UPDATE: If the ceasefire holds, and Palestinians in Gaza are given the opportunity to cross the border and leave Gaza, Rahma wants to take that route. Not only is her house a pile of rubble, it’s still in the occupied areas. She can’t even access it. In addition to that, as a mother, she wants a better life for her children. An education, a home with walls and a ceiling, a bathroom they don’t have to share with other families… as hard as this decision is, Rahma is doing what’s best for her children.

Please stay tuned for updates as we wait for more details. And in the meantime please keep contributing. ❤️‍

-Sarah

——————

My name is Sarah Hartzell. I live in the United States, and am hosting this fundraiser on behalf of my friend Rahma Wajid Al-Najjar and her 2 sons, Qasim and Nasser.

Follow her on instagram here:

https://www.instagram.com/rahmawajed?igsh=MXVtNmNwNWJpcXphdw==

This fundraiser was originally created to help Rahma’s family evacuate Gaza, but recent developments caused plans to change. The entity has bombed and blocked the only way out of Gaza, and has begun their invasion of Rafah from the east. So, this fundraiser is now purely for survival.

The most immediate need is $250 so Rahma and her boys can escape Rafah. This amount is for transportation, to relocate her and her children’s belongings and their tent. They are having to travel several miles.

Here are her words (before the invasion of Rafah began):

“My name is Rahma Wajid Al-Najjar. I am 30 years old. Yes, I live in a very small tent and the condition is very bad. The number of members of my family is 3, me and two children named Nasser and Qasim. I do not have anyone injured or disabled, thank God.. My family and I are struggling to evacuate as quickly as possible.. At the beginning of the war, my sister’s house was bombed over their heads, and my niece was martyred and my sister was injured while she was pregnant. Also, my sister-in-law’s entire family, 23 people, was martyred. My house, my family’s house, and my sisters’ house were bombed. We now live in a tent in a very bad condition, and we suffer from a lack of water and food, but what matters to us is safety. We want to evacuate from Gaza for the sake of my children. This is what I want.“

Funds are transferred via western union.

(Rahma and her 2 boys, Qasim and Nasser)

(Rahma’s home in khan Younis)

(Life in Rafah- before the invasion began)