Help Yousef Al Hindi and his family get to safety

Hello, my name is Kelly.

I am a Canadian citizen, and I am setting up this campaign on behalf of my friend, the amazingly strong and creative, Yousef Al Hindi, 33, and his family, and his family members, Nour, 27, Karim, 6, and Kenan, 3.5. They are currently under constant threat to their lives, displaced in the south of the Gaza strip, especially now with the impending military incursion into Rafah.

If you wish to read more, NPR published an interview with him here: https://www.npr.org/2024/01/28/1227454455/gaza-puppeteer-doesnt-let-the-war-stop-his-passion

And he did a previous interview about his work right before this most recent crisis started:

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/xPuAtMbN7JGNNGNV/?mibextid=w8EBqM

Yousef is trying to raise funds to be able to get himself and his family across into Egypt. "The exit from Gaza will be coordinated through Hala Logistics Services Company, where travel per person costs an amount of $5,250 USD for adults and $2,750 USD for immature children.

The remaining amount will make passports while we are in Egypt, as it takes one to two months to complete the procedures inside Egypt, in addition to covering expenses of airline tickets in order to leave Egypt towards a destination that provides a better life for the family." "It is estimated that $2,000 USD will be enough to cover my families basic needs in Egypt, including housing, food, and other necessities. And approximately $16,000 is allocated to cover expenses associated with obtaining permits to leave Gaza, as well as transit fees at Rafah, on the Egypt-Gaza border.

The cost of travel from Cairo to Canada is $7,200 USD. The cost of living for one month is $3,930 USD.

From Kelly, I have also taken the liberty of converting the USD prices into CAD, which account for much of the heightened amount requested, to ensure with conversion that the cost is still covered.

This was his message, sent earlier in December, and the situation has continued to become increasingly more dire as the weeks have progressed. He and his family have been wreaked with fever, a lack of supplies, and pre-existing medical conditions, exasperated by the war zone they find themselves in. My goal is to share, and facilitate his wishes to the best of my ability. Truly any donation, no matter how small helps.

"Hello brother,

I am writing this letter for fear that this will be my last letter to you. As the occupation approached the displacement area in which I live in the city of Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip, it became closer to violent bombardment from artillery and aircraft in the vicinity of me and my family. So I'm sending this to you and the world.

I...I was born in a refugee camp. I hold a number from the United Nations (UNRWA) as a refugee, and my talent for drawing was born with me until everyone called me a little artist. I draw and create artistic forms. All my dreams at the time were to travel to Italy, the home of artists whom I believed in, like Leonardo. Yevinci and many other greats until I reached the age of eighteen and obtained the status of a visual artist from the Palestinian Plastic Artists Association. My academic choice was completely different, so I chose to study (social service), as it was consistent with my principles of humanity and human service and met my ambitions. In my nineteenth year, I was able to accomplish My first exhibition entitled (Night Madness), funded by the Mahmoud Darwish Cultural Fund.My ambition did not stop there. I am free like a butterfly. I love drawing, colors, sculpture, and handicrafts. I decided to specialize in the field of sculpture and make it my source of livelihood, so I created my own project for national memorabilia that expresses my identity and my homeland, Palestine. It produced many designs that traveled the world and decorated the walls of everyone who loved Palestine in America, Europe and the Arab countries, and I still dream of traveling and have not travelled.

Attempts...and in my attempts to break out of my siege, I took one step at a time to travel to Austria as part of an international youth conference, but unfortunately the crossing was closed for nearly six months and I did not succeed in traveling.

Connection.. After the failure of all my attempts, I realized that there was no escape from stability, so I chose my life partner, my wife, and God blessed me with two beautiful children, for whom I became afraid even from my homeland, unfortunately.

Puppets and theatre.. I accidentally discovered my passion for animation and theatrical puppets, so I decided to leave myself to this world. In 2017, I began learning how to make Big Mouth puppets until I became an expert in this field. My desire was not satisfied until I was able to learn to make marionette dolls and all theater puppets, and I became a holder of the title. An expert trainer in this field, where I finally found myself, after seeing the impact of the dolls I make on children and adults in terms of joy and psychological and behavioral treatment as a result of what they have accumulated from successive wars on Gaza,I decided to create a theatrical troupe that would roam the streets and perform marionette shows, and I called it (Camp Theater). It was a troupe made up of a group of theatrical puppeteer artists who believed in my ideas and ambitions, and it was not a month before the war began that it presented its first performance.

Dispersion... I do not hide a secret that we are now in our worst situation. Everyone has been dispersed and we have become displaced and homeless near the Egyptian border. We are waiting for what will happen to us. Will we live or will we be a number among the dead?

Pray for us, we are not well

Al Hindi."

Even despite the bombardment and siege, he has continued to send updates, and is even attempting to continue his work even after losing his home, and his workshop, and his tools.

"Trying to come back again and make a Marionette doll telling the world the suffering of the children of Gaza despite the sound of bombing, fear, lack of capabilities and raw materials, I am working on making a Marionette doll that will go to all the refugee camps in the border city of Rafah. Maybe I need your support my friends to support and publish my upcoming production

In attempts to return again and make a marionette doll that tells the world the suffering of the children of Gaza, despite the sound of bombing, fear, and the lack of capabilities and raw materials, I am working on making a doll that I will make travel around all the displacement camps. I may need your support, my friends, in supporting and publishing what I will produce soon."

"I have been able to make my tools from tin, wood and other simple materials so I can accomplish the task I aspire for.

And another picture my baby Kareem looking at the doll head after finishing stage 1. Looks like I'll soon be getting ready for a color search trip to start coloring the doll and showing her features, as colors are not available in the area I migrated to near the Egyptian border in the city. Raffah.

I was able to make my tools from tin, wood, and other simple materials available so that I could accomplish the task I aspired to. In another picture, my child Karim looks at the doll's head after completing the first stage. It seems that I will soon be preparing for a trip to search for colors in order to start coloring the doll and showing off its features, as there are no colors available in the area to which I was displaced, near the Egyptian border in the city of Rafah."

I thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading, sharing, and donating whatever you can.