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A Second Chance for Salam's Family in Egypt

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Hello,

I am Salam Herzallah, and I am the mother of two daughters and a son: Muhammad, who is 7 years old, Salma, who is 5 years old, and Sara, who is one year old. I used to work occasionally as a mathematics teacher when opportunities arose before the Israeli aggression on Gaza. My husband, Tawfiq Herzallah, aged 33, works as a secretary at the Islamic University.


Our primary focus is on raising, educating, and caring for our children. Three years ago, my husband pursued a master’s degree with the goal of improving our living conditions and providing a better life for our children. However, since the onset of the war on Gaza, we have lost our means of livelihood.


On October 13, the Israeli occupation forced me and my family to evacuate our home in Gaza City. Leaving behind our eight years of cherished memories in our home, we embarked on a journey into uncertainty. As I reminisced about our home. Me and my husband had recently furnished a new bedroom for our children.




We were displaced to Khan Yunis, as mandated by the Israeli occupation, where we joined more than 70 people in a cramped house. Enduring relentless Israeli bombings, we faced immense challenges. I felt utterly powerless as my children grappled with fear, and essential amenities such as water, food, and milk for Sara were scarce. Even breastfeeding became arduous due to the lack of nutritious food, as we relied heavily on canned goods. Additionally, procuring diapers for Sara proved to be a constant struggle.

Due to overcrowding in the displacement home in Khan Yunis, we were compelled to separate, with women and children housed in one room while the men occupied another. Regrettably, this led to the dispersion of our small family. My little daughter, Sara, doesn't realize her father, as she barely was able to see him.

After enduring over 50 days in Khan Yunis, the occupying army contacted the homeowner of our temporary residence, ordering evacuation. This forced us to flee once more, seeking refuge in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip. Here, we found shelter in a rundown house already accommodating over 40 displaced individuals.

In Rafah, we face indescribable suffering, exacerbated by relentless Israeli air and artillery bombardment, acute food shortages, and the absence of essential utilities such as electricity, water, and communication.

I am now incapable of ensuring the safety of my children or providing for their basic needs. Our home in Gaza was severely damaged by Israeli bombings. We have suffered a severe loss of income for our family. My husband has gone without salary for six months now, and even if the war were to cease, he would be unable to resume his work. This is because the occupation forces bombed his workplace at the Islamic University.

With no other recourse, I am compelled to safeguard my children by seeking refuge in Egypt, a journey that necessitates a significant sum to cross through the Rafah crossing, the sole exit from Gaza, and sustain ourselves in Egypt.

Initially, I had contemplated raising my children in their homeland in Gaza, but given the current situation there, they are left with no home, no hospitals, no sense of life, scarce resources, and an uncertain future. My focus now is to provide them with a decent life elsewhere.

Current Plan:

To relocate my family from Gaza to reside in Egypt.

This relocation will incur a minimum cost of $45,000.

Your support is instrumental in helping me execute this plan and secure a second chance at life for my family.

It is estimated that $17,500 will be required to facilitate the departure of 5 people from Gaza.

About $500 to cover transportation and border check fees to Cairo (at $100 per person).

Around $21,000 will be needed to cover basic needs in Egypt, including rent and accommodation expenses for approximately 7-9 months.

$6,000 for my sister to move to the city center from the small town she evacuated to in Egypt. She will also need to purchase all new furniture. This move is so that she can help make arrangements in preparation for me and my family's arrival to the city in Egypt, and so that we can all be close together during this extremely challenging transition.

We have depleted all our savings in the past 6 months of war. The price of food in Gaza has skyrocketed, and we are currently surviving solely on canned food.

An allocation of approximately $1,000 will be set aside to cover GoFundMe transaction fees, which amount to 2.9% plus $0.30 per donation.

Your generous contributions will greatly aid us in navigating through these challenging times, and I am deeply grateful for any support you can offer towards protecting my young children.
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Donations 

  • Chiara Phillips
    • $25
    • 10 d
  • Anonymous
    • $15
    • 20 d
  • Anonymous
    • $45
    • 20 d
  • Danielle Migdal
    • $25
    • 21 d
  • Anonymous
    • $20
    • 25 d
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Organizer

Ciarra Davison
Organizer
Washington D.C., DC

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