Support the Qeshtas, a displaced family from Rafah

Hello, my name is Nicole McInnis. I'm a mother in Nova Scotia, Canada and I am fundraising to help ease the burden for my dear friends, the Qeshtas, who have been experiencing immense difficulties and challenges in Gaza. Thank you for considering to help support them as they are so deserving of hope.

The Qeshtas are a beautiful family of 6: mother Noha who was studying her masters in linguistics and father Na'el. Their children Mohammed (21) who was studying accounting, Saif (20) who was studying IT, Sultan (10th grade), Sara (7th grade) and the littlest member of their family Bahr (1.5y.) Life as they knew it has been completely upended and the struggles of daily survival that they have been facing since October 7th have been unimaginable.

These are photos of their home before October 7th, with her oldest son Mohammed and they were able to retrieve satellite images of their neighbourhood now and it is unrecognizable.

When speaking with Noha, I asked her what their hopes are for the fundraising for her family. They want to be able to return their children to their education and to be able to provide them a life of promise, love, and security. The funds will be to primarily help them survive the days in Gaza as costs for basic needs (food and necessities) continue to sky rocket. Funds will also be allocated to evacuating Gaza once they are able to. Prior to the border closure the fees to enter Egypt were $5,000- $10,000 per person. And then setting them up in their new life and returning the children to their academic studies.

The Qeshtas have experienced many burdens from loss of employment, home and shelter, and the grief of family members and friends who have been martyred. In my conversations with Noha she remains positive and hopeful although she has allowed me to share some of their experiences with you.

Jaundice:

Due to the lack of fresh foods and consistency of canned food, three of Noha's children have experienced jaundice from malnutrition. First Sara, then Saif and most recently Sultan who was extremely ill. The challenges alone to get medical care from these illnesses is extremely dangerous but the health and safety of their children has been a top priority.

Displacement: The Qeshtas lived in a lovely home in Rafah with a backyard filled with olive and citrus trees but were displaced during the attacks in Rafah when bombs were falling at their doorstep. They have since been displaced 3 times. The Qeshtas have been using images seen from the media to conclude that their home and their beautiful garden is no longer.

Current living conditions: The entire family is currently living in a makeshift tent built with scrap wood and fabric walls. They have been extremely resourceful despite the conditions and Noha has even created a garden of vegetables and herbs to give her hope. Over the past several weeks, despite them being in a designated "safe zone" they have been shot at from quad helicopters and have even found bullets directly outside their tent.

In closing, the funds collected will be spent on basic needs to survive for as long as their difficulties continue: food, water, rent, medicine, clothes, education, and anything else they may require. I take full responsibility to transfer the funds into their personal bank account.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read part of their story and I hope that you will help support their fundraising campaign.

With deep gratitude,

Nicole McInnis