Help Luzan to rebuild her life in Gaza

Hi, I’m Sue Piper, a Hands Up Project volunteer and I’m helping my friend Luzan Mattar raise funds so she can leave Gaza with her family.

Luzan Mattar was a brilliant teacher in Gaza as well as a wonderful, creative participant with the Hands Up Project and made such amazing plays as " We Will Wait Until They Open The Gate" with her pupils. Since October 7th she has found herself in the midst of war, fear and displacement. She used to live in Gaza City but has moved several times with her family. Today when I asked how she was, she told me, "Every night you sleep and you feel happy if you wake up again in the morning".

I'm initiating this fundraiser so Luzan and her family has some hope of escaping this nightmare.

Luzan says, “Once upon a time, I was telling stories to my own children and my students at school, promising them endings filled with endless joy.

I am Luzan Matar, an English language teacher in Gaza, and a mother of five. My classroom was like a bee-hive where language and creativity intertwined, until our world plunged into darkness. It feels like we are trapped in a relentless nightmare. We've lost not just our homes and cherished memories, but even the most basic necessities of life. Gaza offers no refuge, no sanctuary from the relentless attacks. Our only glimmer of hope now is to escape to safety, but the cost is staggering: $5000 per person. For the safety of my precious children, I implore you, please help us flee Gaza and find safety for our family.”

Once upon a time I was telling stories to my own children and my students at school promising them endings filled with endless joy. I have never realized that everything will vanish and joyful ending cannot be the truth since the 7th of October when our life turned to darkness and sorrow. I am Luzan Matar an English language teacher and a mother of five: jihan, Ahmad, Mohammad, Mahmoud and Menna. Jihan dream is to be a vet but unfortunately she lost her cats in bombings which targets all cheerful things in our life. Ahmad dream is to be a web designer, Mohammad, Mahmoud and Mena suffer the school closure and all what they do now is to help me to provide clean water if it's found. They found themselves lost and displaced for times seeking a safe place even with the lack of the basic needs of human life. Finally we realized that no place is safe in Gaza and it was the hardest decision to leave all you cherished memories but we are not able to evacuate Gaza and we stuck because it's very expensive and costs 5000$ per a person so I implore everyone who can help me and my miserable family to give me a hand and donate to evacuate Gaza to a safe place in Egypt