My heart is heavy as I share my story with you. My name is Malek Muhammad Janina, a 29-year-old graduate of Gaza University from Gaza City's Shuja'iyya neighborhood. I grew up in a modest, educated family, filled with memories of my five brothers and a sister in our small, loving home.
Struggling against poverty and unemployment in Gaza, I set off to Turkey in 2022, hoping to find a way to support my family. Two weeks after arriving in Istanbul, a glimmer of hope appeared when my son, Bahr, was born—a symbol of life's hardships and my determination.
Working tirelessly for low pay, my heart ached for my family's well-being. Every penny I earned was a testament to my unwavering commitment to provide for our basic needs. But my world crumbled when my wife revealed her pregnancy, and we faced the reality of unaffordable medical expenses due to my status as a tourist in Turkey.
A brief moment of peace came in Gaza, where I cherished time with my family amid uncertain times. However, the horrors of war soon tore through our lives, leaving us with pain, despair, and irreplaceable loss.
On that tragic day of 11/7/2023, a part of me broke with the loss of my dear father, a beacon of kindness and love. His death left a deep void, worsened by my brother Ahmed's serious injuries that required urgent medical care abroad—a difficult journey tainted by the harsh realities of human indifference.
Every day that went by, the wounds of war cut deeper, tearing apart my soul and leaving me lost in a whirlpool of doubt. In a world filled with chaos and pain, I felt like a fragile being, struggling to piece together the fragments of a life shattered by battle and turmoil.
In the midst of the deafening silence that wrapped around my existence, I was reminded of the agonising truth—a truth that echoed through the cries of countless innocent souls trapped in the turmoil of injustice and conflict.
Through my words, I am not seeking pity but understanding—a plea to a world that seems immune to our pain, to reclaim what little is left of my broken spirit. This is my plea, a whisper in the shadows of despair: Save what is left of me, a soul haunted by the echoes of a life ravaged by war.
With so many untold stories like Malek's, we strive to raise awareness and support families in need. When you purchase the Limited Comic Box, you contribute to this cause. ALL PROFITS from this initiative will be donated to the MATW Project
