Please Help Us Save our Kids' Education and Future

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Respectfully, I ask you to consider supporting this campaign to assist Hussam and Mai Abushawish, lifelong residents of the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central portion of the Gaza Strip. Their urgent wish is to provide educational opportunities outside of Gaza for their one son and four daughters: Montaser (23), Lama (22), Shaden (20), Shahd (17), and Layan (13). Montaser, a senior in college, has been studying Information Technology at Al-Azhar University in Gaza City. Both Lama (also a senior) and Shaden (a sophomore) have been studying Multi-Media at the University College of Applied Sciences, also in Gaza City. Shahd is in the 11th grade, and Lama is in the 7th grad.

Their universities and schools, along with all other universities and many hundreds of schools in Gaza, have been destroyed by the Israeli bombardment that began on Oct 7, 2023 after Hamas’ invasion of southern Israel. To date, more than 31,000 Gazans (including over 13,000 children) have been killed with another 70,000 plus injured. More than a million people have been displaced from the north to the south. Hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses, and most infrastructure, have been destroyed. More than a million are now at severe risk of famine.

Education is a cardinal value for Palestinians. This is evidenced by one of the highest literacy rates in the world (96%) and by comparable enrollment rates in school. Virtually every person in Gaza, both male and female, strives for the highest level of education as possible. The commanding role of education is no better illustrated than by the Abushawish family.

I have known Hussam personally since he was a late teen in 1996 as part of my decades-long research of youth and families in the Gaza Strip. I have followed his development to this day, including the achievement of his BA in English from Al Azhar University, and his MA and PhD degrees in Educational Leadership in the United States and Malaysia, respectively.

Since his first graduation, Hussam has been a college teacher (following in the footsteps of his father who was a career English teacher in Gaza), and he has risen over the years to his current position as Associate Dean of Education at one of Gaza’s colleges (which has also been destroyed by bombing). Mai, Hussam’s wife, also has a BA in English from Al-Azhar and is a professional translator. The children have inherited this passion for education from their parents. The full narrative of Hussam and his family will be published in my book forthcoming this Fall.

Like all Gazans, Hussam’s family have suffered greatly over these last months. Hussam was actually abroad when the war began on October 7, 2023. This separation during such a catastrophic time caused the entire family great anxiety. He wasn’t allowed to return to his family until late November. Since then they have displaced, frantically, nine times between their home, their parents’ home, and relatives homes, in every case in response to Israeli military orders to evacuate or because of the incessant bombing.

Barring special intervention, the only way for people to leave Gaza is through an Egyptian travel agency (Al Hala) that charges exorbitant fees to cross the Rafah border and travel to Cairo. Relying on current cost estimates from Gaza and Cairo, we are seeking to raise $62,770, broken down as follows:

$2,500 for apartment rental and food, at $2,500 per month for 9 months

During this period, the children will finish their education or find employment, apply for graduate programs, and seek visas to continue their life in another country.

Your contribution will not only provide the children with the means to pursue their education abroad but also reignite their hope for a better future. Every contribution, regardless of its size, will make a tangible difference. Your support will enable Montaser, Lama, Shaden, Shahd, and Layan to study in environments that foster academic excellence, cultural exchange, and personal growth. It will open doors to new opportunities, empower them to become future leaders, and make a positive impact not only in their local communities but also on a global scale.

If you are unable to contribute financially at this time, kindly share this campaign with your friends, family, and social networks.

Thank you for your compassion, generosity, and commitment to the power of education. Your support will create a lasting impact and help rebuild the dreams of these resilient students.