Today, Renad Attalah, Abdulrahman Abu Hattab, Yusuf Abu Hattab, and Ahmed Kouta are HCI Youth Ambassadors, using their voices, creativity, and courage to support their communities in Gaza. Together, they’ve raised over $5M to help families, rebuild homes, and provide food, water, and essential aid, all while spreading hope in the face of immense challenges.
Through HCI, these young leaders are showing that even in the toughest times, youth can lead change and make a real difference for their people.
In 2023, amidst the devastation in Gaza, 9-year-old Renad Attallah received her first HCI aid box. Like many children, her world had been upended by conflict. Schools closed, families displaced, and daily life defined by survival. Yet, in the midst of hardship, Renad’s joy and creativity shone through. She filmed a simple unboxing video of the aid box, bringing hope to thousands who saw her smile and spirit online.
This was the beginning of her journey with HCI. A young girl whose voice rose above the rubble, reminding the world that Gaza’s children still dream.
Today, Renad is not only surviving, she is leading. Now HCI’s youngest Youth Ambassador, Renad’s passion for cooking to inspire others with joyful recipe videos that have captivated Gaza and beyond. But she hasn’t stopped there: Renad has joined HCI in delivering aid directly to families living in tents, turning her story of resilience into action.
From receiving aid to helping distribute it, Renad’s journey reflects the impact of compassion, and the power of a single child to move hearts, raise funds, and bring hope to her community.
Abdulrahman Abu Hattab, just 13 years old, was born in Ajman, near Dubai, and moved to Gaza in September 2021 for school. Life changed dramatically after October 7, when war escalated far beyond what anyone expected. For six months, he lived in a tent, struggling for food, water, and ways to recharge devices.
Determined to share his experience, Abdulrahman documented his journey online, and his honest posts resonated with many, earning him over half a million followers. “Not sure what God has planned for us, but follow our journey,” he says, giving the world a window into the resilience of Gaza’s youth.
_“This is the third time we have evacuated in the past two months…”
— Abdulrahman Abu Hattab, HCI Youth Ambassador
Through repeated evacuations and unimaginable hardship, Abdulrahman’s story is a testament to endurance, hope, and the power of sharing one’s truth.
Yusuf Abu Hattab is a 16-year-old content creator known as @reachyusuf. Born in the UAE, he moved to Gaza in 2021 with his family. He began sharing daily realities from his war-torn surroundings, showing how people in Gaza persevere even when life seems relentless.
Yusuf posts short, honest vlogs: charging his phone in the bitter cold when solar panels fail, walking miles for flour, or capturing rare moments of laughter amid hardship. His style reflects a generation refusing to give in to despair, even when much of the world might expect it.
When borders closed just days before his planned trip to the UAE, Yusuf turned the obstacle into action. He rallied his followers and raised enough money to provide warm clothes for 134 children in Gaza.
Every hurdle, blackout, and blocked crossing became fuel for his creativity and compassion. It is this spirit that he sums up perfectly:
“Every setback propelled me forward 10×.”
— Yusuf Abu Hattab, HCI Youth Ambassador
In a world eager to define what a 16-year-old should be doing, worrying about grades or college, Yusuf is redefining it entirely. His setbacks did not stop him. They amplified him. Through his lens, he is reminding the world of Gaza’s unbreakable spirit.
When Ahmed Kouta, a Canadian-Palestinian nurse, arrived in Gaza in September 2023, it was supposed to be for his Master’s thesis. But just weeks later, war broke out and his life changed completely.
For eight months, Ahmed worked in Gaza’s overwhelmed hospitals, treating the wounded under constant threat of airstrikes. He saw hundreds of funerals a day, children fighting for their lives, families torn apart. “Nine times we were directly targeted by airstrikes,” he recalled. “If it wasn’t for God’s plan, I would have been injured or dead.”
Through it all, Ahmed became more than a nurse. To many, he was an angel in scrubs, saving lives, offering comfort, and sharing Gaza’s story with the world.
“Not all angels have wings, some have stethoscopes.”
— Ahmed Kouta, HCI Gaza Ambassador
His words capture what he lived: that courage and compassion can shine, even in the darkest places