I'm Mai-Anh from the UK, raising money for my dear friend, Mahmoud (currently in Egypt), to help him realise his dream of becoming a surgeon and returning to his home in Gaza.

Mahmoud has been living in Gaza until very recently. He managed to escape to Egypt via the Rafah crossing during a brief window earlier this year, and I am raising money to help him with his studies.

Previously, Mahmoud was a very gifted student studying at Al-Azhar University in Gaza at the Faculty of Medicine, gaining the top grades in his year. At the beginning of his second year of study, the Israeli onslaught on Gaza destroyed both his university and his home. His uncles, aunts and grandparents were killed, and his family were displaced. Living in a tent, they were extremely vulnerable, and not long after, an IDF air strike killed both of Mahmoud's parents and all of his siblings.

Mahmoud is the only survivor left in his family and has little to no support network. He suffered a serious leg injury from the bombing and is undergoing regular medical treatment still. After many months of routine displacement, with little to eat or drink, living in a tent exposed to the winter rain and cold, Mahmoud saw the loss of yet more friends. When the ceasefire was announced, he was finally able to regain hope of continuing his studies, although now he must do so without the support of his family.

He has been accepted to Zagazig University in Egypt, with a full scholarship for his tuition fees. He plans to realise his lifelong dream of becoming a surgeon, to honour his family, and return to Gaza to help rebuild his homeland.

I plan to help Mahmoud in the coming weeks to apply for grants or bursaries to fund his subsequent years of study, but as his university acceptance and departure from Gaza happened so quickly, we are looking to crowdfund the set-up costs for the first year. I would like to assist him in buying a laptop ($400/£320), some clothes, study materials, a deposit for accommodation, and the first few months of rent at a minimum ($300/£240 per month), with any remaining funds to be used on food and general living expenses. After that, we hope to be able to find a longer term source of funding, as Mahmoud is not permitted to work on his student visa.

Any amount is appreciated! In terms of sharing the funds, my husband and I have been wiring money directly from a UK bank account to Mahmoud in Egypt in cash via MoneyGram, with a reference code and passport ID required for withdrawal. For this fundraiser, the money will come to my UK bank account and we'll continue to use this method until Mahmoud can open an account in Egypt. I hope to be able to visit him in his new home once he has settled into life in Zagazig and started his degree. Thank you in advance, friends and family, for your help in this cause so close to my heart!