HELP OUR FAMILY LEAVE RAFAH

Dear readers,

My name is Shahid and I am raising money to help my best friend's family. Please read their message.

 Numerical breakdown included at the end of the post

"Imagine looking your family in the eye, in your kids’ eyes knowing that this might be your last moment in life? Pulling them from under the rubble and fleeing miraculously with no where to go… for 5 months… how would that feel?

Hi all! We are 4 families (17 people - 8 kids included) living in Gaza, Palestine. At the time I'm writing this it has been 140 days of this war and life has never been harder. One week after the war started, we had to evacuate our home and started to move to the southern area of the Strip. So far, we have lost 10 members of my family (cousins), my sister’s newly-built house, all of our jobs, assets and belongings and more!

Five month later and we haven’t been able to go back home. We slept in strangers’ houses, in schools, in a teeny tiny tent in the street. We have been targeted and a house we escaped to fell over us.. it’s a miracle we’re still alive. Currently, we’re staying in a small secluded room that doesn’t have any bathroom or any other facility surrounded by collapsed houses due to strikes! We have a very limited access to food, water, and medications. Countless days of hunger, thirst, and cold!

Life here has become impossible! Prices are 10 times higher and everything became almost unaffordable! And It’s been so long since we had any income- keeping in mind that we are already suffering a financial hit because of current circumstances. We don’t have clothes that suit the cold weather and the only clothes we have are the ones that are on us!

If we want to cook anything we have to light up fire and it’s another challenge and so risky… let alone that it destroyed our health especially that I and 3 kids in the family have asthma. The list of hardships can’t be placed in one page!

Before it’s too late, we need you to extend your generous hands towards us and help us find a safe destination outside this hell.. where dreams are allowed and people aren’t numbers displayed on the screen for seconds.

The goal is to be able to gather around 40k$ for each family just to escape this nightmare and to be able to start a new life somewhere else. And here’s how you can help:

* Entering the Egyptian side:

Since we don’t have any airport, the only way to travel is by crossing Rafah border to the Egyptian side. To do so, they demand we pay 5000$ for every adult and 2500$ for kids under 15 years old and that’s if they didn’t raise the fees even higher! We won’t be receiving one dollar from this huge fee. It’s all going to go to the company and authorities in the Egyptian side. It’s how people benefit from others’ suffering, unfortunately. (At least 65k$ will go down the drain)

* Reuniting with our Moroccan roots:

It has been 5 months since we last had any source of income and we have been spending 10 times the normal prices of literally everything! Starting from square one for 4 families isn’t a piece of cake especially the first year until we can secure jobs and a steady source of income:

- We need around 100$ per person to issue passports… and around 800$ per person for plane tickets

- We don’t have a problem with 17 people having to live in one house… and that’s around 750$ - 900$ monthly rent, not to mention schools, daily expenses, medications (we have diabetes patients and asthma) and much more for 4 families and that’s going to cost around 750$ monthly to say the least for each family and it only covers the necessities and basics

- Placing a request in court to Getting our Moroccan nationality, hiring an attorney and more expenses

Kindly remember that time isn’t our best ally and as you go on with your lives please know that 4 families of 17 people will forever be thankful that you pulled them from this constant danger to the shores of safety by donating.

We appreciate your participation and so thankful for the time you spend reading our story."

The families that will receive the funds -

Zuhair M. S. Masood

Monira A. R. Masood

Hala Z. M. Masoud

Mohammed Z. M. Masood

Rana M. I. Masood

Lian M. Z. Masood

Mira M. Z. Masood

Ceila M. Z. Masood

Ahmed Z. M. Masood

Rwaida J. H. Masood

Sara A. Z. Masood

Dana A. Z. Masood

Rabab Z. M. Al Hayk 

Yousef S. I. Al Hayk 

Jana Y. S. Al Hayk

Amro Y. S. Al Hayk 

Yazan Yousef Shabaan Al Hayk

1. Border Crossing Fees: 

 • $5,000 per adult • $2,500 per child under 15 years old 

 2. Passport and Travel Expenses: • $100 per person for passport issuance • $800 per person for plane tickets

 3. Living Expenses: • Housing: $750 - $900 monthly rent for 17 people • Monthly Necessities: Approximately $750 per family

 4. Legal Procedures: • Requesting Moroccan Nationality: Costs associated with hiring an attorney and court fees 

 The total estimated cost involves various elements, including the border crossing fees, travel expenses, living costs, and legal procedures. 

 Disclaimer- the fees can vary depending on the circumstance of a ceasefire but as mentioned this family has experienced total loss of their home. 

100% of funds raised will dedicated to assisting the recipients in receiving aid to rebuild their life