Help Alaa and Islam build a future for their kids

Salam dear friends,

My name is Alaa Radwan, and this is my husband, Islam Bashir. We are parents to three beautiful souls—our twins, Kinan and Kinda (3.5 years old), and our youngest, Yaman, who is just one year and eight months. Every day, we look into their eyes and pray for a future where they can simply be children—where they can laugh, learn, and grow without fear.

I am a teacher, translator, and writer. I write regularly on my Substack, sharing stories and reflections from Gaza. You can find my work here: https://substack.com/@alaafromgaza

My husband Islam was a dedicated customer service representative, a man who took pride in helping others. But like thousands in Gaza, we lost everything—our jobs, our home, even the right to exist in the eyes of systems meant to protect people like us. In Egypt, where we fled to survive, we are invisible. We cannot work legally, open a bank account, or even buy a SIM card in our own names.

Here are some pictures of me with my students in Gaza. Some of them didn’t survive this horrifying genocide.

And this is Islam at his workplace in Gaza before he lost his job.

How We’re Surviving

To provide for our family, we began teaching Arabic online to students from around the world. We keep our prices very low in the hope of attracting more learners and earning just enough to cover our basic needs.

You can read and watch some of the beautiful reviews from our students here: https://www.instagram.com/alaa.rad92?igsh=cmJuNjdiOW1hMzFy

We spent our entire lives in Gaza. We went through hardship and siege together. We built a home filled with love and dreams.

On October 13, my birthday, we were forced to leave everything behind. It was the last time I saw our home before it was reduced to rubble. We carried only a few pieces of clothing, not knowing if we would ever return.

You can see a glimpse of our life before everything changed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Kb_j1uCX14

https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSh2vQBtM/

Why We Need Your Help

In May 2024, just two days before the invasion of Rafah, we managed to flee Gaza with the help of friends. We have now been in Cairo for a year, but life here has not been easy. We live with no legal protection. Our children cannot go to school. We cannot access basic rights. We went to the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, but they told us they are not accepting any applications from Palestinians from Gaza. In their eyes, we are not refugees. But what else are we, if not people who fled a genocide to save our children?

Since October 7, our world has collapsed. We lost family members, friends, colleagues, and students. The life we once knew is gone. Every day is a fight to survive and to find hope again.

Now, we have a chance to start over. We want to move to Oman, where we can apply for an investor visa. It is the only pathway currently available to Palestinians from Gaza. With this visa, we could:

- Start a small business to support our family

- Finally send our children to school

- Live without fear of being forced back into a warzone

To do this, we need to raise £40,000. This amount would allow us to cover the cost of the visa, secure housing, and start our life anew in safety and dignity.

We are asking for your help. Your support means everything to us. It is not just a donation. It is a lifeline. It is a chance to give our children the childhood they were denied and to help us rebuild what was stolen from us.

With gratitude and hope,

Alaa and Islam