
Mohanad’s Plea: Rebuild & Protect His Family in Gaza
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I am Mohanad Smama, a Palestinian from Gaza—a dancer, choreographer, and physical education teacher. I grew up in a family devoted to serving the community through education and sports. My father was an international table tennis referee, and my mother was a physical education teacher. My family has always been a source of support and generosity for the youth in Gaza.

However, the recent war has completely destroyed our lives. We lost our home, our jobs, and my family was forcibly displaced. Today, they live in tents under harsh conditions, without adequate clothing or proper shelter. I left Gaza for Egypt, hoping to support them from afar, but I now find myself unable to meet their basic needs on my own.


To be honest, I never wanted to reach this point or create a fundraising page. I felt paralyzed by helplessness and delayed taking this step, believing I could manage on my own. However, I admit that I desperately need your support. If I had started this campaign months ago, I might have been able to help my family more effectively, but I ask for your help now, hoping it's not too late.

Today, I’m asking for your help to bring my family of 8 out of Gaza to Egypt, where they can live safely and securely, away from war and suffering. My goal is to provide them with a warm home, winter clothes, and enough food to restore their sense of safety and dignity.

Over the years, with my family’s support, I have achieved so much in my artistic and cultural fields, contributing to preserving Palestinian identity. Now, I find myself needing your help to rebuild our lives and restore hope to my family, who have always given so generously to others.

I also need your support to continue sharing my voice, my work, my teachings, and to discover new ways to give back to Gaza, my team, and the children there. As a contemporary Palestinian artist from Gaza, I have lived through pain and suffering, yet I worked tirelessly to achieve my dreams and share my story with the world.

What I have experienced carries deep details that deserve to be told through film, performance, writing, and publishing—transforming these hardships into hope, strength, and resilience. It’s crucial for me to maintain my role as a contemporary artist known in Palestine and Gaza, and to keep supporting my community through art and education, just as my parents did in their own way.
Every contribution, no matter how small, will make a significant difference in the lives of my family—especially my parents, who now bear so many responsibilities for my siblings’ children who also lost their homes—and in my ability to continue as an artist carrying a message of hope and courage for my people. Your support will give them a new chance at life, far from pain and destruction, and help me keep bringing my story and my work to the world.
I know this isn’t just a fundraising campaign—It’s a fight for survival, for rebuilding life, and for preserving hope in the face of pain and loss. I need your help not only for my family but also to continue my journey as an artist who transforms pain into creativity and tragedy into a message for the world.
Thank you to everyone who reads my story and to anyone who can help or share this campaign. Your support means more to me and my family than words can express. I will keep updating this page to share the progress of this campaign and to show the impact you are making in our lives.



Fundraising team: Fundraiser Team (1)

Mohanad Smama
Organizer
San Francisco, CA

Cristina Isabel Rivera
Team member