We Are Not Numbers

In “Unspoken Goodbyes,” Yusuf El-Mbayed wrote about loss that arrived without farewell.

Through photos saved on his phone, he revisited moments with his cousins, late nights filled with laughter, shared meals, and small routines that once made life feel whole. These images became more than memories; they became the only place where those moments still exist.

Mohammed, Saleem, and Rami were not only family, they were companions in survival. They were killed before Yusuf could see them again.

Now, Yusuf returns to their photos, holding onto what remains: laughter frozen in time, memories that refuse to fade, and words he never had the chance to say.

Read the full story — link in bio.

https://wearenotnumbers.org/unspoken-goodbyes/

In A Surprise Graduation Party for Lina, Nada Abdel Karim Hamdona wrote about creating joy when almost nothing was available.

She told the story of her cousin Lina, who completed five demanding years at the Faculty of Pharmacy at Al-Azhar University—only to realize that even a graduation gown was out of reach during war. With campuses destroyed and resources scarce, Lina chose silence over celebration, carrying her disappointment quietly.

This story reminded us that even in the middle of devastation, people still make space for milestones. That joy does not disappear, it adapts, survives, and finds its way back through care, memory, and love.

Read the full story — link in bio.

In A Soul Burning With Hope, Soha Diab wrote about her nephew Ahmed Abu Hasira, a man who carried his dreams across borders, only to have them cut short by war.

This story traced Ahmed’s final days, from refusing to flee his home alone, to being injured and hospitalized at Al-Shifa Medical Complex, where he lost both legs and, days later, his life. He died far from his family, listening to his children’s voices through a phone, holding onto hope until his last breath.

This piece is about exile, love, and the cruelty of interrupted futures. About a father who became a memory before he could become a presence again, and about children left asking questions no one can answer.

Read the full story — link in bio.

https://wearenotnumbers.org/a-soul-burning-with-hope/