*(THE FUNDS IN THIS CAMPAIGN HAVE ALREADY BEEN SPENT. Every week or every other day we are back at ZERO! There is no money just sitting in the campaign unused. Everything that comes in is sent as soon as possible to Ahmed for survival)*
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Some of you may not know me. I’m @gazanlove on Instagram, and I’m raising funds to support my best friend Ahmed Ftairjy as he survives the ongoing genocide in Gaza and works toward eventual evacuation and stability.
Who Ahmed is
Ahmed is known as “Spiderman of Gaza.” He’s a parkour athlete who has dressed as Spiderman several times in the past to bring joy to children living through unimaginable circumstances. That joy was never for attention — it was simply who he is.
Ahmed is naturally shy and private, but also warm and outgoing once he feels safe. Throughout his life, peers have often been harsh with him, which shaped his need for privacy and dignity. Even now, asking for help is deeply uncomfortable for him.
Despite everything he has endured, Ahmed continues to show up for others.
He once gave money he urgently needed so a displaced family could afford a tarp to sleep under. On another occasion, he saved children from drowning, even while injured himself. Helping others has always been part of who he is.
What Ahmed has endured
On January 4th 2024, Ahmed’s home was airstriked. In one day, he lost his mother, his sister, and over 30 close family members, along with everything he owned. His father survived that day, only to be killed later in the Nuseirat massacre.
During the airstrike, a collapsing roof caused Ahmed to suffer a severe back injury with internal bleeding. It is nothing short of a miracle that Ahmed survived. He continues to live with pain and partial loss of sensation and will need proper medical care once he is able to leave Gaza to prevent long-term damage.
Why support is still needed — now and ongoing
As long as Ahmed remains in Gaza, support is ongoing, not one-time.
He needs continued help for:
Food and daily survival
Shelter, which must be repaired or replaced over time due to strong storms, harsh weather, and the natural breakdown of materials
Medical care when evacuation becomes possible
Evacuation and post-evacuation stability, whenever that door finally opens
Temporary shelter in Gaza does not last. Conditions are extreme, and maintaining basic safety requires consistent support.
About the fundraiser
This fundraiser is currently set at $45,000 and will continue to increase as needs increase and as the genocide is ongoing. Reaching the goal does not mean Ahmed no longer needs support.
Funds are withdrawn weekly (and sometimes more often) and sent directly to cover his needs for that period — food, shelter-related costs, or urgent necessities. Because of this, the total shown on the fundraiser does not reflect money sitting unused. It reflects what Ahmed has needed over time.
Some weeks, donations are enough to meet basic needs. Other weeks, they are not.
Supporting someone in Gaza is not something one person can carry alone. Advocacy requires collective care. For me, sending $1 means spending 3.75 SAR (+ fees it's more like @1=5 SAR), which adds up quickly and has become unsustainable for me to continue covering shortfalls on my own as an unemployed divorced mom with two young kids.
This fundraiser exists so that Ahmed’s survival and future do not rest on one person’s shoulders, but on a community choosing to show up together.
As long as Ahmed remains in Gaza, he will continue to need support — until he is able to leave and stand on his own two feet again.
Thank you for taking the time to read, and for being part of that collective care.
Follow Ahmed’s journey:
https://www.instagram.com/ftairjy_gaza
My Instagram (his advocate):
https://www.instagram.com/gazanlove
Another way to support:
A hoodie dedicated to Ahmed is available here, with proceeds going toward his support:
https://threadsofhope1948.myshopify.com/products/all-over-print-mens-pullover-hoodie-2
