Support Mahmoud’s Journey to Safety and Learning

Hello dear ones. My name is Lauren Kamp, and I am an artist living in Portland, Oregon. I am sponsoring my friend Mahmoud’s campaign to reach safety and continue his education. I met Mahmoud through a program called ‘Creators for Gaza’ connecting artists with verified campaigns. As I worked to create art to boost the campaign of his sister, her husband, and their two children, Mahmoud was my point of contact. He shared his sister’s hopes and dreams, while prioritizing her and her small family’s journey to safety. Now that her campaign has reached its goal, I hope you will take the time to read about Mahmoud’s experience in his own words below, and both share and donate to support his goals.

Dear friends and supporters,

I am Mahmoud Qahman, writing to you from a dire situation due to the escalating conflict in Gaza.

**Background:**

I am a final-year high school student who was forced to leave my home, school, and means of livelihood within just five days of the conflict breaking out. My home in northern Gaza is now severely damaged and uninhabitable. My family and I have been displaced four times, moving from one tent to another, from one hardship to another. As you know, each displacement brings with it a story of despair and suffering. The educational system has completely collapsed, leading to the interruption of many students' futures in Gaza and forcing them to seek their educational future outside Gaza's borders. I am one of the notable examples of this category.

**Current Situation:**

I now live in a temporary tent in an area called "Mawasi Khan Younis." With each passing day, the situation becomes increasingly dangerous, as the constant threat of death casts a shadow over my life. I am not seeking sympathy through my words; I am seeking an opportunity to convey the stark reality of our vulnerability and the immediate danger we face. Everything is at a standstill—from the educational system to the healthcare system—as if the days are passing without us realizing that my life has been unjustly and inexplicably taken. My future may collapse if you do not contribute to saving me.

**A Call for Mercy:**

Amidst this chaos, I insist on continuing my educational journey, which is still in its early stages. I am striving hard to rekindle some hope in my extinguished spirit, hope that was lost among the ruins of dilapidated and destroyed schools. When you see a spirit like this emerging from true hardship and challenges, you feel it will leave a mark on this world. I am embarrassed to reach out to you in this manner, but I hope your support will be the means to rebuild my life and achieve my goals.

I am now in my final year of school and will need your support to continue my university education afterward. Let us revive a spirit and achieve a goal that can serve us all, not just me.

**How You Can Make a Difference:**

Your donation and financial support are crucial. It will directly help me cover the logistical costs of my educational journey, ensuring the fulfillment of my dreams.

**How I Will Use Your Donations:**

I plan to leave Gaza when the Egyptian border crossing opens, a bold step that could cost around $10,000 for coordination with the relevant authorities and securing the logistical services for the journey from Gaza to Cairo. This is the primary goal of this campaign. The secondary goal is to start my educational journey through distance learning or learning with coordination with the Palestinian embassy in Cairo. I will use the funds to cover living expenses, rent, and university fees. After this long journey, you will see me in a prestigious position, actively working to help every innocent soul striving to achieve their goals and ambitions, just as you helped me.

**A Final Word:**

Every contribution, no matter how small, brings a glimmer of hope. I urge you to stand in solidarity with me; your support embodies love, mercy, and unity.

Please help me spread this appeal, and let us unite to make this dream a reality.

**UPDATE**

Hello, I’m Mahmoud. I meet you again as a new person as well. I am pleased to say that I was one of those who kept striving without fatigue or excuses, in a fierce battle between me and the challenges and harsh circumstances. The cost of loss I feel in my soul. I mentioned in my story that I am striving to continue my studies amid the devastating war machine that burned everything in its path, both moving and stationary, at a time when it was nearly impossible to be an ordinary person under circumstances so far from ordinary, with the complete collapse of both the educational and human systems. Despite all these challenges, difficulties, and grim transformations, I faced reality with firmness, supported by people whose spirits were far from me by a great and crushing distance, but I felt their hearts and words around me, which pushed me to keep going. I am pleased to say to you from here, from the battlefield and confrontation, from the furnace, that I have achieved what I wanted - I announce to you that I have passed the second phase of secondary school and will move to the final stage of secondary education, after which I will proceed to the bachelor’s degree.

In Summary: I have obtained permission (from the official authorities and those concerned with this matter) to be among the list of students eligible for enrollment in secondary school. This allows me the opportunity to showcase my abilities to overcome challenges and difficulties toward excellence, progress, and creativity. Note that there were no official bodies during this period working toward the academic goals of students within the Gaza Strip in the secondary school stage. Thus, I contacted international educational institutions abroad, which may not take responsibility for education in Gaza. After significant effort and attempts to convince them, we reached possible solutions to utilize the time and join the new school year. The solution was to create an independent and defined group of students (from the same educational stage) to supervise their education within Gaza. We established a special educational tent, exclusively for students who received the authorization from the educational institution.

In light of recent developments, especially the international agreements stipulating the reopening of the Rafah border crossing, I have decided the following:

1. Complete Secondary School Inside Gaza: I will remain in Gaza until the end of June 2025 to complete the secondary school exams, which will qualify me for the university stage. Education will be conducted remotely through the virtual school provided by the educational institution.

2. Leaving Gaza After Obtaining the Certificate: After passing the final exams, I will leave Gaza to the designated destination according to the required specialization and preferred college.

3. Utilizing Donations: Cover the travel costs and necessary procedures for leaving Gaza. Secure living expenses in the host country. Pay for university tuition and educational expenses. Coordinate with relevant authorities to ensure safe departure.

Conclusion: In the end, I just wanted to share with you one of my accomplishments that I promised you, which was difficult to achieve. And as I said, I had to pave the road myself to get there. Simply, I created correct and appropriate solutions to solve that difficult equation, despite all the obstacles. Everyone has the latent power to overcome challenges, provided they are patient, persistent, and believe in their own abilities. Finally, I can only extend my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to everyone who supported me in this journey, whether through kind words or deeds. To everyone who stood by me and assisted me, you are part of this achievement, and I will never forget your love and dedication. You have been a fundamental reason for accomplishing this important step, and I will remain eternally grateful to you. - Mahmoud 1/17/25