We are a small group of supporters of the talented design management student Heba Ibaid from Gaza. Since early 2024 we have been supporting her and her family with small donations for humanitarian relief. In 2026 we are now focused on supporting Heba to raise funds towards her place at University in Lancaster to undertake a Design Management Masters. We are so proud of what Heba has achieved under horrendous circumstances.

Heba is a Mechatronics engineering graduate who was studying graphic design before the war destroyed her university completely. She used to work as a freelance graphic designer earning between $400-$1000 monthly before the war disrupted everything. Here is her story in her own words:

My name is Heba Abaid. I am 26 years old, a Palestinian woman from Gaza, and I hold a Bachelor's degree in Applied Information Technology. I chose this field because it allowed me to combine technology with something I have loved for as long as I can remember: design.

Before the war, my life was simple. I was studying, working as a graphic designer, and slowly building the future I had imagined for myself. I believed that with enough hard work, I could create a meaningful career and one day use design to make a positive difference in people's lives.

Then, everything changed.

Today, I live with my mother and my two younger brothers inside a small tent in Gaza. The home where we built our memories is gone. My work disappeared. Almost every part of the life I knew vanished.

But losing my home was not the greatest loss.

There are moments in life that divide everything into "before" and "after."Losing my father was that moment.

He had always been the heart of our family, the person who believed in my education more than anyone else. Even now, I still hear his voice encouraging me to keep learning, to keep working, and never stop believing in myself. While living in a tent, I continued studying.

There was no quiet place to read, no desk to work at, no reliable electricity, and almost no internet connection. Sleep became a luxury because nights were filled with fear, explosions, and uncertainty.

Using that fragile connection, I attended lectures, completed my university requirements, submitted applications, prepared portfolios, and applied for scholarships.

After everything that happened, one email changed my life.

I received an unconditional offer to study Design Management at Lancaster University in the United Kingdom.

For the first time in a very long time, I allowed myself to believe that the future still existed. Education has never been just another qualification to me.

It is hope.

It is healing.

It is dignity.

It is my opportunity to rebuild a life that war tried to erase and one day return with the knowledge and experience to help others rebuild theirs.

I have already done everything within my power. I studied through war. I completed my degree despite displacement.

I earned my place at Lancaster University through determination and hard work but there is one obstacle I cannot overcome alone.

I cannot afford the tuition fees and living expenses needed to begin my Master's degree.

That is why I am asking for your support. Not because I want sympathy, but because I believe education should never become another casualty of war.

Every contribution, no matter its size, brings me one step closer to continuing the education I fought so hard to protect.