Life-Shaking…Altering, Nesma’s Family’s Fight for Survival in Gaza
by Nesma Elyan
Donation campaign https://gofund.me/014170a8
Dear friends,
I’m reaching out to you today with a heartfelt plea for assistance in our desperate situation, as we strive to evacuate from Gaza in search of a brighter future. It’s difficult to convey the extent of our struggles for more than 200 days in just a few lines, but I’ll do my best to summarize the challenges we face in our clinging to survive!
At 24 years old, an age that should be filled with promise and accomplishments, I find myself in the midst of this turmoil. My name is Nesma, and I hail from Gaza. Since October 7th, my family and I have endured unimaginable hardships. We have already been forced to evacuate multiple times within Gaza, from Gaza to Khan Yunis and then to Rafah, where we witnessed the loss of many lives. Miraculously, we managed to survive each time.
Everything we hold dear is being reduced to ashes: our cherished home, our neighborhood, and even our places of work. We are living in dire circumstances, lacking access to basic necessities such as clean water, food, and medication. My father, who has diabetes, requires daily medication that we struggle to obtain. Our safety is not guaranteed, as even the water and food we have access to are unsafe.
Alongside my words, I have enclosed some photos that illustrate the heartbreaking damage done to our safe shelter. My dad poured his heart and soul into building it, and it’s devastating to see it in ruins.
My family consists of my parents, Merwan and Rania, and my four siblings: Yasmeen, who is 27 years old a mother of two innocent angels Raed, a 26-year-old computer engineering graduate with four years of work experience, Mohammed, who is 17 years old, and Layan, who is 13 years old. We all share the same aspirations for a better future. Unfortunately, in order to pursue our dreams, we have been compelled to make the heart-wrenching decision to leave our beloved city. With your support, we can make this difficult journey possible.
I still hold onto hope, clinging to the desire to achieve the goals on my 2023 accomplishment list. The most significant of these is pursuing a master’s degree abroad. I also yearn to provide my parents with a healthy and dignified life, and ensure that my younger siblings receive an education. I refuse to mourn the loss of our home or jobs; instead, I choose to focus on building a brighter tomorrow.
We appeal for your generosity. We have set a fundraising target of USD 32,000 which covers travel costs to Egypt, temporary living expenses for accommodation and basic necessities, food, medicine, and out-of-Gaza educational costs for my two siblings.
Your donation, no matter how small, will significantly impact our safety and future. The funds raised will be used transparently to ensure that every dollar goes towards securing our evacuation.
If you could kindly spread the word about our campaign to your loved ones and colleagues, it would mean so much to us. Your support is truly invaluable, and we sincerely appreciate your kindness and generosity. Together, we can find the safety and security we urgently need. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
P.S. Sorry, I didn’t mean to make this message longer than I intended. But seriously, trust me, this is the first time I’ve really opened up and talked about it!
