Who we are

ByGazansForGazans is the creation of Mohammed Ayyad, a young Palestinian man living in the Gaza Strip, and founder of the Gaza Food Relief Project.

His siblings, nieces, and nephews create artwork that reflects their lived experiences under genocide—expressing not just pain, but also resilience, hope, and a deep love for the land they belong to.

These t-shirts were created in collaboration with friends abroad as a way to bring the Ayyad family’s creations to life, sharing their art with a wider public and offering a tangible way to stand in solidarity.

Every purchase helps sustain their care work on the ground in Gaza.

A group of children and an adult with food parcels in blue bags, holding a sign about the Gaza Food Relief Project, dated 2025/01/15.

Meet the Ayyad Family

Mohammed, born in 2005, is one of eight siblings. He lives in Gaza with his large extended family, including eight young nieces and nephews. In late October 2023, their home in the northeastern part of the Gaza Strip was destroyed due to an Israeli airstrike.

Since the violence escalated, the Ayyad family has been forced to flee repeatedly, moving from one overcrowded shelter to another. Like many in Gaza, they’ve gone over a year without reliable access to food, clean water, or medical care.

Despite everything, they continue to show up for each other and their community. Through their art and mutual aid work, the Ayyads are a powerful example of love, integrity, and resilience.

If you’d like to support the Ayyad family with their personal survival needs, please donate to their GoFundMe here.

A child holding a Palestinian flag amidst rubble and destroyed buildings under a cloudy sky.
Two young children sitting in a festive setting with wrapped gifts, a decorated Christmas tree, and illuminated background.
Child holding drawing with flags and characters, colored with oil pastels.
Young man in graduation attire with a black gown and blue stripes, wearing a keffiyeh scarf, standing in a decorated room with chairs and curtains.
A man crouching on a sandy beach with two young boys, both wearing red sweaters, and the ocean visible in the background.
Two young boys playing in shallow ocean water, smiling and enjoying the waves.
A young child wearing a dress with strawberry patterns and red bows in their hair, standing indoors with a neutral background.
A young man with short curly hair wearing a black T-shirt with 'BOSS' print, standing indoors against a neutral background with curtains.
A smiling baby in a white outfit with a red bow tie sitting by a window with a patterned metal grill, with a blurred outdoor background.
Two girls holding colorful drawings, standing in a casual setting.

THE GAZA FOOD RELIEF PROJECT

The Gaza Food Relief Project is a grassroots initiative founded by Mohammed Ayyad and his older brother Tareq, father of four. What began as a small effort to cook and share meals with displaced families has grown into a vital source of support for hundreds of people in central Gaza.

Since the early days of the siege, they’ve been distributing essential goods— food packages, water trucks, diapers, children’s clothing, and other necessities—to displaced families across central Gaza.

The project runs entirely on local coordination and individual donations. It’s a direct, person-to-person response to the humanitarian crisis, rooted in care, trust, and a commitment to keeping each other alive. And it’s thanks to donations like yours that this work is possible,

Child in green hoodie making a heart shape with hands in front of a group of children, with bags of food on the ground. Text: 'Gaza Food Relief Project 11/03/2025.' Logo: Gaza Food Relief Project.
A young man kneeling, holding a sign for a bread distribution project in Al-Shuja'iya, Gaza, surrounded by bags of bread and children in the background. The sign mentions support from KU Students for Justice in Palestine and the Gaza Food Relief Project.
Food parcels with assorted items like cooking oil, tea, and canned goods are displayed on a floor. A sign reads "Food Parcel Distribution Project in Ramadan" for the Gaza Food Relief Project, dated March 13, 2025.
A young girl in a yellow hoodie holding a bag of food items and a sign that reads "Food parcels were provided to 10 families thanks to your support for the Gaza Food Relief Project. 2025/01/15."
Group of children and a young man with food parcels from Gaza Food Relief Project, holding a sign about food distribution.
A smiling child in an orange sweater holding a blue bag of supplies, with text "Gaza Food Relief Project 13/03/2025.", and a logo for the Gaza Food Relief Project.
Two young children sitting outdoors, one holding a sign for a water supply project in North Gaza during Ramadan, with details about the event and donation information.