A drawing 6-year-old Ayla made after her home in Gaza was destroyed in an airstrike.

tl;dr: We're raising money for our dear friends: single mother Sara (36) and her kids Rayan (15), Salah (11), and Ayla (6), a family who fled to Egypt in December after their home was destroyed. To escape, which cost an extortive $30K, Sara sold everything she had and incurred massive debts. Sara and her family overstayed their visa in Egypt and couldn't access work, schooling, or healthcare. Because of your generosity, Sara and her kids relocated to Oman, where the kids are finally back in school and the family is enjoying their new life. But they still need support to rebuild, get back on their feet, and establish permanent residency, so they can bring Sara's husband, who is stuck in the West Bank, to Oman, and the kids can be reunited with their father.

More about our campaign:

Before the war, Sara and her children lived in Khan Younis, Gaza. Sara worked as an accountant in a local company. Despite the many challenges of life in Gaza as a single parent, Sara provided for her children and made sure they had good educations and were able to pursue their passions.

Rayan, Salah, and Ayla

Rayan (15) and Salah (11), two excellent students, joined English, football and swimming clubs. Ayla (6), who has never been able to go to school due to the war, is a budding artist who draws to process her feelings.

Another drawing by 6-year-old Ayla

Sara had always dreamed of raising her children in safety and peace. Instead, they have faced constant violence and displacement. Their home in Khan Younis was destroyed in an airstrike, so Sara, Rayan, Salah, and Ayla fled to Rafah and lived in a tent alongside thousands of other refugee families.

Every morning in Rafah, Sara woke up before dawn to trek several kilometers in search of clean water for her family. She spent hours in line each day to get food, and hours scavenging for firewood to keep her family warm despite the harsh winter rain.

When Israel began bombing Rafah, Sara made the difficult decision to flee to Egypt. She sold all of her valuables and borrowed a significant sum of money to pay the extortive $30,000 evacuation fees needed to get her and her children to safety in Egypt.

For almost a year, Sara and her family were stuck in Egypt without residency. Because of their status, Sara’s children were unable to attend school or access public services, they had no healthcare, and Sara couldn't work. The initial plan was to help Sara and her kids get to Jordan and then to America, but their visas were denied without explanation, and now because Trump has ended Humanitarian Parole, moving to the US is no longer possible.

After all of the bureaucracy, Sara successfully obtained temporary visas to relocate to Oman, where she and her kids are now living legally. The 25K that we raised supported them while they were stuck in Egypt and facilitated their relocation to Oman. Sara and her family are so grateful. The kids are finally in school and the family is enjoying their new life in Oman. Sara hopes to find a way to become a permanent resident.

Unfortunately, the process of getting an Omani visa was significantly more expensive than expected. Rent in Oman is higher than it was in Egypt, as is the cost of basic necessities like food and clothing. Sara continues to pay off debts acquired when she left Gaza.

Now, she still needs our help in paying off her debts, paying for basic necessities, and starting the process for permanent residency in Oman.

We are hoping to raise another $10,000 for Sara and her family:

$2,000 - Unexpected visa costs

$2,000 - Debt repayment

$3,000 - Three months’ rent / basic expenses

$3,000 - Legal costs for establishing residency

Sara and her kids have also not yet been reunited with Sara’s husband, who is still trapped in the West Bank. Once they can get back on their feet financially, they hope to find a way to bring him to Oman to live with the family.

Thank you so much for your continued support. Your donations have made it possible for this amazing family to move forward in life and live in safety and peace.

I (Shara) will transfer the money to Sara in Oman.

Despite facing unimaginable challenges and uncertainty, Sara's spirit remains unbroken as she holds onto hope for a better future for her family – a life that will only be possible with your help.