Rebuilding dreams and escape from the war in Gaza

My name is Rawan Lamdi, I am writing to you from Gaza. I am a 25 year old Palestinian, born in Khan Yunis, but I am now displaced to Rafah with my family due to the war. My husband was abroad when the war began and we have been separated from each other for the past 6 months.

Instagram: @rawan_lamdi

I graduated from Al-Quds Open University with a degree in English Literature. After graduation, I opened a small school teaching English to primary school students, in person and online. I also did freelance work so that I could earn more money, to help support my family, and also so I could move abroad and reunite with my husband.

Me before the war

My wedding was beautiful

As the world knows, we in the Gaza Strip have been subjected to many successive wars. We have lived with constant wars between 2008-2014, but this one is the worst of all. Since the beginning, we have been in a state of fear and panic, and waiting for death at any moment. We lost our family home that held all our dreams and memories. We don’t have the basic necessities for life, such as water and food. We have to stand in long lines to get water, which is polluted, as well as bread. We often can’t get any at all.

Our home before the war

Our home after it was destroyed

At night we cannot sleep because of the continuous bombing, as we must be ready to flee from one place to another. And during the day we struggle to get food.

As for safety - we cannot even dream about it, because the sounds of bombs, drones, and airstrikes wake us up from it every night. We are living through the worst periods of our lives.

We never would have imagined that we would lose our homes, our dreams, our friends, and live in a state of homelessness, despair, and constant fear. I have lost all my dreams and beautiful memories, but I still have a small hope that my life and dreams will be returned to me.

My dream is to live safely with my fiancé, in a safe house, and create a happy family far away from death and fear. The war makes this difficult. My fiancé was receiving medical care in Belgium when the war began and we cannot be with each other. We are high school sweethearts, and have been in love for 9 years, but this war will take away our dream of living together. I live here waiting for death every moment.

I need your help to reach safety and leave the Gaza Strip. I want to achieve my dreams and get my life back.

To facilitate my evacuation from Gaza to Egypt, and reach my fiancé in Belgium, I am asking for help raising the following funds:

° The costs of exiting the Gaza Strip via the Rafah crossing point are $10,000 per person

° $500 fees for exiting transportation

° The cost of obtaining a visa for travel to Belgium is $5,000 

° $2,000 living costs during my stay in Egypt while waiting to obtain a visa. This is for what I need for food, drink, and housing, because I lost everything I owned in the bombing of my house

° $700 for a laptop so I may be able to work again quickly

°€ 1,349 will be used to cover GoFundMe transaction fees.

° The rest will be used to support my family

Your support can make a profound difference in my life. Help me reach my goal and provide safety by sharing this campaign with your friends, family, and colleagues.

Ultimately, every donation, no matter its size, can make a meaningful difference in our lives.

LISTEN TO MY STORY:

Part 1:

Part 2: