixed with sand and other contaminants — there’s simply no other choice.
It’s affecting my health badly, and I need treatment I can’t afford in these conditions.
I’m sharing my story with honesty and hope, praying it reaches a kind heart — someone who can help, or even just share it with others who might be able to.
If you’re able to support us in any way, here’s my GoFundMe link:
Every share, every kind word, and every small donation could be a lifeline for us.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for taking a moment to read my story.
I’ve seen this kid posted all over the Fediverse. Do we know if his story is real? A sad story, a photo of a young man and his sister, and a GoFundMe link seem like decent ingredients for a scam, but I don’t know enough about this person to say one way or another.
It’s not a scam I’ve been in contact with Sulaiman helping him secure aid
That’s helpful, thanks. I’m glad to hear that this person is real and people are helping.
Np thanks for understanding, we get a lot of people from Gaza on hexbear reaching out for help and I’ve chatted with a few of them over the course of the war.
I completely understand your doubt — the world is full of scams, and it’s your right to question things.
But my story is real, and unfortunately, what my family and I are living through in Gaza is beyond words.
The photo is real, the account is real, and the GoFundMe link was created by a friend in Germany because I’m unable to create one from Gaza.
All I ask is for you to consider sharing it if possible — or even just a prayer.
Thank you for your compassion, even if you’re still unsure.
Thank you for replying, and I’m sorry that bad actors on the internet make people like me have to be a little suspicious of posts like this.
Have you considered providing photographic proof that you are the person in the picture, such as providing a photo of you holding a piece of paper that says “Hello Lemmy” with the current date and time on it? Things like that are usually typical when you are proving your identity in a post like this because it allows people to analyze it for signs of photo manipulation. With nothing but a few photos of you in Gaza, it is impossible to tell if it is really you or if someone has stolen those photos and is impersonating you for money.
Assuming that you are the man in the photo, I do want to say how horrible I feel about the genocide happening in your country. Nobody deserves that, and most of the world sees the crimes happening against your people, even if those in power are too cowardly to do anything.
The way that gofundme page is worded and coupled with Soliman’s llm-like writing style… I still wouldn’t trust it. This reeks of scam. Unless they can really produce the pictures you mentioned.
OP did seemingly attempt to send me a photo, but it would not load. I don’t know what to think. I’ve chosen to assume good faith, but I also am not in a position to donate to the GoFundMe. They did say that they posted proof photos to Reddit previously, so if anybody wants to go back into that hellhole to find out, the answer might be there.
