Help Rebuild One Connect: Vocational Training in Gaza
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15 € récoltés sur 152 k €
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My name is Mohammed Al-Bayouk. I live in Grâce-Hollogne, Belgium, and I am organising this fundraiser for my brother Yaser Al-Bayouk and One Connect Training and Development Centre in Khan Younis, Gaza.
The budget also includes limited basic household support for Yaser's family during the 90-day rebuilding period.
This is not a campaign to start an idea from zero.
One Connect existed before this fundraiser. It had training rooms, students, trainers, licences, equipment, course records, audited accounts and years of public activity.
The original centre was lost during the war.
Today, Yaser is standing beside an empty tent on a new site in Al-Mawasi, trying to build it again.
Watch Yaser Explain the Project
Yaser is the director who ran One Connect and is leading the
rebuilding effort on the ground:
What One Connect Was
Before the war, One Connect operated as a training centre in Khan Younis.
Our registered Arabic name is Tawasol Training and Development Centre. One Connect is the English name we have used publicly on our website, signage and social media.
The centre delivered practical, educational and professional training, including computer and digital skills, programming, English, translation, freelancing, design, photography, video production and other courses.
Later, vocational programmes also included hairdressing and practical sewing training.
We also ran children's technology and robotics activities through our Little Engineer programme and organised educational and professional events in Khan Younis.
One Connect was designed to generate its own operating income through training fees rather than depend permanently on donations.
This fundraiser is the first time we have turned to individual donors to rebuild the centre.
One Connect before the war:
What Happened
In January 2024, Al-Masry Tower, where One Connect operated, was hit.
Yaser returned to what remained and recovered what he could, including nine industrial sewing machines, tables and other equipment.
The damage can be seen here:
After losing the Al-Masry Tower premises, Yaser opened a separate educational initiative called Al-Yasser in Qizan al-Najjar, which was listed as No. 14 among the educational initiatives approved by the Ministry for the 2024–2025 school year.
It was separate from One Connect's vocational training licence, but One Connect continued educational activities and collaborations there during the war.
As conditions worsened, Yaser and his family evacuated the area.
He has not been able to return, so we will not claim to know the present condition of that location or its remaining contents.
The Third Beginning
Today, the rebuilding effort is centred on approximately 200 square metres of land in Al-Mawasi, Khan Younis.
A local landowner has given Yaser verbal permission to use the site without rent and has also offered access to water from his well.
There is no written land agreement.
We want donors to know that clearly.
That is one reason the new centre is being designed to be movable. The main structure will be demountable steel. Training equipment, solar equipment, furniture and other assets can be relocated if the centre ever has to leave the site.
Most components of the water and toilet system can also move. Only the physical wastewater pit itself would remain.
Yaser has already fenced the area and put up a tent.
The tent is there. The training centre is not there yet.
The Trainers Are Ready to Come Back
One of the strongest reasons we believe One Connect can restart is that former trainers are still here and willing to help.
They are not strangers recruited for this fundraiser.
They taught at One Connect before the war.
Mohammed Dawood: Computer Trainer Mohammed Dawood worked as a computer trainer at One Connect before the war. He has agreed to return and volunteer during the initial restart period to help bring computer and digital training back. Watch his message:
Sahar Sultan: Women's Hairdressing Trainer Sahar Sultan trained women in hairdressing and hairstyling at One Connect. She has also agreed to return and volunteer during the initial restart period. Watch her message
Samar Madi: Sewing and Embroidery Trainer Samar Madi worked as a sewing and embroidery trainer at One Connect before the war. She has agreed to return and volunteer as the centre starts again.
Her full testimony:
Her short message:
Their willingness to return matters. It means we are not trying to build an empty building and then search for a purpose. The people who taught here before are ready to help bring the classrooms back to life.
What We Want to Restart
The rebuilt centre will initially focus on three practical areas:
• Sewing and embroidery
• Women's hairdressing and men's barbering
• Computer, digital and technology skills
The centre will operate six days a week when conditions and approvals allow.
Our initial operating target is around 600 training places during the first full year of operation. That is an operating target, not a promise.
The theoretical capacity of the planned rooms and timetable is higher than the initial operating target, but we intend to begin below that level and grow according to electricity, trainer availability, demand, approvals and conditions on the ground.
A training place means one enrolment in a course. It should not be confused with a count of unique individuals, because one person may eventually attend more than one programme.
Sewing: Full Transparency About the Licence
Our vocational training licence covers hairdressing and beauty programmes. This licence for the hairdressing and beauty programme is registered in the name of Nadia Hisham Saqr, Yaser's wife, while Yaser oversees the overall management of all the centre's programmes.
Sewing was not included in that licence.
Before the war, we formally applied to the Ministry of Labour to add sewing and pattern cutting. We submitted a curriculum covering 48 lectures over 16 weeks, combining theory and practical training.
Sewing training also took place at the centre before final written approval for the programme was issued.
We will not hide that fact. We are publishing the photographs and Ministry correspondence so donors can see the situation for themselves.
The nine sewing machines can be repaired and the room can be prepared, but no new sewing course at the rebuilt site will begin until the applicable approval is in place.
The same principle applies to any activity at the new location that requires inspection, renewal or approval.
What We Are Building
The plan is for a demountable steel building approximately 15 metres by 9 metres -about 135 square metres.
It will contain:
• A sewing and embroidery room
• A computer and digital-skills room
• A hairdressing and barbering room
• A small administration room
Two separate toilets will be outside the main building.
The building quotation includes the main structure, roofing, doors and windows, internal divisions, electrical work, flooring, painting, transport and construction work.
The site will operate mainly during daylight hours and will rely on independent solar power because there is no reliable mains electricity available.
The Current Budget
The budget below reflects current local prices and the latest project plan.
For consistency, the shekel costs are converted into euros using planning exchange rates dated 1 September 2026. Final purchase prices and actual exchange rates will be documented when money is spent.
A note on price sources: Some items in this budget (the steel building, plumbing, the solar mounting structure, the solar power system, and the sewing-machine repairs) are backed by
written quotations or estimates from local suppliers or technicians which are published in the Updates section of this fundraiser.
Other items (hairdressing equipment and consumables, the computer room, the administration room, safety items, and the network) are based on direct market surveys from several local traders in Khan Younis, not signed formal quotations because many traders in Gaza currently refuse to commit in writing to a fixed price given the sharp daily fluctuation in local markets.
We will publish the actual invoices as each purchase is completed.
1. Demountable Training Building 155,900 NIS – approximately €44,645 A 15m × 9m movable steel structure with training rooms, administration space, windows, doors, flooring, electrical work and finishing. (Backed by a signed quotation)
2. Plumbing, Two External Toilets, Water Storage and Wastewater System 12,500 NIS – approximately €3,580 Includes plumbing, two toilets, a 1,000-litre water tank, the hairdressing washing connection and wastewater arrangements. (Backed by a stamped written quotation)
3. Sewing and Embroidery Room 27,700 NIS – approximately €7,932 This includes: repair and servicing of the nine industrial sewing machines we already have (backed by the technician's written repair estimate), nine training chairs, a storage cabinet, and fabric, thread, cutting materials and other consumables for the first two full training cycles (market estimates). We are repairing rescued machines rather than asking donors to buy nine new industrial machines.
4. Hairdressing and Barbering Equipment 17,000 NIS – approximately €4,868 Five training stations with the core equipment and tools needed for practical instruction. (Market estimate)
5. Hairdressing and Barbering Consumables 18,000 NIS – approximately €5,155 Initial consumable materials for approximately six months of training. (Market estimate)
6. Solar Power System 168,500 NIS – approximately €48,253 The planned system includes: six 660W solar panels, a 5kWh 48V lithium battery, a 6kW hybrid inverter, distribution and electrical protection, cabling, and installation, connection, programming and commissioning. A local solar supplier reviewed the expected training loads and recommended the larger system rather than the smaller system originally considered. (Backed by a signed quotation)
These prices reflect current local supply conditions in Gaza and are supported by the signed supplier quotation published in the Updates section of this fundraiser.
7. Steel Solar Mounting Structure 3,000 NIS – approximately €859 (Backed by a signed written estimate)
8. Computer and Digital Training Room 38,750 NIS – approximately €11,097 This budget includes: ten training laptops, desks/tables, chairs, and basic training accessories and equipment. The exact laptop models will depend on what is available in Gaza at the time of purchase. We will buy against the approved budget and document the final specifications and invoices. (Market estimate)
9. Administration Room 6,950 NIS – approximately €1,990 Includes: a desk, manager's chair, visitor chairs, an administrative laptop, a printer, lockable storage, and basic stationery. (Market estimate)
10. Safety and Small Electrical Items 800 NIS – approximately €229 Includes basic fire-safety, first-aid and electrical accessories. (Market estimate)
11. Security 6,000 NIS – approximately €1,718. Six months of night-time site security at approximately 1,000 NIS per month, once valuable equipment begins arriving. Daytime security is not budgeted because the site will be active during operating hours.
12. Network Installation 1,500 NIS – approximately €430 Three routers/network devices plus installation, configuration and basic network setup. (Market estimate)
13. Internet Six Months. The current monthly internet service costs US$300, based on an actual payment to Palestine Telecommunications Company. Six months: US$1,800 – approximately €1,553 at the planning exchange rate. A redacted payment record is published in the Updates section of this fundraiser.
14. Basic Family Support for 90 Days 18,000 NIS – approximately €5,155
Yaser's household contains nine people: his father, mother, wife, four children, his paternal grandmother, and Yaser.
The budget provides approximately 200 NIS per day for the household for 90 days for basic food, drinking water, transport, medicine and essential needs. This support is limited to three months. It is not an indefinite family-support programme. Its purpose is to give Yaser enough stability to devote the rebuilding period to putting the centre back into operation.
Direct cost before contingency: Approximately €137,464
5% project contingency: Approximately €6,615 The 5% contingency applies to the project and initial operating costs, not to the family-support allocation. Prices and exchange rates in Gaza can change quickly. If the contingency is not needed, it will remain dedicated to One Connect and will be used only for documented trainee needs, additional training materials, equipment or improvements.
Total direct funding requirement: Approximately €144,079
Why the GoFundMe Goal Is €152,000
GoFundMe deducts transaction fees from donations. For individual fundraisers in Belgium, the published transaction fee is 2.9% plus €0.25 per donation. The fixed €0.25 component means the final fee depends on the number of donations received.
We have therefore rounded the campaign goal to €152,000 so that transaction fees do not reduce the money needed for the documented project plan.
If final fees or costs are lower than expected, any remaining amount will stay with One Connect and will be used only for documented training needs, equipment, materials or improvements. It will not become personal spending money.
We Will Not Wait for €152,000 to Start
The entire goal does not have to be raised before work begins. The project will proceed in stages.
The first major priority is a secure building. Once enough project money is available to complete a stage responsibly, that stage can begin.
We will not begin construction that cannot be completed with the funding available. We will also not buy expensive equipment simply to store it without a secure building or usable power system.
Each major stage will be documented before we move to the next.
How the Money Moves
I, Mohammed Al-Bayouk, organise this fundraiser from Belgium. GoFundMe payouts are received in my personal Belgian bank account and are then transferred through the formal banking system to Yaser's personal bank account in Gaza, held in his own name. All transfers will be made in fiat currency through the formal banking system. No cryptocurrency, informal intermediary, unrelated individual, or third-party personal account will be used to receive or forward the funds.
Any separately charged bank-transfer fees are paid by me personally and are not deducted from donations.
We will retain available bank-transfer records and supporting documentation, as well as quotations, invoices, receipts, and other records relating to major project expenditures, so that the movement and use of the funds can be documented.
Where possible, payments will be electronic so there is a record.
Sensitive account numbers, identity numbers, phone numbers and private information will always be redacted before documents are made public.
Who Will Own What Donors Buy?
Anything purchased from the One Connect project budget will be recorded as a One Connect project asset. That includes: computers, solar equipment, training equipment, furniture, tools, and other major project purchases.
These items are not being purchased as household property and are not being bought for resale. We will maintain an asset register including the item, supplier, purchase date, cost, invoice and serial number where applicable.
If the centre has to move, the movable structure and project equipment move with it.
How One Connect Will Support Itself After Reopening
No trainer salaries are included in this fundraiser. Former trainers have offered to volunteer during the initial restart period.
Training will initially be free or offered for a very small symbolic fee depending on circumstances. As operations stabilise, modest course fees are intended to contribute towards: trainer compensation, internet, training materials, printing, security, and other recurring operating expenses.
Yaser, Nadia and Hussam are not taking salaries from this campaign during the rebuilding and initial restart period. Nadia is Yaser's wife,
and Hussam is his brother: they are immediate family working alongside him to run the centre, not outside partners.
The aim is not to create a centre that needs another fundraiser every few months. The aim is to give One Connect the equipment and infrastructure it needs to stand on its feet again.
You Will Watch the Rebuilding
We cannot responsibly promise exact construction dates in Gaza. Conditions can change.
What we can promise is documentation. We intend to publish updates showing: construction progress, supplier quotations, major purchases, redacted transfer confirmations, invoices and receipts, sewing-machine repairs, solar installation, classrooms being equipped, and training restarting.
If a price changes materially or a planned stage cannot proceed, we will explain it before project money is redirected.
Transparency does not mean publishing people's private information. It means showing donors what their support paid for.
How You Can Verify One Connect
One Connect's public history existed long before this fundraiser.
Facebook:
Instagram:
Our old website was also captured by the Internet Archive before the war.
We also hold records including:
• Educational licensing documents
• Vocational training licence VTPRK20220007
• Khan Younis Municipality trade licence
• Ministry of Labour correspondence
• Al-Masry Tower lease documents
• Partnership and management documents
• Audited financial statements for 2019 and 2020, prepared by an independent auditor (Al-Mutamayyez Office for Auditing and Financial Consulting)
• Course schedules
• Sewing-programme correspondence and curriculum
• Construction, plumbing, solar and repair quotations
A note on the municipality trade licence: The municipality trade licence copy we currently retain is valid through the end of 2020. Yaser states that the licence was subsequently renewed, but later renewal paperwork was lost when Al-Masry Tower was destroyed. We are publishing the document we can currently produce and will seek updated official documentation when the applicable municipal procedures are available.
Documents published publicly will have personal identity numbers, phone numbers, bank information and other sensitive details removed.
About the Training Numbers
We previously used larger cumulative training figures in earlier drafts of this fundraiser. We are not using those figures in this final version.
Our accountant is reviewing and reconciling the historical financial statements and course schedules. Until that work is final, we would rather use no headline number than publish a number that may later need to be corrected.
The records themselves will be published as they are finalised. That is the standard of transparency we want for this campaign.
The closing section below is in Yaser's own words.
Why I Am Asking Now
I spent years building One Connect. Before the war, the centre earned income from its courses. I did not build it as a charity dependent on public donations.
After Al-Masry Tower was hit, I went back for what I could save. I carried equipment out. I tried to start again during the war.
Now I am standing beside a tent in Al-Mawasi with nine damaged sewing machines, former trainers who are ready to return, and a plan to build again.
What I cannot provide by myself is the building, the power, the computers, the equipment and enough stability to complete the rebuilding.
That is why I am asking now.
If you donate, your contribution becomes something physical: part of a wall, a repaired machine, a training chair, a laptop, a solar panel, a classroom.
And if you cannot donate, please share the campaign. A share may reach the person who helps us reopen the doors.
In July 2020, I publicly announced an ambition to work towards training 1,000 women in sewing and hairdressing over successive groups. That was a goal, not a claim that 1,000 women had already been trained. The war interrupted that plan. I still want to work towards it.
I built One Connect once. I tried to build again during the war.
With your help, I am ready to build it again.
Yaser Al-Bayouk
Al-Mawasi, Khan Younis, Gaza