PLEASE HELP ISRAA AND HER FAMILY FLEE RAFAH, GAZA

My name is Allison Roberts from Washington State, and I am honored to present this appeal from my dear friend Israa Mohammed Jamal. I have known Israa for several years, first through our connection in philanthropy and her writing with the non-profit We Are Not Numbers, and then as a good friend. She and her family live in Rafah, Gaza, and we hope to raise money to get them out of the war zone as quickly as possible. I can't even begin to imagine what she experiences on a daily basis, everything from airstrikes and bombs to collapsing buildings - and even simple things like not being able to charge a phone or having clean water come out of a faucet - having to build a fire to cook the simplest meals for a large family or wash clothes is a daily chore as there's no electricity. Things I take for granted every day are now a distant dream. It comes down to the family's survival. As she told me the other day, "leaving and starting over from zero is not easy, especially when there are children, but it's something we must do. It's a matter of life and death. We have to do it. We have to escape death."

There is an Egyptian travel company Ya Hala that arranges official papers and transportation from Gaza to Egypt. This company is legitimate, and I know others who have used their services successfully. However, these services are expensive during wartime ($5,000 USD per person), and Israa's family consists of 9 people in total.

The situation is extremely dangerous, and I urge everyone to do what they can to help save the lives of this beautiful family. Israa is fortunate that she has family in Egypt, and they are eager to assist her and the family when they arrive. Once the family arrives safely, they will be able to move forward with the next chapter of their lives. I will raise the money here in the United States and transfer it to the Ya Hala travel company in Egypt. The transactions will be completely transparent.

Below, is Israa’s story, in her own words:

In my family, each of us has a dream, and we love to talk about planning for a better future and better circumstances. We believe that throughout our lives we will see and live the best of life after this difficult period and the challenges of this war.

My husband, Mohammed, established an architectural office in Gaza years ago, and always hoped that at least two of our five children would become architects and collaborate with him in his office.

I have worked writing stories for We Are Not Numbers, a non-profit organization aimed at helping ordinary Palestinians tell their stories. Through writing for WANN, I have met many good friends from the West. I am glad that they are following us and offering their support in this difficult time. I thought that no one outside Gaza cared about us, but I have since learned that this is not the case.

I have five children, daughters Rawaa (16), Rahaf (14), Maram (12), and Asmaa (7). My son Mahmoud is 10 years old. The common denominator between my children is the challenging difficulties and their ambitious dreams.

Rawaa is looking forward to finishing her studies and applying to medical school in Turkey. She has admired Turkey since she was in elementary school. She often watched Turkish dramas to familiarize herself with the culture. Rahaf also aspires to finish her studies, study astronomy, and one day join NASA. Like her sister and grandfather, she also admires Turkey and is curious about Turkish cities, towns, and history. Rawaa and Rahaf are trying to teach themselves the Turkish language, and enjoy challenging each other to memorize new songs, expressions, and words.

As for Maram, her dream is to go to Italy (she loves pizza!) to study design and engineering. Mahmoud hopes to become an architect like his father, and Asmaa hopes to become a dentist.

We are a big family and my husband's mother Aziza and younger sister Noha live with us. Noha has a master's degree in human resources and hopes to work with a good organization. My mother-in-law is a retired teacher.

The war in Gaza has shattered all our dreams. My children miss their teachers and friends, and worst of all, they fear death at any moment. This war destroyed my husband's workplace (our only source of income), and damaged the entire educational and all other infrastructure in Gaza.

We seek help in raising the funds needed to coordinate the travel papers to Egypt so that we can save ourselves and start a new life. Your generous contributions will provide us with the opportunity to find safety and stability, away from the devastation of war. Every donation, no matter how small, will make a difference in our lives and bring us one step closer to a brighter future. From the depths of our hearts, we thank you for your compassion and generosity. Your kindness will not be forgotten, and we are forever grateful for your support in our time of need.

With gratitude,

Israa and Family