Urgent Support Needed: Help Esra and Her Family Survive!

My name is Dani Aceituno and I am an American living in Seattle, WA. I’m fundraising on behalf of my friend of 12 years, Esra, and her family. Esra and her family are in crisis. Their home in G_za has been completely destroyed and they need money for food, medicine for her dad's stroke medicine, shelter, and basic needs, as well as to eventually rebuild their lives.

What’s the money for?

This fundraiser is for Esra’s entire family of 14 including:

Due to the ongoing shortage of food, gasoline, and healthcare, prices for everyday goods have skyrocketed in G_za. This money will be used for immediate needs such as accessing Esra's father's medicine, daily expenses for the entire family, and eventually to help the family rebuild their lives.

From Esra:

“Thank you from my heart for donating to my family. The funds raised no matter how small will help us to take care of my father and my niece and nephews. All the money you donate will be the start of the new chapter and a better life for all members of my family.” – Esra

How did you meet Esra?

Esra and I met in 2012 through World In Conversation, an international dialogues program at Penn State that collaborated with a UN organization in G_za. Below is a photo of Esra and I taken virtually, in 2012. Esra (left) was on a big screen in my classroom.

When I met Esra, she was full of hopes and dreams, energetic, and full of life. She was incredibly open to learning about my Jewish heritage and approached our differences with curiosity and love. Living in G_za was not without its challenges even before this war, but Esra always remained optimistic and hopeful. She graduated pharmacy school, got a great job, and bought a car.

Where is Esra’s family now?

At the time of writing this, they are living in a camp in G_za, but they just received orders that they will need to leave this camp tomorrow. They were evacuated last week as well. They are have evacuated over 15 times since October, 2023. There are no houses to live in, so they live in a tent made from fabric and nylon. They have no electricity or clean water, and have incredibly limited cell phone signal. Here is their house before, and today.

Meet Esra's Family

Esra’s dad is 62-years old and has had recurrent strokes over the past 10 years. He is required to take a special medication that has been incredibly difficult to find. Esra, a pharmacist, has not always been able to find this medicine for her dad.

Her brother Ibrahim is 30 years old. He and his wife, Reem, had a new baby, Elia, just 3 weeks before the war started. They also have a son, Khalil who is 4 years old. Their childhoods are forever scarred by their circumstances. Ibrahim is a communication engineer but was working at a bakery due to a lack of jobs in G_za. The bakery was destroyed and he has lost his source of income.

Her sister Rewaa is a physiotherapist but lost her job during the war. She recently got engaged to her fiancé who is from C_nada, but has no way to leave G_za so they are currently separated.

Her brother Mohammed had his first son, Yazan, 1 month before the war. He has lost his job and is struggling to provide for his son.

Her sister Shimaa is an accountant who got married 10 months before the war. She and her husband have both lost their jobs.

Her sister Wesal is a dental student in her final year of study, but she hasn’t been able to complete her education because her university was destroyed. She has now missed 3 semesters in a row. She hopes that she will be able to continue her education outside of G_za.