How Damira and Aamna Launched Hoops4Hope in Qatar to Send Crucial Aid to Gazans

From the court to the cause

Damira and Aamna met at school in Doha and had been playing basketball together for two years before they joined Ámaxa. When they were placed in a cohort focused on Gaza Champions — one of Ámaxa's partner nonprofits delivering aid in Gaza — they knew immediately what kind of project they wanted to build.

Hoops4Hope was a one-day charity basketball tournament, open to student teams across Doha. Entry fees went directly to the Gaza Champions aid fund. Damira handled logistics and sponsorship; Aamna ran communications and player recruitment. Within three weeks, they had eight teams signed up and two local businesses covering venue costs.

Game day — and what came after

The tournament drew over 150 spectators — far more than either of them expected. "We thought maybe thirty people would show up," Damira says. "We ran out of chairs." The energy on the day was something neither of them had anticipated: people who came for the basketball stayed because they cared about the cause.

Hoops4Hope raised $6,200 in a single day. All of it went to Gaza Champions for emergency food and medical supply distribution. Aamna says the number still surprises her: "We started with a group chat and a Google Form. I don't think either of us really believed it would turn into something real until it was."