Help Hala's Fam Escape Sudan War& Pursue Education

I am Hala, and I'm a biomedical engineer from Sudan, a country that has been engulfed in war since 15 April 2023. The conflict has not only disrupted my life but also put my dreams and most importantly put me and family's safety at great risk.

I have been displaced four times, constantly moving to escape the violence. I live in Omdurman, Khartoum now where RSF militias are shelling artillery and we could die at any moment. Moreover we suffer from severe shortages of food, water and no electricity it's too bad to a point we have one meal a day.

Tragically, My dad was a prisoner for months by RSF militias and accused him of having a rank in the sudanese army, tortured him and stole all his money leaving him nothing, almost lost his life but thank god he manged to escape. What's worse I lost my dear aunt due to the lack of medical supplies and assistance tragically after her decease we intended to leave but a long siege was forced on us by the RSF. But eventually were forced to leave our home due to a mass shelling but still we couldn't manage to completely leave danger zone. I hoped of returning to a safe home but it has now been 11 months, and I still haven’t seen it, don't know if i ever will. Honestly till this moment i do not know how I survived and still alive or if I will have a life to live in the future.

Now for as long as I can remember, I have been passionate about engineering and fixing things. So i studied biomedical engineering which is a field i find myself to profoundly resonate with, Before diving into AI I designed and implemented a prototype that allows users to control a wheelchair using their brain signals. This involved extensive work in EEG signal acquisition and processing, as well as the application of machine learning algorithms to interpret these signals. The project was very well received, and the prototype demonstrated promising results in initial testing. This experience had maximized my passion for research in assistive technologies, from there i knew i wanted to pursue this path. The prototype wasn't the classiest due to lack of equipments and limited funding managements had to be made to the minimal costs possible but although the model was simple i was proud of it because it was a success.

my ultimate goal now is to pursue a master’s degree in artificial intelligence and integrate biomedical engineering and AI to enhance the assistive technologies of medical equipments. And i found that kaist university happens to be one the most prestigious institutions in engineering that's why i chose it to advance my studies.

Despite all these conflicts, fear and hardships i had one thing which is Time. During this free time I developed a habit of learning online and enrolled in many courses, which made me even more sure about what i want to pursue. i dove deep into learning about AI , python also machine learning. I also developed a hobby for learning languages. I improved my English, learned a bit of German, and found Korean to be particularly beautiful, so I studied it the most. And that has inspired me to pursue my studies in Korea.

With Struggle Came Determination

With the death threat I realized that life is shorter than I ever imagined, and this realization has fueled my desire to make a difference in my life to improve it to a better one for me and my family.

I applied for scholarships to study abroad and was so thrilled to be accepted by one. Unfortunately, I missed the submission deadline because there were no flights available from Sudan to send my documents via post, and I lost my chance. But I decided not to give up. That experience gave me hope and strengthened my resolve. It has enlighten me that i was accepted for a reason and that i had potential.

How You Can Help Me:

Firstly me and my family of 10 members need to evacuate Omdurman and go to safe city but unfortunately the rent is too expensive and the financial burden is pervting us. That's why i am raising funds to cover the it's costs. and from there we need to go to Egypt which is the biggest barrier due to very high visa fees for sudanese and then I make my path to Korea to pursue my studies. The funds will not only help me escape the ongoing war but also provide me with the opportunity to secure a stable future and become a support system for my family.

The Master's program is 2 years so I need to raise 6,700€ per semester to cover for tuition. The program will take place in deajeon, which has living costs for students around 750€ per month. Moreover i have to pay for healthcare insurance it costs approximately 140,000₩ which is 100€ per month.

Fees and Expenses Break-down:

Travel costs: 350 EUR to travel to a safer city (port sudan) with my family + Rent = 2,500 EUR

Start travel process to egypt + travel + Rent and essentials = 9,000 EUR.

Residence permit & visa fees: 560 EUR.

Tuition Fees: 26,700 EUR.

Health insurance: 2,400 EUR.

• Total needed = 33,000 EUR.

The funds will be accumulated to my uncle's account, who currently resides in Germany.

I can not put into words how much your help means to me, Every donation, no matter how small, will bring us closer to safety and closer to realizing my dreams. Your support will lift us from the destruction.

Thank you for your kindness and for supporting me during this critical time.