Support Our Palestinian Friend Mahmoud

Help Mahmod get back on his feet

My name is Mahmod. I was displaced from Gaza to Egypt in April 2024. In January 2025 I was displaced again, and had to flee to the only country that would accept my arrival without a visa: Malaysia. From there I fled again to Indonesia, and from there Saudia Arabia. Finally I made it back to Egypt in March 2025. I was blessed to reunite with my mother and sister. Please give me a chance to get back on my feet, allow me to find a safe place for my family and myself to stay. During all of 2024 I worked tireless to help my community to survive this genocide, but today I need to ask for your support for my family. Thank you for restoring my hope in the good people of this world.

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My story during the war:

My family and I lived for 7 months, steadfast and steadfast in Gaza, our beloved, beautiful land that we cannot abandon. We fled artillery and aircraft, which led to us being forced to stay in a tent after the house of one of our friends, where we were displaced, was bombed, and then to one of small guest house of a friend who became a shelter for his displaced friends like us. Then, a school near us was bombed, causing severe damage to the place we were staying. This led to my mother suffering from a health problem after she fell on her back from this targeting, which led to her being unable to walk on her feet.

For me, my injury was the result of being targeted while I was evacuating the building in which I was displaced, but suddenly the entire structure collapsed on me. At that time, I thought that I had died, but suddenly I heard someone calling out, “Is there anyone alive?” It seemed... From afar, a dim, weak light. I could not speak, as if I had lost the ability to speak.

So I took out a small phone that I had put in my pocket for emergencies like power outages, turned on the flashlight and pointed towards the voice calling until they were able to get me out.

After that, we moved to a canvas tent in the southern Rafah area on a friend’s plot of land. My mother’s health condition and my condition also developed, which made us move to Egypt to receive treatment, hoping that the genocidal war would end. My injury was in my back, unfortunately a severe herniated disc. We hoped that we could receive some medical treatment and after a month or two, return home, but we have now become scattered, lost and displaced.

I am in the prime of my life and I have become disabled like a 60-year-old. I receive medications and painkillers so that I can live and continue to endure and meet my needs and those of my family, as the sole breadwinner for my family.

My business before the war: I opened a women's clothing store in Gaza, which I named after my sister Lian at the end of 2021. I was not able to obtain the project capital in the year we worked. The war came and ended this dream that I had hoped to give to my sister when she finished her studies as a reward for starting her independent life. The cost of this project was $28,000. Meanwhile I was working in a permanent job in one of the largest pharmaceutical and cosmetics companies, then my best friend Jad and I opened a small project together, which is a warehouse, i.e. a small storehouse for cosmetics.

But suddenly and without warning, the war came on October 7th to end all these dreams, this money and beautiful memories and destroy the hard work and effort of the many years prior. We were at the beginning of our projects and did not earn a single dollar of capital. So that you can imagine in every step in our country, our projects and our job, unforgettable memories, hopes and dreams for us that will not be forgotten.

Thank you for your support in helping me rebuild my life.

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About this fundraiser

Started by Vanessa Thill from Richmond, CA

On behalf of Mahmod

Funds will be used to secure stable housing, food, and basic necessities.

Funds will be transferred using a digital wallet (this method has already been verified to work reliably and used by the organizer and recipient several times previously).