Help Me and My Family Leave Gaza

Hello World,

This is Farah Shaqoura, a student in Software Engineering currently in Gaza, with experience in working as a full-stack developer in a Google internship and at Gaza Sky Geeks, having worked on many projects, with aspirations.

I’m writing to you this message in a time of help, amidst the bombings and conflict.

I come from a family of five daughters and one brother, with our parents, and we were forced to leave our home in Northern Gaza, fearing for our lives, to the south in Khan-Younis, and that still didn’t assure us safety, as my sister was injured in her hand, so we found ourselves escaping further south to Rafah.

Our home was completely destroyed, and we lost everything we had—precious memories, clothing, and all our belongings. The devastation has left us with nothing but the clothes on our backs. Our entire region is in ruins, with no access to water, electricity, or basic infrastructure.

My parents, who once provided for us, have seen their salaries brutally cut in half, and there were even months when they received no income at all since October 7th due to the ongoing conflict - we are currently staying in a makeshift tent that does not offer protection against the biting cold of the night, with improper clothing, furniture, and even clean water does not exist.

Surviving each each day has become a daunting challenge, and all reasons have been exacerbating my mother’s already fragile health - she is diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease that occurs when lung tissues are being scarred and damaged, and her immune system can’t handle it, especially that medical care is no longer provided in Gaza.

My brother, Khalil, is one of the future doctors of the world. Currently, he is a dedicated student at the Faculty of Medicine at Al-Azhar University.

However, this dream is still elusive amidst the ongoing war that is causing all his ambitions and aspirations to slowly fade away. Unfortunately, due to the conflict, university buildings have been destroyed, shattering dreams of students in Gaza, and the future was never this blurry for us.

My youngest sister, Hala, is 14 years old. Her aptitude for solving complex problems and grasping mathematical concepts surpasses that of many of her peers. She aims to win in the Palestine Munds Challenge Mathematics Olympiad, and to achieve this, she dedicates herself daily to rigorous practice sessions. However, since the eruption of the conflict, her aspirations have been stymied

The only way I can get my family out to safety and achive my brother dream to continue his university studies outside of Gaza. is through coordination fees to Egypt, $5000 a person, and this is where I need your help.

Your contribution, no matter how small, is important to our journey in survival.