A plea for humanity: Gaza to Canada

Hello, my name is Carolina Vergara Lamarre.

For those that don’t know me personally, I am a Mexican-Canadian who grew up in Ottawa, Canada. I have spent the last 15 years serving in contexts of forced displacement in different countries and capacities, most recently with the UN. I am always learning, and humbled by the experiences that others teach me - it's more than I could ever learn in any school.

I'm also a mom of three wonderful kids. And above all, I have always had one steadfast value to instill in my children - that of being aware of the struggles of others, to have empathy, and when possible to stand up for those who cannot and to extend our hearts and hands. To not stay silent.

Over the course of my professional life , I have met wonderful colleagues who have since become dear friends, many of them also forcibly displaced either as refugees or internally displaced persons. Each time I move on to the next duty station, they stay in my heart as I contemplate my own privilege to move so freely, simply due to where I was born and the passport I hold.

Mustafa is one these friends. I met Mustafa in Gaza while he was working as an IT specialist for UNRWA’s education department. Mustafa has years of experience in the field of IT.

We became fast friends and continued to stay in touch even after I left UNRWA, celebrating life’s milestones together, including the birth of his youngest son, obtaining a master’s degree in computing and information Systems at Al Azhar University in Gaza (which sadly has been destroyed) .....

and transitioning to a new job at UNICEF. We have shared stories about our families, our successes, our challenges, and our hopes for our lives despite having such different freedoms and rights.

Flash forward to 2023 and now sadly I, and a group of professionals, write to you with heavy hearts, seeking support for Mustafa and his family who have faced unimaginable challenges in Gaza over the years but most particularly over the last two months. We are working to find Mustafa an employment opportunity in Canada to assist in the immigration process and to support the family’s transition to Canada.

It is vital to note that there are currently significant legal and documentation challenges for Palestinians seeking refuge in other countries. They do not always obtain the same documentation when fleeing as refugees, that are afforded to refugees of other nationalities. At the moment, unless you have dual citizenship, are critically injured or possess a visa to travel abroad, leaving Gaza is extremely challenging. As a result, we are consulting with immigration and refugee lawyers to determine the best way for Mustafa and his family to safely leave Gaza and seek refuge in Canada.

Imagine a life where you and your loved ones endure the suffering under occupation and the horrors of war for more than one generation. Their eldest child, only 13, has lived through eruptions of violence in 2012, 2014, 2021, and the most recent bombings and attacks over the last 2 months in 2023. I can’t imagine my own son, Mazen, who is only one year older, living through this type of fear. Like Mustafa, I would do anything to change the reality and give my children the best chances of a future life, without the constant threat of death and destruction. As the rest of us go about our daily lives, this family is grappling with the trauma and scars that come with living under occupation.

The entire family is now displaced from their home in Gaza city, having moved south, yet sadly nowhere is safe in the Gaza strip anymore.

Mustafa continues to try to still work and support his colleagues, who in turn are supporting other displaced Palestine refugees in Gaza, when he has the internet and is not lining up for fuel and food.

Despite their desperate wishes for the situation in Gaza to improve, Mustafa and Fatma find themselves trapped in a situation that denies them and their children the fundamental right to live in safety and security. The privilege many of us take for granted – the right to movement, citizenship, peace. Their children, like thousands of Palestinian children, are now also denied their right to education as UNRWA schools, like the one Mustafa's children used to attend and that I used to visit while supporting teachers and school principals to delivery high quality basic education, are now used as shelters or have already been destroyed.

Mustafa and Fatma, are determined to break this cycle of suffering and provide a life of peace, stability, and opportunity for their four children. Mustafa, who holds a master’s degree in computer sciences, has been an IT specialist with the UN for well over a decade. His skills and experience have been instrumental in contributing to global humanitarian efforts on the ground in Gaza.

We assume that the majority of those who will be reading this are fortunate to live in a country that champions human rights, compassion, and diversity. It is our duty to extend our hands to those in need, to offer refuge to those fleeing conflict and seeking a chance at a better life. This is an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to make a tremendous impact for one family. It does make a difference. You can make all the difference.

Every donation, no matter how small, is a statement that as a community, we stand united in the face of adversity and extend our hands to those who seek refuge. Your generosity will not only change the lives of Mustafa, Fatma, and their four children but will also reaffirm the compassionate spirit that defines humanity.

For Mustafa, it is quite difficult to accept the fact that this time, he must rely on and seek help from others to provide a more secure future for his children. At the time of writing, more than 15,000 Palestinian civilians have been killed due to relentless bombing and airstrikes (nearly half being children) in Gaza. We hope you will join us in supporting Mustafa and his family to give them the opportunity of a new beginning in a place where they can live in safety.

We are looking to fundraise an initial amount of CAD 15, 000 to cover initial legal and administrative costs , including a retainer amount, to begin the legal processes associated with their eventual relocation to Canada.

Your donations will be deposited in my Canadian Bank Account through which I will be paying the associated legal fees. For those in Canada, you can also send me an e-transfer to my email if you prefer. I will be creating a separate account to manage this work.

We will be accountable to your donations by:

• Providing progress updates on exactly how the funds are spent every month.

• Should you wish, you can be added to an email group where we pool our various expertise together (legal, communications, knowledge of context of Palestine refugee context, our respective networks to seek advocacy and like-minded groups) - please write to me. Our group is small, and we would still welcome help from anyone who might know about similar opportunities and especially jobs in the IT sector – I can share Mustafa’s CV as he has given me permission.

• Should the funds prove unnecessary at any point, I agree to reimburse the difference to every person.

Thank you for taking the time to read this far. For those that know me well, I hope you will trust me and know that this is an endeavor that is close to my heart, but I cannot achieve it alone.

Please help us use our positions of privilege to give a once in a lifetime opportunity to this Palestinian family.

It is something I have always instilled in my children - to learn how to use their respective levels of privilege to recognise, and then stand up and fight against the oppression of others, of those that cannot do so solely by themselves. To be humble but steadfast allies that do not tell their stories louder than the voices of the oppressed, but yet do not remain silent either.

Thank you for reading me this far.

In solidarity,

carolina

P.s all photos have been shared with permission. For security and privacy reasons, pictures of the full family including the children are not shared.