Hello, I am Mai Al-Basous, and I am a 19 year old student. Before October 7, my family of 9 lived happily in Northern Gaza. This was our home before the war.

In 2023, I graduated from high school with a grade point average of 90. My family threw an unforgettable party, and it felt like the world was at my fingertips.

I was delighted to enroll thereafter in the College of Dentistry in Gaza. Sadly, I only got to attend university for two weeks before the war began.

Shortly after the war began, the I0F forced us to evacuate our home. This is what the Israeli occupation did to my family’s home.

We were displaced to multiple schools, and like most families learned to be grateful whenever we got the chance to cook bread. 

The suffering & disease we faced from pollution and displacement forced us to exhaust all of our savings on evacuating. Both my grandmother and uncle are sick. My grandmother has high blood pressure and cirrhosis of the liver. My uncle has blood pressure and an intellectual disability, so both of them require expensive medications. They couldn't tolerate the diseases and contamination, so we had to arrange for them to travel with us.

After months spent moving frantically from one shelter to another, subsisting on canned food and filthy water, and constantly, constantly fearing for our lives, we were able to scrounge together the funds to travel to Egypt.

Although we’ve safely resettled in Egypt, our situation remains precarious. My father does not have any source of income, and in fact lacks legal authorization to work at all. This means my family is unable to pay its rent, let alone afford the local university and school tuition costs. This campaign is my only hope to complete my life and the future of me, my brothers, and my family. I hope for help.

Your solidarity and support will cover the following costs: 

Monthly rent: $300, which amounts to $3600 per annum

Tuition: Palestinian expatriates who wish to study dentistry and human medicine at my local university must pay an annual tuition fee of $3,500 

School tuition & fees: $4,000 total per annum for my four younger brothers

Medication: My uncle and grandmother must both pay $150 a month for their medications, which they require to continue functioning in relatively stable health. This amounts to $300 a month, and $3600 a year.