In December 2023, after watching with horror the October 7 attacks and the subsequent war between Israel and Hamas, Duke neurosurgeon David Hasan, MD joined a team of physicians on the first medical mission to Gaza.
The experience affected Hasan deeply, particularly the toll of the humanitarian crisis on children. At the time, the United Nations estimated some 17,000 were unaccompanied or separated from their parents. He joined a second mission in April 2024, vowing on his return to do everything he could to help. In the media and in speaking engagements at universities, he began sharing his vision for building a village that could house, feed, teach and care for Gaza’s orphans.
After more than a year of work to rally volunteers, donors and partners, Hasan’s efforts are having an impact. In late July, his group opened the Academy of Hope, a school and feeding center in the city of Deir al-Balah. Its supporters include chef and humanitarian José Andres, founder of World Central Kitchen, which is providing the school’s meals. The group has also taken over a nearby shelter medical clinic and augmented the small staff with telehealth services through a network of physicians around the world. Efforts are underway to import baby formula and other foodstuffs amid signs of famine.