Help a young couple survive an unfair war

Valerie Aviña is organizing this fundraiser.

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Hello! My name is Valerie, I'm from California and I'm fundraising this campaign for my dear friend Esraa.

Esraa and I have directly been in communication via Instagram/WhatsApp.

Her Instagram: @esraa__hassan21

My Instagram: @retrogradebaddie

We have developed a friendship over the course of obtaining funds for her 9 year old sister Leen and her family.

This is her story; Esraa Esleem has always been a loving daughter, sister, and friend. She is the eldest of five children of Hassan and Manal’s Esleem. She lived in Gaza City with her family, in the north of the Gaza Strip.

Esraa always did what she was expected to do, got good grades in school, studied hard, took care of her siblings and lived a beautiful life. She was in her last year of university, looking forward to completing a degree as a specialist in multimedia and web development. She was also looking forward to marrying the love of her life, Youseff.

Youseff and Esraa had an engagement party on October 5th, 2023, with their whole family present. The Esleems were so proud of their beautiful, eldest daughter marrying her soulmate. That day, at her engagement party, was the last day her whole family was together, the last day so many of them have seen each other alive. Everything changed after that, and the nightmare has not stopped.

Life under the occupation was difficult, but the people living in Gaza made the best of it. This strip of land has been under complete siege by land, air, and sea since 2005. Complete siege means that all of the borders are controlled by the Israeli occupation and the majority of the inhabitants are not granted the ability to leave. Despite this, Esraa and her family had a beautiful life. They worked hard for everything that they have and never took anything for granted. They loved life and they lived it to the fullest, despite the brutal occupation they could not escape.

Esraa fled south with her mother, two sisters, two brothers and grandmother as soon as the bombardment started. And, as the bombs started dropping, their family had to make quick decisions and try to flee on foot. Hassan (Esraa’s father) stayed behind in the north to follow closely behind with his elderly parents as soon as they could. Youseff (Esraa’s fiancee) stayed to help his family survive, and find safety; he planned to meet his soon to be bride as soon as he could. But, the civilians in North Gaza have no safe passage to the south. Many civilian families who have tried to evacuate south have been targeted by snipers and quad copters. Nowhere is safe in Gaza during a genocide.

The Esleem family, and so many like them, have done exactly what they were told to do, but yet, were shown no mercy. The Israeli Army has told the Palestinian people to go south, when they went south, they are now telling them to go north. But now, the north has received evacuation notice through flyers being dropped from the sky. This is a genocide, the occupation is running these humans into the ground while they are starving, have no medical aid, and are running out of fuel and water since the Rafah border was seized by the occupation.

Esraa has lost everything, she no longer has a home or university, and many family members have been killed. The devastation has been ongoing for one year now and there is no end sight. She is living through an unimaginable situation.

Any donation that you can give will be so appreciated by Esraa and Youseff towards surviving this genocide, and towards their future together as husband and wife.

Any donation amount goes a long way, even five dollars. If you cannot donate, please consider sharing and praying for them. Thank you for standing in solidarity with this beautiful Palestinian family.

Esraa requests for donations to ensure her families basic needs are met as well continuing her education and marriage arrangements. Esraa wishes to evacuate outside of Gaza due to constant displacement and horrific living conditions. With your generous donations we can restore hope to this beautiful couple! Love is the foundation of every good deed! With rejoice, let us reunite this couple and return them to safety to continue their journey of love through marriage.

This is Youseff signing their marriage contract eagerly awaiting to marry Esraa.