Support a Palestinian Master’s Researcher to Rebuild Her Academic Dream

Dear Friends and Supporters around the world,

I am a Palestinian graduate student and a Master’s researcher specializing in Educational Technology. Before the ongoing genocide in Gaza, I was a dedicated school teacher, passionate about creative education and using technology to inspire young minds.

But war shatters more than buildings; it shatters the spaces where we heal, learn, and grow.

I used to have a beautiful home. I had my own private room with my bed, my wardrobe, and a large mirror I looked into to find strength whenever I felt weak. I had a wide balcony looking out over neighboring green fields, where I felt proud to eat from the fruits of my country. On the ground floor, I had a secret sanctuary—my private art studio where I poured my energy into painting. No one entered it except my parents. It felt like the only space I truly owned in this world. I also had the tech tools I needed to thrive: a modern smartphone, a tablet, a laptop, and headphones.

At 1:00 AM one frightful night, we were ordered to evacuate our home immediately. We only had time to throw on some warm clothes and caps to withstand the dawn chill. We left everything behind—our devices, our memories, our source of positive energy—thinking we would return by morning.

We never returned. Our home was completely demolished. My room, my balcony, my art studio, and all my paintings are gone.

Today, my sisters and I share a single room, a single wardrobe, and a single desk, taking shifts by the hour to study. I lost my job. With schooling shifting online, the curriculum has been deeply marginalized, focusing only on a few topics and sidelining creative and national education.

Despite the darkness, I refuse to give up on my education. I am fighting to finish my Master's degree, which has been my dream since childhood. I completed my coursework last semester, but to begin my actual thesis—focusing on integrating active technology into online education to boost students' belonging and scientific literacy—I need to pay my university tuition.

Right now, I don't even own a phone. I am working on an old, slow Toshiba laptop that cannot run the heavy educational and design applications I need for my research. I constantly have to borrow a friend’s laptop whenever I need to work on my thesis.

The financial support I am asking for is very small, but it will completely change my life. I urgently need your help to secure the following:

Any donation, no matter how small or simple it may seem to you, will make an immense difference in my life and will directly fund my education. It is a small amount that will help a Palestinian educator reclaim her future and keep learning alive against all odds.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your warmth, your kindness, and your solidarity.

With hope and gratitude,

A Palestinian Researcher

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A note from Priya:

I am raising funds on behalf of my friend in Gaza to ensure that she can rebuild and pursue her academic dream. I have created this fundraiser and will facilitate fund transfers to ensure that she can urgently pay her tuition fees, obtain appropriate technology to conduct her research, and cover basic survival needs. I am happy to answer any questions to the best of my ability (in line with the privacy preferences of my friend). Thank you very much for your support.