News from Tuesday's Child Charity - helping children in areas like Gaza and Bosnia-Herzegovina

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An interview with Dima’s Father

Dima

Dima is 5 yrs old and the second youngest of my 7 children. She is a beautiful little girl, so gentle and so loving. We live in Beit Lahia in Northern Gaza. On the 10th day of the war, she went to visit my brother’s house to see her cousins. It is just around the corner.

Less than an hour later, all at once, bombs from F16s exploded through our neighbourhood. All of the windows smashed in our house and the noise was deafening. They seemed to be all around us and I knew in my heart little Dima was in danger. I rushed to my brother’s house, I knew she was there. I searched everywhere and could not find her and then I saw her hand in the pile of rubble. I picked her up and blood was pouring from her head, it was everywhere and I could not stop it.

I wrapped her in a blanket. It was impossible to believe. One of my other daughters was badly hurt in the UN school during a bombing raid and many children were killed. I could not take it in. Now, not one, but two of my beautiful girls badly hurt within hours. What did they do to deserve this? Why do they hate us so much to want to kill little children? Kill me if you must, but not my children!

I came here to the Palestinian hospital in Cairo with both of them in an ambulance as they needed special surgery. I have been here now 40 days. My older daughter is much better and so she has returned home to be with her mother. But little Dima is still very ill. She is in a coma and at the back of her head there is a big hole where if you look you can see her brains.

My wife is at home, although we have no home now, everything is in rubble. She is there with the children including our 4 month old baby son. He is sick too, there was so little food and water for the months before the war. I have no job, no money, no house and my children are so ill. What future is there for my children? Yet I am luckier than others. Many people I know have lost children. Some whole families been killed.

Translated from interview with Dima’s father. the Palestinian hospital, Cairo.
Photo of Dima by kind permission.

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Country Spotlight: Democratic Republic of Congo... The recent civil war in eastern DRC has devastated many aspects of life and children are among those most affected. A population size equivalent to that of Ireland, north and south, died either through direct conflict or displacement. Mulongo is a school catering for about 2000 children. The school is one of many decimated during the war. It needs rebuilt and basic school supplies and a playground facility with better salaries to retain underpaid teachers. The Active Christian Evangelism (ACE) Group, lead by Dr Graham Fry, is funding the project; more funds are needed. Other areas in needs are feeding programmes, health promotion programmes and support of a new maternity hospital. Find out more about the Countries we help...