Help Ahmad Awad's Family Escape the Genocide in Gaza

My name is Elizabeth and I'm a resident of Seattle, Washington. I’m starting this GoFundMe on behalf of my close friend, Ahmad Awad and his family who are currently trapped in Gaza facing enormous suffering and hardship. Ahmad is an extraordinary young man with big dreams and a big heart. I am proud to support his journey, and I hope you will join me in helping him rebuild his life and save his family. Below is Ahmad’s testimony:

Before I tell you my family's story, I want you to imagine this for yourself:

THEN, IN A MOMENT...

You lose your degree and career.

You lose your universities and schools.

You lose your house.

You lose your savings.

You lose your memories.

You lose your herbs and trees. Your garden.

You lose everything: your dreams, soul, passion, and even some of your family.

And what happens then? You’re left to start all over again...begging strangers on the internet just to get clean water and food. This is my reality now.

So now, let me tell you about my family. We are a family of six trying to rebuild our lives:

1. Nader, my father: An accountant and trader, well-known throughout Gaza.

2. Ashgan, my mother: A wonderful woman who dedicated her life to raising us and shaping us into men.

3. Me, Ahmad: A professional basketball player and student. I was just one year away from finishing my law degree in English. I am still working towards my degree by studying and taking exams on my phone.

4. Mohammed, my brother: He’s 18 years old and in his first year of university.

5. Kareem, my brother: He’s 13 years old and an amazing football player.

6. Kenan, my baby brother: He’s just a year and a half old.

Gaza has been a war-torn land for all of my life, but this current aggression is by far the worst. This time, it has taken everything from us. We lost our home, the place where we grew up. We lost all of our keepsakes and family heirlooms. Even my father’s savings were destroyed in the rubble. Everything is gone forever. They are trying to erase us.

Since the genocide began, horrible events have become a recurring reality—things no one should ever endure. My family has been displaced more than ten times, desperately trying to escape death. Life in Gaza has become a nightmare. It is nearly impossible to describe the terror we experience every day, every night, as we witness horrific events right before our eyes. The roads are littered with trash. Bugs are everywhere, and cockroaches bite us as we sleep, while mosquitoes swarm us day and night. We are lucky if even an hour passes without seeing someone die in front of us.

Despite all of this, our hearts remain warm, and our souls pure. We continue searching for hope, holding onto the memories of better days, and wishing they might return. Because of your continued support and the dedication you have shown to my family, I decided to start this campaign. The goal of this campaign is to help evacuate my family, as we deserve a dignified life. We will always march toward hope in spite of everything.

The purpose of this fundraising campaign is to raise funds to evacuate my family through the Rafah/Egypt crossing. The current cost is $5,000 per adult and $2,500 for each child under 16 years old. This is our only chance to stay alive. Because the Rafah border crossing is still closed, my family may need some of these funds to purchase food, clean water, and other survival supplies like winter clothing, tarps and other building materials to keep our tents maintained while we wait for the crossing to open. But the primary goal of my campaign is to have enough funds to cover the evacuation of all of my family members as soon as the border crossing opens.

Thank you for your love and support. With your help, I hope to share happier news about my family soon.

The Awad family’s greetings.