In a deeply moving dialogue on her podcast, “Amani On Air,” Muslim Girl founder Amani sits with her cousin Saja Al Weshahi — a designer, photographer, and podcaster, to share insights into her recent trip to Egypt, where she’s been working with Isa Inspires to support displaced Palestinian families.
Here are a few key points that really hit home in this episode:
As a Palestinian woman who deeply values the sanctity of the mother-daughter bond, Amani has set her mind to connecting the children of these displaced Palestinian families upon her arrival to Egypt, where she saw firsthand how the trauma of genocide has aged their young souls in truly unimaginable ways.
One of the policies with this organization when we met up with the children is [that we] do not bring up or ask them what they’ve been through because like they’re here for therapy. They’re here for healing.
This is a powerful reminder for us that, for these children, healing is not tied to reliving their pain but rather to reclaiming their lives in small, meaningful ways.
Got a Minute?
Join Muslim Girl’s mission to deliver urgent humanitarian aid to Palestinian families in Gaza.
Having been stripped of the most essential elements of childhood — safety, play, stability, displaced Palestinian children in Egypt hold onto whatever fragments of life and happiness they can find. For these young ones, contentment is found not in grand gestures, but in simple acts of kindness and the chance to feel safe.
Through the way that they were carrying themselves, it was like they were very aware of the gaze that was on them. … They have to carry themselves in a certain way, or they keep up a certain image, and that was pretty heartbreaking for me. Kids should just be kids.
At this point, Amani opens up about how heart-wrenching it is to witness these children, who should’ve felt entitled to recount their stories with no filter, were feeling coerced into adopting behaviors and postures that would project resilience, composure, or even strength — all to manage the expectations and scrutiny placed upon them from the rest of the world.
Right now, we’re raising money with Isa Inspires, the donations of which are going straight towards these families and these kids that I’ve had the chance to meet out here.
Raising money for charity organizations like Isa Inspires is not just about providing immediate relief, but about creating opportunities for these families to heal and rebuild their futures, both physically and emotionally.
Amani’s involvement in this mission speaks volumes about her commitment to connecting people and more specifically Muslim Girl readers to causes that truly matter and ensuring that their generosity reaches the families in need.
Want to know the ins and outs of Amani’s humanitarian trip to Egypt? Listen to the full episode.
