My name is Jihad Sangai, and I am fundraising for Sara El-Shaikh, a 21-year-old young woman from Gaza whom I met on Instagram.

Because people in Gaza are unable to create a GoFundMe or receive money directly, I will be collecting the donations here and then transferring them safely to Sara through trusted channels that she can access.

If anyone would like to get in touch with Sara personally or see more of her story, you can find her on Instagram:saraelshaikhh.

Sara’s Story:

My name is Sara Al-Sheikh, I am 21 years old and from Gaza. I graduated from high school with excellent grades and always dreamed of becoming a doctor. But because of the difficult circumstances, I was not able to follow that path. Instead, I began studying Computer and Intelligent Systems Engineering and completed my first year.

When the war began, everything changed. We were displaced, our home was destroyed, and I lost all my belongings — including my phone and laptop — which made it impossible for me to continue my university studies online. After enduring so much hardship, I married in May 2025, but only a week after our wedding we were forced to flee again as the bombing continued.

I never imagined I would one day have to ask for help, but now I have no other choice. We no longer have a home, we have no income, and nothing to start over with. Life has been reduced to mere survival, yet I still hold on tightly to my dream of studying and building a better future.

I would be deeply grateful if you could help me rebuild even a small part of my life and give me the chance to begin again.