Help Evacuate My Family from Gaza
Donation protected
Update: thanks to everyone for their generosity in helping me reach my target. Please donate to other GoFundMe pages to help evacuate more families from Gaza to Egypt. Once I receive the funds, I’ll delete the page and keep you posted on Twitter @MalakaShwaikh. In the meantime, any extra funds will be used to cover expenses of the trip to and in Egypt to evacuate my family.
We once had a home in Gaza. My dad built it from scratch. He saved every penny. He designed it to ensure there is a garden, plenty of light, and lots of space. We once had an agricultural land, with +50 olive trees, various plants of veggies and fruits, flowers, and more sheep, rabbits, and lambs. It was our safe haven and our most favourite weekend destination. We lost everything.
Pictures taken by my sister Samah in one of the last family visits to our land in the very north of Gaza (2023)
My name is Malaka. I am launching this campaign as a last resort to rescue my family from Gaza to Egypt. Please help reunite me with them.
My family, of my parents, 7 siblings, 2 nieces, 3 nephews, sister-in-law, and two brothers-in-law are trapped in Gaza. They have been evacuating from one place to another in the last four months. They are being starved and dehydrated. They are exhausted and terrified. And they urgently need your support to leave Gaza.
About my family:
My family are hardworking people who have achieved success in their professional lives. To give a few examples, my sister Enas, the second from the left, is one of the top dentists in the Gaza Strip at the young age of 25, and my brother Mohammed, the first from the right, is a veterinary medical student whose leadership on community healthcare has been recognised locally and widely.
My family: siblings, niece Lama (the first to the bottom left), nephews Abood
(the second to the bottom left) and Khalil (the first to the bottom right), and sister-in-law (the third right from the top) (2022)
Heba, the fourth from the left, is an art student, whose art has already been recognised globally, including at an exhibition at the University of St Andrews in May 2023. My dad is an accountant who served his community with diligence and care. My mom is a creative worker who spent much of her time before the war crocheting and doing embroidery work to support her local community.
A screenshot of Heba’s ‘Home in Jaffa’ painting
My parents managed to visit the UK in late 2023. It was the first time we met in +9 years. During that trip my father fell ill and was hospitalised due to high blood pressure. Since then he has been receiving medical treatment for his severe blood pressure symptoms. My mom struggles with joint pains that impact her mobility. Both my parents require urgent medical care in a functioning hospital, which is not available in Gaza. Once the situation allows, my family is looking forward to returning to Gaza.
My parents while hiking a small part of Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh (2022). It was their first small hike and one of many during their two-months trip in the UK
During a trip with my parents to St Andrews (2022)
During a trip with my parents to Somerset (2022)
During a trip with my parents to Bath (2022)
To secure an exit through the Rafah border, each family member has to pay $5k for Hala Company to facilitate their exit to Egypt (and $2.5k for children under the age of 16). These are my parents, seven siblings, one sister-in-law, two brothers-in-law, two nieces, and three nephews. In this first phase, I am hoping to evacuate at least eight family members from Rafah. These are my parents, four of my siblings, sister-in-law, and nephew. The remaining costs raised in the first phase will go towards securing accommodation, visa/travel documents, and any other expenses while they can hopefully apply for a visa for a third country from Egypt. The GoFundMe page’s transaction fee is 2.9% + £0.25 deducted automatically from each donation. This adds around £3000. The total to evacuate and support all my family (including the 8 members I am hoping to evacuate in the first phase) is a minimum of £79,520, and I am asking for your help in covering at least £50,000. I will be travelling to Egypt to facilitate the evacuation and pay the fees for Hala Company myself.
Our family has experienced firsthand the terrible suffering that you have seen on your phones and televisions. We have lost my cousin Samah, who was killed by an Israeli airstrike with her three children Ahmed, Yamen, and Maryam, her husband, and her in-laws. She was a math teacher, loved by her family, students, and colleagues. A few weeks later, we lost my first cousin Badawi. A drone strike halved his body in front of his son who was a few metres away. Days after, my first cousin Fadi was killed with his daughter when their house was carpet bombed, and the rest of his family was injured. My aunt, Najwa, and both her daughters, still struggle with face injuries today.
The situation in Gaza remains uncertain, terrifying, and dangerous. Your support means the world to my family and me. My promise is: if the war is put to an end or evacuation becomes impossible or unpractical for any or some or all family members for any reason, all your funds will go to support my family to live a dignified life.
Please donate and share the campaign with your network. Words cannot express how grateful I am for all your support. Thank you. I will keep you updated on this site about my family’s situation.
With all my deepest gratitude,
Malaka
Organizer
Malaka Shwaikh
Organizer
Scotland
