An immigrant couple who came to the nation’s capital looking to live the American Dream is reeling after the gas explosion in Anacostia that leveled their convenience store.
On Jan. 18, there was a gas explosion in the 1200 block of Marion Barry Avenue that led to the destruction of Ishaq Hussen’s Danakil Convenience Store and left other nearby businesses with severe damage.
The explosion “left behind only rubble and despair” for the family, according to well-wishers, who have set up a fundraising campaign on their behalf as they hope to build back up.
“This resilient family, consisting of a loving couple and their four children, has faced immense challenges,” they wrote. “The husband, having lost his hospitality job due to the impact of COVID-19, poured his efforts into making Danakil Convenience Store their sole source of income.
“Despite the hardships, they persevered, working tirelessly seven days a week to provide for their family.”
According to organizers of the fundraiser, the family lost not only their business, but left them in a state of uncertainty as they hope to rise from the ashes like a Phoenix.