Orphaned by violence: Amna Aash’s journey with the Sunflower Association

Young orphan Amna Aash shares her story and how the Sunflower Association has provided relief for her and her siblings after her mother's murder, according to a statement recently released by the organization.

The Sunflower Association, a nonprofit organization, supports and provides welfare for orphans while fostering political, social, and mental change in their lives.

The association released a statement from Amna Aash, a 10-year-old orphan from Jisr az-Zarqa, Israel. In it, she recounts the harrowing story of her mother’s murder and her father’s domestic abuse.

On Friday, June 24, Amna returned from school to find police at the entrance of her house in Jisr az-Zarqa. That day, Amna and her siblings were taken by their uncle, who temporarily housed them until welfare and social services intervened.

Soumya, Amna’s mother, was a victim of domestic violence. Her murder was initially concealed from Amna to shield her from the trauma. However, during the funeral, Amna noticed bruises on her mother’s body, realizing that her death was not due to heat stroke, as she had been told. Instead, “It was my father’s hammer blows that took the most precious thing from me and left me and my siblings motherless,” Amna said in the statement.

“There is no way to explain the feeling of loss that resulted in me and my siblings becoming orphans,” she said, adding that the violence “will continue to take the lives of many more women and leave many children without the most significant figure in their lives.”

Amna recalled previous incidents of abuse, describing how her father’s violent behavior often targeted her and her siblings. “I myself was a victim of his beatings,” she said. Soumya, she explained, was their protector: “There was a lioness mother who fought for us and ultimately had to pay with her life to ensure us a different future.”

According to Amna, her father’s behavior worsened after he lost his job. “He was a control freak, treated us like servants,” she said. Leading up to the murder, his mood deteriorated, creating a “bad atmosphere,” Amna shared.

After their mother’s murder, Amna and her siblings moved in with their grandmother and other relatives. Despite the support, Amna said, “I share a lot of my pain and thoughts with friends and family, but the feeling is that despite all the honest and sincere attempts, they cannot understand the extent of the pain and lack.”

“We didn’t just lose our mother; we lost our childhood, our resilience, and our security,” she said. Amna now finds herself taking on a maternal role for her younger siblings. “I miss the girl I was before the incident,” she added.

Amna also expressed her disappointment in society and the state for failing to support her family adequately. “Despite all the means at their disposal, they failed to ensure our future,” she said.

Amna found solace at the Sunflower Association’s center in Jisr az-Zarqa, where she connected with other children facing similar circumstances. “I feel that I am not alone,” she said.

“Today, I understand that I have the ability to receive assistance, move forward, deal with the pain of the past, and at the same time gain tools to be strong and independent so that I can live a better life and provide this for my siblings,” she said about the association’s impact.

Despite the tragedy, Amna remains optimistic. She dreams of becoming a painter and of one day raising children of her own to “pass on values of love and respect.”

“I wish for myself and all of us a world where no more women, girls, and children will experience what my siblings and I went through,” she concluded.

From the Sunflower Association

“For over a decade, I have been working in the welfare field and currently manage the Arab Society Division at the Sunflower Association. We provide professional guidance, rehabilitation assistance, and a safe haven for these orphans,” said Dr. Baka Moasa, director of the Arab Society Division.

“In our activity centers, spread from Nazareth to Rahat, the children meet others their age who have lost a parent under various circumstances. Together, they talk about the loss, share feelings, and gain tools to return to life. Every time I visit one of the centers and see the children’s progress, I feel a great sense of mission. This is my attempt to break the cycle of bloodshed and promise a different future for the younger generation,” Moasa said.

“At Sunflower, we provide life-saving assistance, allowing these children to return to full and productive lives. But it is not enough—alongside raising awareness and continuing the fight in the Knesset for the rights of these children, we must accompany them with dedicated programs in various Arab communities and increase the unique assistance provided so that every child whose parent was murdered will receive our support,” said Hadar Kess, CEO and founder of the Sunflower Association.

Of all murder victims in Israel, 75% are from the Arab community. This accounts for 213 murders in 2024, leaving behind hundreds of orphaned children. Among them, 21 women were murdered due to domestic violence, leaving 25 orphaned children without adequate support, according to Sunflower Association statistics.