Help Saja's Family Escape Gaza Crisis

My name is Saja Al-Ghoul, and I write to you with a heavy heart burdened by the ongoing tragedy in Gaza. For 220 days, Gaza has endured a genocide that has torn apart lives, memories, safety and hope. I find myself in a desperate situation, reaching out for help and holding onto hope.

My dear family consists of seven members. We had no idea how blessed our lives were before the displacement, violence, and uncertainty we now face. We were proud home-owners and had a thriving pharmacy business, surrounded by schools and universities where dreams could flourish. Most importantly, life was safe, healthy and stable. Each of my family members has our own cherished places, friends, memories, and dreams.

In October 2023, everything changed. We were forced to leave our home, leaving everything behind with nothing but the clothes on our backs.

I will never forget any of the horrible traumas that we've lived, but October 25 stands especially clear. Our neighbor's home was bombed. The glass from our windows fell down on our heads. We saw our neighbors home disappear into rubble, and the fire afterwards lasted for hours. We listened to their screams for help but we were unable to help. Their screams only stopped when they died. This was the moment when we accepted we had to leave our home behind to seek safety, but there is no safety to be found anymore in Gaza.

We relocated to the UNRWA school and the Al-Sheifa hospital, but they too were threatened and destroyed. Even the Al-Sheifa hospital, right in our neighborhood, was totally destroyed. Our home has been destroyed as well.

Now, for the past six months, all seven of us have been living in a one room in the Deir al-Balah in southern Gaza, where it is supposed to be a safe. But this too is a lie. Each day and night we hear explosions, the sounds of the warplanes and drones flying above our heads, and feel the fear of losing our beloved friends and family members any minute.

The daily struggle for survival also weighs heavily on us. There is little food and clean water so we must walk for miles to get water, even though it may still be unclean, leaving us vulnerable to disease and infection. There is little to no electricity: we are lucky when we can charge our small lamp and phone batteries. We wash our clothes by hand, and have no stable internet or cooking gas.

Each day we are just trying to survive, keeping our will to live alive by talking about our memories and dreams from before this war. The photo above is my family celebrating my sister's graduation on September 2023, just days before the genocide started.

About Our Family

Father - My father has worked his whole life to provide his children with a good life. These past 7 months, he had to watch his life's work crumble before his eyes. Our home was partially destroyed, and our beloved pharmacy was completed destroyed in March 2024.

Our family pharmacy before:

Our family pharmacy now:

My father's health is suffering as well. He was planning to have an operation done on his right eye for glaucoma. His vision is rapidly declining, and we will not be able to perform the operation unless we cross the Egyptian border.

Saja - I am 21 years old, and a software engineering student at Al-Azhar University, I have finished three years of my degree with an excellenct GPA, ranked at the top of our engineering class. Now, my dear university has been destroyed and I fear I will not be able to finish my education or reach my former dreams.

My beloved university before and after:

Mohamed - my brother Mohamed is 18 years old, and graduated from high school in August 2023. He had aspirations of becoming a pharmacist, but his dreams have been shattered along with our pharmacy business and his university.

Ahmad - my brother Ahmad is 25 years old. He is a software engineer, but lost his remote work opportunities because of the lack of Internet and electricity.

Myar - my little sister Myar is 15 years old. She is only in the 10th grade and has lost so many friends, dear teachers, and her school.

Heba - my sister Heba is 23 years old. She is a recent dentistry school graduate and had hoped to start her internship and build her career, but the war has put everything on hold.

Mother - our mother has given everything to her children. Her only wish is to see us have a safe, stable, and fulfilling life and to be able to reach for our dreams.

Now, your donations are my family's only chance of survival. Thank you for considering our desperate plea. Your support means more to us than words can express

Fundraising Goal

The funds from this fundraiser will allow my family to evacuate through the Rafah/Egypt border safely, set up temporary accommodation, and continue our education and work.

Your donations give us hope in this darkest of times. Thank you all.

For other updates and to help spread the word, follow our campaign on Instagram at sajafromgaza

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This fundraiser is being organized by my friend Vicki in New York, USA so that we are able to collect the funds, after which point they will be transferred for evacuation and continued support.