Shining a light: case studies of real people we help.

For almost a year now, we have spoken about the struggles women, children and men in Gaza are facing. From escaping with their lives, losing family members, limbs or being imprisoned. The challenges they have been facing are unimaginable and have not been made easy. The people of Gaza face a new struggle—survival.

We would like to just focus on women in this post as we strive to see life through their lens and see how SWAN are trying to work on these issues. Every day is a battle to maintain dignity in an environment that offers little in return. Their silent stories reveal the tremendous hardship of hygiene struggles, nursing hungry babies, and taking care of orphans, all while living in constant fear of what tomorrow might bring.

The Hygiene Crisis

For women in the camps, maintaining basic hygiene has become a daily challenge. The shortage of clean water amplifies this issue, leaving families to ration what little they have for cooking, drinking, and washing. Bathing becomes a rare luxury, with makeshift sanitation facilities that are barely functional, diseases spread quickly. For mothers with newborns, the lack of clean water for bathing or diaper changing adds yet another layer of difficulty.

Nursing Without Eating

Perhaps the most heartbreaking struggle for women is trying to nurse their babies while suffering from hunger themselves. In Gaza’s camps, many mothers go days without eating enough food. Yet, they somehow manage to breastfeed their children, offering their own bodies as a lifeline while feeling their energy drain away.

This selflessness is a story echoed throughout the camps, where women continuously sacrifice their own well-being for the sake of their children. They know the bitter reality that there is no certainty of when the next meal will come, and yet, they remain strong.

Nursing Orphans: A New Responsibility

Among the many displaced are children who have lost their parents in the conflict. Orphaned and alone, these children find solace in the arms of women who step up to care for them, despite their own families' suffering. These women, often already struggling to feed and nurse their own children, take in these orphans and nurse them as if they were their own. 

For these women, the bond of motherhood extends beyond blood. They embody a powerful resilience, embracing the role of caregiver and protector for those left behind by the conflict.

Beyond the immediate struggles of hunger and hygiene, there is the constant weight of fear. Every sound, every shadow, every moment is tainted by the worry that danger could strike again. The trauma of losing homes, family members, and friends lingers in their hearts, but these women continue on. 

The camps may provide temporary shelter, but they cannot offer peace of mind. Life in these crowded spaces is rife with tension, uncertainty, and grief. Yet, these women endure, their courage a quiet but powerful testament to the human spirit’s ability to persist even in the darkest of times.

In the refugee camps of Gaza, women are more than survivors—they are the pillars holding their families and communities together. Their stories of sacrifice, strength, and resilience deserve to be heard. 

In the shadow of war and displacement, these women shine as quiet warriors, refusing to give up in the face of overwhelming adversity. They carry the weight of the world on their shoulders and yet continue to rise, each day pushing forward for the sake of their children, their families, and their future. They are standing strong amidst this all and not wavering in their faith. As they take on the care of children that aren’t theirs, and make homes of tattered tents while also growing up under the occupation since 1948.

But their strength does not lessen their need for support. They need the world to stand with them—to provide the basic necessities of life and a path towards healing and peace.

SWAN have multiple projects in Gaza. This includes: 

In North Gaza: 

• Weekly Water Tankers 
• Solar powered well Building 
• Nursing Mothers Monthly Food pack

In Southern Gaza: 

• Weekly Water Tankers
• Essential aid of food parcels
• Field Hospital in Khan Younis
• Monthly grant support for 20 extremely vulnerable families in the form of grants to cover food, medicine and other costs. 

We need funds to continue these projects and deliver them. These projects tackle: hunger, thirst, hygiene, medical needs, and feeding babies. This is the time to help, this is how we can help from across the world.