Help us continue our education

Dear friends,

Help us proceed with our education. We decided to initiate a GoFundMe so my sibling and I could evacuate Gaza and live a normal life again. I never imagined I would write those words. Before the war, I always wanted more than we had. I realised too late that we already had everything we needed. We left our warm home in Gaza City and are surviving in a small village outside of Rafah.

My university has been destroyed, and I am unable to show documentation for all my coursework. I attended my university for four years and only had one more course left before receiving my bachelor’s degree in literature and translation. I am open to starting another degree after relocating to any country. I am the second-oldest daughter in a family of nine. My 20-year-old brother had done half of his 4-year university curriculum. He was studying computer science. My 18-year-old brother had just started his university life before it all got destroyed. He wanted to be an engineer. They are both planning to start it over again when we get outside the Gaza Strip. My three little siblings are still in school, one in kindergarten. My 9-year-old brother is fond of chess and football. The little ones were still discovering life. They dream of travelling every day and constantly ask me questions about our old home and their school. I don't want to see them terrified anymore. They deserve a better place to live.

Evacuating from one place to another was a whole new experience. Not having eaten fresh meat since October, and depending on canned food, my siblings lost their weight. Vegetables are not always available to eat, and the water we drink is not filtered. My brothers have to walk for two hours every day to reach the market because there is no fuel for transportation. It gets difficult to cook and heat because gas is now so expensive and not available all the time. We tried using wood to cook, but they raised its price too. We are paying triple the price to access water. As Israel banned electricity, some families used its solar panels. Our neighbours helped us, so we charged our phones in their place.

My father is no longer young. He suffers from hypercholesterolemia and high blood pressure. His condition worsened during the war as he no longer could find the prescribed medications. We spent time trying to find suitable alternatives, but none were available. Our need to seek refuge is not only for our future; it is also for saving our lives.

We no longer have a source of income and cannot sell our house because it has been destroyed. We are depending on the little my father and older sister saved, but we know it won't last forever. We waited for a miracle to end the war so we could work again, but the news was not promising. We need to leave somewhere else. Somewhere, we can feel dignified. Somewhere we can get to eat healthy food, receive proper education, and live a decent life. One cannot choose where to be born, but we can choose where to start another life. My father is clinging to the hope that we can find a better future somewhere else. I ask this caring community to help fund our family so we can start a new life.

The estimated costs per person include:

Visa application fees: $192

Passport fees: $300

Official document translation: $200

Airline Tickets: $980

Rafah Boarder crossing fee: $5000.

The total estimated cost to leave and travel to a chosen country is $6672 per person and $60048 for all nine family members.

We will stay in Cairo for about two months to wait for our passports to be renewed and our visas to be issued. We estimate the cost for all the family members to stay would be $4000.

Additionally, until my family and I sort things out in the chosen country we will settle in, we estimate that the costs of our family’s stay for six months per family include:

Minimum living expenses cost $24,000 ($1,000 per week)

personal effects: $1,500

international health insurance $1,400

This adds a minimum of $26,900 per family for their six-month stay.

Total of 90948 US dollars, or

$139790 in AUD currency.

Please consider that the prices constantly change, so I might change the required money.

With gratitude and thanks. Your support is a lifeline.

I am Abdullah Abumarzouq, from Perth, Australia

I am seeking support for a family of nine.

Walid Khaled Kassab, Ola Hazem Abuelsoud, Maha Walid Kassab, Alia Walid Kassab, Abdallah Walid Kassab, Khaled Walid Kassab, Adam Walid Kassab, Karam Walid Kassab, and Mohammed Walid Kassab

They are located in the Gaza Strip

My father and Walid Kassab have been close friends since college; they were business partners and worked together for over 10 years. We were neighbours as well in Gaza City.

PS: I had to update the goal since the currency is the Australian dollar, not the US dollar.