Donate to help Alaa overcome the war and complete her study

Hello All,

My name is Alaa, a dentist from Gaza. I created this campaign in a plea of help from all the kind hearted people out there.

I will share with you what it means to be a dentist in Gaza. By simply being from Gaza, your life can be taken away from you any minute. If not your life, then your studies, work, house, university, and everything else. This is what happened to me.

Before the 7th of October, I had lots of dreams and plans to improve myself in my area of interest and expertise, get training in various areas in dentistry, attend international conferences, and prepare to complete my Master's degree. I always dreamt of having my own dentistry clinic.

August 2022: IDEX Conference in Cairo

The war started and took away all my dreams. I became in a stage of my life where I just wished for a piece of bread and some drinking water. I just wanted to stay alive. I did stay alive, thankfully, but my dreams were buried. I lost my house where I grew up, with my beautiful room which I used to tidy up all the time, and our living room where my siblings and I used to have a cup of tea every afternoon and have conversations. I lost my dentistry tools which I bought with love and passion. It didn't stop at that. I lost the clinic that I was practicing in and my university. I lost many relatives and friends. I lived in constant fear and worry during the war. I was scared that I would be the next to die. And waiting for death is much scarier than death itself! I was too worried for my family that something might happen to any of them. I cannot imagine a life without them.

There was scarcity of everything: electricity, food, water, internet. Even the air we were breathing was filled with gunpowder. There was scarcity of everything, except death.

I managed to get out to safety in Egypt with my family after several attempts. I thought it's the safety net, but I am still haunted by the war nightmares. I lived my worst days in this war. I cannot get over the sound of bombs and missiles until now. I remember how I barely used to get an hour of sleep. I still remember the sounds of the bullets and missiles and drones and warplanes, and hear them in my sleep. We struggled to get clean water to drink and proper food to eat. I wished I could eat a piece of chocolate.

The most difficult situation I went through was the decision to leave our house after our neighbourhood was announced a combat zone. It was dangerous to stay there, and we fled to Rafah. The road was so crowded that it would have taken us 6 hours to get there, and we didn’t have enough petrol for the car. So we decided to take the dangerous road so we can get there before we run out of petrol. My father was driving so fast, and I was staring at the sky, scared a bomb would fall on us.

During the war: I always loved Gaza, the place I grew up in. I volunteered in the hospital in my city to help people at the start of the war. My younger brother would fight with me every single day before I leave in an attempt from him to stop me as he was too worried about me as the occupation has a record of targeting hospitals. One day, a nearby place got bombed and all I could see was dust, then multiple bombs followed. I thought it was the end and that my brother was rights I should have never left the house. I survived. It was the last time I went to work as my family wanted me to be as safe as possible. Then I started writing articles about what I was going through. Electronic Intifada helped me to express what I go through and let out my feelings. You can find the articles I wrote in this link to my profile: https://electronicintifada.net/people/alaa-abu-shammala

*New old beginnings*

I remember when I saw water pouring from the tap normally, I couldn't believe my eyes as this is something I hadn't seen in months. I let the water run for a bit and just stared at it. I wanted to soak the scene in! After months of being deprived of bread, I went to a bakery in Egypt, and it felt surreal. There are no long queues. Where are the long lines? Why did I purchase bread in minutes? Why did I not wait for 4 hours to get some bread? Why is life this simple? The shock on my face after going to the grocery store. Everything is available. Shelves are full. Lots of goods. Biscuits. Chocolates. Juices. How come all of these products are in one place?

*Trauma*

We rented an apartment near Cairo International Airport. I could hear planes landing there. The sound of planes was way too scary. Every time I hear a plane, I would think it is an F16 that will drop a bomb over our heads. It took me a good while to normalize this sound when it has always had an association with death in my life. Or let me tell you about the time our neighbours hosted a wedding party. There were fireworks that at first I thought were bullets. My subconscious was still in a state of war. I was still stuck there. I ran to my brother who was not in a better state than mine. He, too, is being haunted by nightmares from what we went through. We comforted each other, and tried to move on.

*The journey to healing*

One time, I decided to run away from the voices and thoughts in my head. It was 10pm, and I went out for a walk to clear my head. For months now, all you can see and hear in Gaza at this hour is dogs and cats. In Egypt, the nightlife was full. Streets were crowded. They were full of life. I felt heartbroken for what Gaza has become. It is now a lifeless city. Full of death. I realized at that moment that escaping this war is just the first step towards healing. Ending this war, and starting rebuilding Gaza and bringing life back to it are massive parts on the journey to healing.

*A new hope?*

My name has always been associated with the first place in school and extra curriculum activities. I achieved 96% in high school and joined the Dentistry course at Al Azhar University in Gaza. I spend 5 years of hard work and perseverance. There were so many sleepless nights in my journey to become an outstanding dentist. The war cut my journey short, unfortunately. I lost my house with all the books and the tools that I had. I lost my desk which I spent countless hours studying on in my life. I lost my favourite cup which I used to use for my coffee. I am passionate about learning since I was a little kid. I was raised in a household that prioritized education. I graduated with Second class degree from college, and I am very eager to continue my education and obtain a master’s degree.

This could be the start of a new bright future, and that’s what led me to create this campaign. I cannot afford the tuition fees in Egypt, and I am hoping all of you good hearted people can support me whether by making a donation or spreading the word. Every contribution counts and I appreciate your help.

The only way for me to break out of this vicious cycle is to get some normality back to my life. Going back to complete my studies will help me get out of these thoughts haunting me. By contributing to my campaign, no matter how small your donation is, you will help me get my certificate and start my life all over again. Thank you so much for reading my story and considering supporting me during these dire circumstances.

Thank you very much.

Alaa

P.S. Here is some of my work: