Help Hatem and His Family Evacuate Gaza to Safety

Rising From the Ashes: Help a Promising Young Computer Science Engineer and His Family Survive the Attacks on Gaza

Hello to my friends all over the world,

I'm Hatem Saadallah, a young Palestinian from Gaza. I just graduated with an Engineering degree last summer.

As a young computer science engineer, I was excited about what was coming and feeling blessed to have a job that I loved along with a community that I cherished.

Before the recent attacks on Gaza, my days were full of attending lectures, working, and volunteering. I found my passion working for an amazing non-profit called Codex where we trained an annual cohort of 50 high school students to graduate with a strong foundation in Computer Science, most of whom were prepared to go on to study Engineering and become part of the fast-growing tech ecosystem in Gaza. As a part of the tech ecosystem myself, this drove me even more to work tirelessly to create a better future for my community and all those in Gaza.

Me on my college graduation day, first from the left.

Unfortunately, the future I had imagined has been cut short. After October 7, we were forced to evacuate my neighborhood Al Rimal in the middle of Gaza City, I remember the night as I watched TV with horror looking at the endless explosions that rendered Al Rimal uninhabitable. Ever since, my family and I have been fleeing for our safety, now having evacuated 6 times. With the onset of the attacks on Rafah, there is nowhere else for us to go in Gaza.

We were counting the days until we were able to return to our home in Gaza City; even though there would be no electricity or running water, my family and I were sitting on pins and needles until the day were able to return. Until we received the devastating news that our home has been completely burned and is uninhabitable.

This is my home which has been completely burnt from the inside from the attacks.

My office building where I spent most of the last two years of my life, in rubble.

Currently, the situation has become so dangerous and dire that prices are up 10x, food has become so scarce and expensive, that drinkable water is barely available. Every day, I hear harrowing accounts of friends, neighbors, colleagues, and the students I passionately supported who have been brutally wounded or killed.

My younger brothers, Yazan and Mohammad, with my sister Farah who is helping coordinate from Egypt.

This is where I turn to you, my friends, and my network of friends across the globe to give me and my family a glimmer of hope for the future. We hope to find a place for me to continue my studies and professional career, for my younger brothers, Mohammed and Yazan, and for my parents who both hold a master’s degree. Your support, regardless of the amount, will make a huge impact on our lives and at this point very well may save our lives.

I thank you from the depths of my heart for your compassion and life-sustaining support.

A photo of when I co-organized a TEDx event during my internship with Theatre Day Productions, a local NGO in Gaza.

A photo from when I participated in a programming competition at Sharm Elsheik in Egypt in 2022 after winning the local contest in Gaza.

Your donation will help cover the unfortunately very high fees of evacuating me and my family and across the border to Egypt and to help us have modest funds to live off of once we cross and begin to rebuild our lives. I am transferring the funds through my friend Josiah in the U.S. to my sister in Egypt who will help us pay the Egyptian authorities to cross the border.

Cost Breakdown:

Evacuating Hatem and his parents: $16,500 ($5,500 per adult)

Evacuating Yazan and Mohammad: $5,400 ($2,700 per child)

Six Months Living Expenses in Egypt: $5,000

GoFundMe Fees: $2,000

Bank Transfer Fee: $1,000

A memory of my brothers throwing peace signs, may they one day know true peace.