Dear Friends, Supporters, and Compassionate Souls,

I reach out to you today with a heavy heart and an urgent plea for help. We are Ayah Besaiso and Mimi Emad. Our family in Gaza has been torn apart by the devastating effects of war. In December 2023, our home was bombed, leaving our family shattered and grief-stricken. Tragically, two of our beloved cousins lost their lives in this senseless violence and one of them got severely injured. Our family has been stuck in the North of Gaza ever since the start of the war. With the recent attacks on the Al Shifa Hospital - their neighbourhood was completely destroyed and they were forced to flee to a neighbouring house. They are now staying in a basement of a house that is not inhabitable; sleeping on the floor despite staying for 170 days in their bombed house.

The situation in Gaza is dire. Every day, families like mine are forced to live in constant fear, surrounded by destruction and despair. Basic necessities are scarce, and the threat of further violence is keeping us awake all night. They were forced to stay at our bombed house for 170 days, starved at times because they were surrounded by tanks, and unable to see light for days. They were forced to eat animal feed and are now fasting despite having nothing to break their fast with. And amidst this chaos, our family's only hope is to escape, to find safety and refuge elsewhere.

But escape is not easy. The costs of leaving Gaza are crazy expensive, beyond the means of ordinary families already struggling to survive. Exit fees, transportation expenses, and other logistical challenges stand in the way of their freedom. They need our help, our solidarity, and our support to break free from this cycle of violence and rebuild their lives.

This is why I am reaching out to you today, with a humble request for your generosity. Your donations will go directly towards covering the exit fees required for our family to leave Gaza safely. Every dollar, every contribution, brings them one step closer to freedom, to a future where they can live without fear, without the constant threat of violence. I plan to bring them to Canada once they can exit Gaza.

Your support means more than words can express. It is a lifeline for our family, a beacon of hope in their darkest hour.

The donations will go toward our 5 family members and those include:

Siham Besaiso ( Our grandmother)

Zaheda Besaiso(My aunt and Mimi's Mother)

Emad Filfil (My uncle and Mimi's Father)

Izz Filfil (My cousin and Mimi's Brother)

Shoukri Filfil (My cousin and Mimi's Brother)

The donations will only be used for the required exit fees. As of today, the exit fees for the Rafah border crossing are $5,000 USD per person. Mimi and I are both willing to cover their transportation costs to Egypt and onward to Canada.

Please, donate whatever you can, and share this campaign with your friends, your family, and your networks. Every share, every act of kindness, brings us closer to our goal. Let us stand together in solidarity with the people of Gaza, let us show them that they are not alone in their struggle.

If you would like more information about our situation or how you can help, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for your compassion, your generosity, and your unwavering support.

In Solidarity,

Ayah and Mimi