About Us
Balady Amana: My Homeland, My Responsibility
Balady began as a one-woman initiative by our founder, Layla Assaf, who initially provided financial support to friends and family in Gaza. This personal effort grew after the October bombings, as more families faced severe hardships and the cost of basic necessities skyrocketed due to the war. Recognizing the increasing need, Layla expanded her mission into a nonprofit organization to raise additional funds and provide more comprehensive support. With help from her daughter Seiham and friends Rayan and Saga, Layla officially established Balady—a charity dedicated to serving the most vulnerable in Gaza: orphans, widows, the elderly, and people with disabilities.
As word spread, more families sought help, and Balady’s mission expanded. Today, we provide direct aid to over 60 families in Gaza, with our outreach growing daily. What began as a single-person effort has blossomed into a community-driven initiative. Balady is run entirely by volunteers who are passionate about supporting Gaza’s people.
Since our inception, we have raised awareness and funds by baking bread and designing tote bags and shirts, which we share at local mosques and events every Friday. As we say, “We share a piece of Gaza with the community, and the community shares love with Gaza.” Even in the face of adversity, our Palestinian spirit endures.
Balady Amana: My Homeland, My Responsibility
As word spread, more families sought help, and Balady’s mission expanded. Today, we provide direct aid to over 60 families in Gaza, with our outreach growing daily. What began as a single-person effort has blossomed into a community-driven initiative. Balady is run entirely by volunteers who are passionate about supporting Gaza’s people.
Since our inception, we have raised awareness and funds by baking bread and designing tote bags and shirts, which we share at local mosques and events every Friday. As we say, “We share a piece of Gaza with the community, and the community shares love with Gaza.” Even in the face of adversity, our Palestinian spirit endures
Our Mission
At Balady, our mission is to help rebuild the lives of displaced Palestinians. We aim to empower Gazans and restore a sense of normalcy in their daily lives. Our focus is on providing essential support, especially to the children of Gaza, who are most in need.
Our Values
Balady values transparency and impact. We guarantee that 100% of donations go directly to the cause, with all operational expenses covered by personal contributions. Every penny makes a tangible difference on the ground in Gaza. Monthly reports tracking our efforts are shared with donors to ensure accountability and trust.
Our Goals
Our goal is to meet the basic needs of every Gazan family in need and expand our efforts to not only provide immediate aid but also create opportunities for families to support themselves and build their futures independently.
Timeline
The Balady Charity initiative was launched. We held our first tabling event in the East Bay, raising funds for Gaza projects through the sale of specially designed Palestine-themed tote bags. This event marked the beginning of our mission to support and uplift Gazan communities affected by the crisis.
In just two months, Balady expanded rapidly, with volunteers tabling at events all over the Bay Area. Our efforts grew beyond financial support to include water and meal distributions, serving over 200 displaced Gazans in multiple camps.
Focusing on the most vulnerable, Balady collaborated with colleagues in a specialized camp in Deir al-Balah to support orphaned children and children of martyrs and widows. We also introduced biweekly children’s wellness events, alongside ongoing food distributions, to bring comfort and care to the youth of Gaza.
Balady established its first official office in Gaza, enabling more specialized support for the community. This milestone allowed us to launch a special needs program, offering financial assistance for emergency medical expenses in addition to our broader community efforts.
Timeline
Our first tabling events featured specially designed Palestine-themed tote bags, created to raise awareness for our cause. This event marked the official launch of our mission to support and uplift impacted Gazan communities
The Balady project has rapidly expanded in less than three months, with volunteers tabling at nearly every mosque in the Bay Area
Every Thursday night, Layla and the girls would bake Palestinian goods to share with the community at Friday prayers, bringing a little love from Gaza to everyone.