--- About Mohammed ---
My Journey to Rebuild: A Plea for Help
My name is Mohammed Al-Rai, a software engineer from Gaza City, Palestine. I come from a loving family of eight, including my parents, two brothers (Amin and Khader), my younger brother Omar, and my two sisters. Our lives were turned upside down on October 7th when war struck our homeland, leaving us in a state of constant fear and uncertainty.
The Impact of War on My Family
Within ten days of the war's onset, we lost access to the internet, electricity, and water. This disruption halted my work, cutting me off from my team and leaving me without a job. Our already fragile situation deteriorated further on November 15th when a nearby water station was bombed. This tragic event destroyed half of our home and all our belongings, including my laptop, iPad, mobile phone, and office equipment. With our home in ruins, we sought refuge with relatives, hoping for some semblance of safety.
A Series of Heart-Wrenching Tragedies
In early December, the destruction of a neighboring house rendered our temporary shelter uninhabitable. The area was declared a military operations zone, and it became too dangerous to stay. We fled to a displacement school, where we faced harsh and perilous conditions for a month until the army withdrew, leaving widespread devastation in its wake.
During this desperate time, I considered escaping to Rafah. However, a heartbreaking personal tragedy halted my plans. My beloved uncle heroically tried to lead his family and my physically challenged grandmother to safety. Tragically, both passed away due to severe health conditions and the harsh journey. This loss was devastating and forced me to abandon the idea of escaping to Rafah.
As Ramadan began, we faced yet another sorrowful loss – my grandmother passed away after a long struggle with illness. These cumulative tragedies have brought unbearable grief to our family, and we continue to mourn the loss of our loved ones..
A Plea for Support
I am reaching out to you with a heavy heart, seeking your support to fund my journey out of Gaza. This will enable me to return to work and provide stability for my family. The funds will cover the following:
Cost Breakdown:
Travel and Transportation Expenses: $16,000
- Coordination fees from Gaza to Egypt: $7,000
- Transportation costs: $5,000
- Living expenses for the first 3 months until I can get back to work: $2,000
Work Essentials: $4,200
- Laptop: $2,800
- Mobile phone: $400
- Tablet, office desk, and external monitor: $1,000
Home Restoration: $40,000
- Repair and restore our house, making it livable again
- Family Support: $3,000
- Monthly expenses for 7 family members at $600 per month (3-5 months)
Total Needed: $63,200 (£48,600; €58,000)
- My family and I have endured unimaginable hardships and loss. We have lost our home, our belongings, and beloved family members. Despite these challenges, I remain hopeful and determined to rebuild our lives. Your support can help us rise from the ruins and create a stable future.
Your generosity can help me overcome these challenges and regain my confidence and security. Please consider donating to my GoFundMe campaign and sharing my story with others who might be able to help. Together, we can rebuild what has been lost and create a stable future.
Thank you for your support.
--- About Gaven ---
Gaven Cohen is a Jewish software developer helping Mohammed with his campaign.
"Mohammed's story particularly touched me since we both operate in all the same (software) developer communities. He has a long history of helping others, particularly on sites like "StackOverflow" where he has a very high "karma" rating.
"I've donated to and been involved with various causes over my lifetime, and have always believed that if we're in a position to help others, we should. Despite so much hatred in the world today, I always found it so inspiring to see, after heinous attacks of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia around the world, how often it was the Jewish and Muslim communities who would step up to help each other, and remind everyone that human life is sacred and not subject to politics or ideologies. Now it's my turn to 'Pay it forward'. Thanks for reading to the end, and please help if you can, whether its from a donation or from sharing Mohammed's story".