When a Note Gets Buried, I Have to Write an Article Instead

Substack kept suppressing my Notes about Shrooq Ahmed. A mother of five in Gaza cannot afford to be hidden.

I did not plan to write an article today. I planned to write a Note. A simple, urgent Note asking people to help a displaced mother in Gaza feed her five children. But Substack barely showed it to anyone. The impressions were abnormally low. The reach was almost nonexistent. It felt like the post was being smothered the moment it went up.

This keeps happening whenever I write about Palestinians. Every space they try to speak through gets dimmed or buried. It is exhausting to watch. It is infuriating to experience. And it is cruel, because the people who need visibility the most are the ones being pushed into silence.

So I am writing this article because the Notes were not allowed to breathe. I am writing it because Shrooq cannot afford for her story to disappear.

Who Shrooq Is

Shrooq Ahmed is a displaced mother living in Gaza with her husband and five children. Their home was bombed. They now live in a rented apartment they can barely afford. She is four months pregnant and malnourished. She is fighting a stomach infection and nerve damage. She is trying to keep her unborn child alive in a body that is starving.

Her children are:

- Jihad, 13, who suffers from a fractured thigh muscle and hearing loss. He has already undergone two failed surgeries.

- Mayar, 11.

- Jude, 8.

- Ghina, 6.

- Adam, 2, who needs orthopedic shoes and diapers.

Her husband, Ahmed, has a fractured jaw held together with metal plates. He also suffers from chronic asthma and a slipped disc. He needs daily painkillers and inhalers.

There is no stable income. Rent is 500 shekels a month. They are behind on payments. Food is scarce. Clean water is scarce. Medical care is almost nonexistent.

What She Said

"We are worn down by pain and hunger. I try to stay strong for my children, but I am crumbling inside. All I want is for them to eat, to feel a little warmth, to not suffer through Ramadan."

She had previously posted:

"I am pregnant and weak. I am terrified that one day we will be kicked out onto the street."

Her words are not exaggerations. They are the daily reality of a family pushed to the edge.

What She Needs Right Now

- Food for the children as Ramadan approaches

- Diapers for Adam

- Orthopedic shoes for Adam

- Medications for her husband

- Medications for herself

- Nutritional support during pregnancy

- Clean water and basic hygiene items

- Rent assistance to avoid eviction

The goal is $400. Enough for meals, basic supplies, and a small measure of relief.

Why I Had to Write This

I posted the Note yesterday. Then I posted a follow up. Then I asked people to share it. Hours passed and not a single donation came in, which is highly unusual from this beautiful community. Finally, a generous person donated £10. The Note barely reached anyone. It was not normal for my account. It was not an accident. It felt like suppression.

I wrote:

"Idky Substack keeps suppressing these notes I make for Palestinians. Haven't they suffered enough? Every space they try to speak through gets smothered. I hate this world. This note is barely getting any impressions, which is not normal for me."

I am frustrated because this is not about engagement. It is about survival. A mother begging for help should not be buried by an algorithm. A family in crisis should not be made invisible.

So here I am, writing an article because the platform would not let a Note do its job.

A Final Ask

If you can donate, please do. If you cannot, sharing matters. Engagement matters. Visibility matters. It helps her story reach someone who can help.

Donation link:

chuffed.org/project/shrooqahmed

A little mercy can go a long way. And right now, mercy is all this family has left to hope for.

If you would like to get in touch with Shrooq, you can do so through Twitter. Her handle: @shrooqahme25931