My name is Sarah, I'm from London Ontario and I’ve created this fundraiser to support my family when they exit Gaza. Canada will introduce an immigration stream to support temporary residence for extended family members in Gaza who are related to Canadian citizens and permanent residents on January 9, 2024.

The funds collected through GoFundMe will be used to support my mother’s family as well as my sister in law's family. My mother will invite her sister and two sons whose medical education were abruptly stopped due to the war. My sister in law's immediate family consists of 15 members - her parents, siblings, their spouses, and children. Continuous nights of air strikes and attacks have left her family members with no choice but to leave their homes, all partially or completely destroyed. The young children might not understand what is happening, but they see the destruction. They hear everything that is happening around them, the air strikes, the cries for help. And they feel the terror, the food insecurity, and the helplessness.

All these families left behind everything, and are now displaced in Rafah, living in terribly unsafe conditions, with no end in sight to the rising tensions.

The funds will be used for travel and resettlement costs to help my mom and sister-in-law's family establish themselves in Canada. Such costs include a temporary stay in Egypt, passports, flights, clothing, and housing in Canada.

For full transparency, this is how we’ve attained the chosen fundraising amount (please note this is an estimate):

- Transportation and housing in Egypt for 2 weeks to process visas $100x14 days = $1400

- Flight tickets from Cairo to Toronto $1000x18 people= $18,000

- Financial responsibility for resettlement in Canada $3000x13 adults + $1500x5 children = $46,500

- Visa applications and biometrics for all $4000

- Approximately $1500 to cover GoFundMe's Transaction fees. The transaction fee (2.9%+$0.30 per donation).

As a Canadian citizen myself, for months we have felt limited in what we can do to help families in Gaza and so we have an opportunity to make a direct difference to and for these families. I will be personally monitoring the donation page. I am committed to maintaining full transparency, so please ask any questions you may have. I humbly ask for your help sharing the fundraiser with your friends and family.

We recognize the difficulty in exiting Gaza. In the case that our family is unable to safely exit Gaza, the funds will be sent through a secure means to help our families living in Gaza (housing, food, medical assistance etc.) Please be comforted in the knowledge that your money will be making a difference in many peoples lives.

My family and I thank you in advance for your compassion and support as well as for standing in solidarity with us as we pray that we can bring our family safely, together, to Canada.

With warm gratitude

JazakAllahu Khayran