Empower Batool's Journey: From War to University

Hello, I'm James Evans, an teacher and friend of Batool, collecting donations for her and her family as they persevere through the calamity of war. The following words and art are all Batool's:

The Voice of a Dreamer: A Teen's Journey of Hope and Resilience

"Will my voice reach the world, I wonder?" This is what I contemplate as I write. This is my current state, and I sigh as I recall how my life previously was a dream...

Hello, this is the story of a dreamy seventeen-year-old girl, academically accomplished and always aspiring for the best in everything. This girl's wish and primary goal were to complete her high school education and specialize in her heart's passion: programming. She also envisioned studying engineering in University to develop this passion further. As she pursued and these goals, suddenly, without prior warning, war struck Gaza, extinguishing the flame in her eyes with tears and destroying everything in one fell swoop.

Entering university, specializing in programming and then engineering, and even completing her high school education... Along with her friends who shared their beautiful dreams with her, her teachers, her entire city, all vanished in the blink of an eye and buried under the rubble...

In those difficult circumstances that break the mind and body together, and no human can endure, let alone a child entitled to live in safety, she fled with her family from her home under the tyranny of fire to a place unfit for living, unexpectedly.

With the harshness of the circumstances, the cold of winter, and the lack of basic necessities of life, how difficult it was for her to look at her bag, the only thing she took with her from her home, unsure if it remains as it was or has turned to ashes... And what was even harder was remembering that she left behind her favorite belongings and memories and only carried a few clothes and her mobile phone with her.

She no longer misses the last year of her childhood, which seemed to fade away with the harshness of life, as there is no room for her amidst worries to think about it.

How she misses her hobby of drawing... and her sketchbook...

And how she misses her computer, her world of programming, and all her projects on it...

Also, the national programming competitions she participated in and won, the academic competitions she excelled in, her involvement in numerous artificial intelligence and programming teams and courses, her high qualifications, her creative and unconventional ideas, her ability for self-learning and rapid learning, her quick engagement and curiosity, in addition to many of her talents and hobbies such as drawing, writing, reading, and singing...

All of this is on the verge of disappearing with the turn of the wind, the rubble, and the destruction at any moment of impending danger...

This is my story, I am Batoul. But there is still more to the tale relying on you, as I now need your support and assistance so that such talent and youthful flame do not get buried under the war rubble in Gaza.

My brothers and sisters from all around the world, I hope my voice reaches you, and until it does, I believe in it. I will continue to dream that I will travel, grow, pursue my development and dreams, become the greatest programmer in the world, and the best engineer as well. Yes, I will dream... and I await your kind hands to support me, because I still know and believe that there is still conscience and humanity in this world, and that from suffering greatness is born.

The amount intended to be raised will be for covering the university tuition fees for me and my siblings, in addition to purchasing essential supplies, furnishing and renovating the house. The estimated total amount is around $20,000 - $30,000.

I implore you to help me achieve this dream and ensure that financial obstacles do not prevent me from pursuing this endeavor.

Batoul

A note about my friend, James Evans, who will be collecting on my behalf: We met July 2023 during a summer teaching program. He was my instructor. If you want to reach him directly, please connect via LinkedIn.

Here's a photo of us together at the summer program in Gaza city, July 2023

and more of my recent art!