My name is Hamza AlHelou, a student from Gaza.

For the past three years, my education has been repeatedly interrupted by war, displacement, unreliable electricity and internet access, and the daily struggle to meet even the most basic needs.

During that time, continuing my studies often felt less like a plan and more like something I was desperately trying not to lose.

Today, for the first time in years, I have a clear path forward.

My pre-enrollment application for the 2026/2027 academic year at the University of Salerno in Italy has been verified through the official Universitaly system and forwarded to the Italian consular authority in Jerusalem for study-visa processing.

On paper, this may look like a routine administrative step.

For me, it means something much bigger.

It is the first time in three years that finishing my education has felt like a realistic possibility rather than a distant hope.

Three Years of Trying to Hold On

Life in Gaza over the past three years has often been reduced to immediate survival.

Finding food.

Finding a safe place to stay.

Living with displacement and uncertainty.

Trying to understand what the next day might bring.

Planning weeks or months ahead became almost impossible when simply getting through the present demanded so much energy.

My academic life was deeply affected.

There were interrupted study periods, unreliable electricity, limited internet access, and long stretches when concentrating on education felt almost impossible.

There were times when university felt like a memory from a life that had been put on hold.

But I refused to accept that my education was over.

Even through displacement, uncertainty, and constant disruption, I kept my academic records with me and continued searching for a way forward.

I gathered documents when electricity was available.

I submitted forms whenever the internet connection held long enough.

I followed applications and requirements whenever circumstances allowed.

Sometimes, making progress meant waiting days for something that would normally take minutes.

But I kept going.

Because when so much of your life is outside your control, continuing your education becomes about more than earning a degree.

For me, it became a way of holding on to the belief that I could still have some control over what my future would become.

A Real Opportunity at the University of Salerno

That persistence has finally led to something concrete.

My pre-enrollment for the 2026/2027 academic year at the University of Salerno has been verified, and my file has now been forwarded to the Italian consular authority responsible for Palestinian students in Jerusalem for the next stage of the study-visa process.

Receiving that confirmation was an emotional moment for me.

After years of uncertainty, I finally had something real to work toward:

A university.

A classroom.

Lectures and exams.

A quiet place to study.

A chance to focus on building my future instead of simply trying to get through another difficult day.

My goal is to reach Salerno and begin my studies as soon as the visa and remaining procedures allow.

But receiving this opportunity and actually reaching the university are two very different challenges.

Why I Need Your Help

Leaving Gaza and beginning my studies in Italy requires navigating significant administrative, travel, and financial barriers.

The past three years have placed enormous pressure on my family's financial resources, and I cannot cover the costs of this transition alone.

I am raising funds to help cover the essential expenses required to complete this journey, including:

Every contribution will go toward helping me turn this educational opportunity into something I can actually reach.

More Than a Travel Ticket

This campaign is not simply about buying a ticket to Italy.

It is about recovering a future that three years of war have repeatedly interrupted.

It is about being able to sit in a classroom again.

To open a book in a safe and quiet place.

To think about lectures, assignments, and exams.

To plan months and years ahead instead of wondering what tomorrow will bring.

Reaching Italy will not erase the displacement, fear, hunger, uncertainty, or memories of what has happened.

It will not return the time that has already been lost.

But it can give me the opportunity to move forward.

I do not want my life to be defined only by the circumstances I survived.

I want it to be defined by what I am able to build despite them.

Education is the path I am still holding on to.

Every Contribution Brings Me Closer

Any amount can make a difference.

Whether it is €5, €20, or more, every contribution helps cover a real part of this journey — a document fee, transportation, accommodation, insurance, or another necessary step toward reaching Salerno.

And if you are unable to donate, sharing this campaign can be just as valuable.

Please consider sharing it with friends, colleagues, university communities, organizations, or anyone who believes that a student's future should not end because of circumstances beyond his control.

One share can reach someone who decides to help.

And that help can bring me one step closer to a university classroom.

I Am Still Holding On

The past three years have taken away a great deal of stability and time.

They have changed my plans and made even simple things far more difficult.

But they have not taken away my determination to continue.

I am still holding on to my education.

I am still holding on to the future I want to build.

And I am still working toward the day when I can finally take my seat in a lecture hall at the University of Salerno.

I will continue posting updates here as the visa and consular process moves forward, through the remaining procedures, travel arrangements, and — hopefully — my arrival in Italy.

I want everyone who supports this campaign to see exactly what their help made possible.

I have already lost enough time to war. I do not want to lose my future to it too.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story.

Thank you for sharing it.

Thank you for supporting my education.

And thank you for helping me protect a future I have spent the last three years refusing to give up on.

With gratitude and hope,

Hamza AlHelou