On October 9, 2023, at around 11 a.m., my life changed forever.
I was nine months pregnant and still living in Gaza, preparing to welcome my first child. I was asleep when a bombing struck the mosque next to my family’s home. I woke up to an explosion so loud that everything around me seemed to disappear into dust, darkness, and chaos.
I was trapped on the third floor. I could hear people crying for help, and I could barely breathe through the dust and smoke. But there was only one thought in my mind: my baby.
Was she still alive? Was she suffocating? Would she survive?
When the civil defence team finally reached me and took me to the hospital, I was in complete shock. I remember crying and begging the paramedic to tell me that my baby was still alive.
Against all odds, my daughter Tia was born during the war.
Her arrival was one of the most frightening and beautiful moments of my life. She was born into a reality that neither of us had chosen, but from the very beginning, she gave me another reason to keep going.
The months that followed were filled with fear, uncertainty, displacement, and loss. I eventually had to leave Gaza with my daughter, leaving behind my home, my work, my family, and the life I had known.
Leaving Gaza did not mean that the struggle ended.
I arrived in Egypt hoping that we could find safety and rebuild our lives. Instead, I found myself facing a new set of challenges. I lost my work, became solely responsible for raising my daughter, and had to navigate an uncertain future while trying to continue building my own education and career.
But somewhere along the way, I realised that surviving was not the end of my story.
Before the war, I had already built a path for myself through education and work. I graduated with a BA in English Language and Literature and worked in teaching, content writing, translation, and marketing. I later completed a Diploma in Digital Marketing at the American University in Cairo because I wanted to develop a stronger professional future and turn my passion for communication and creativity into a career.
Even through everything that happened, I refused to give up on that dream.
I continued studying, working, learning, and applying for opportunities. I took the IELTS Academic exam and continued developing my skills while working freelance online. I also became involved in volunteering and initiatives supporting Palestinian students and communities.
And now, after everything I have been through, I have received offers from universities across the UK to pursue postgraduate study in digital marketing and related fields.
These offers mean so much more to me than simply being university acceptances.
They represent a chance to rebuild.
A chance to continue my education.
A chance to develop a stable career.
And, most importantly, a chance to build a safer and more secure future for my daughter and me.
But receiving an offer is only the beginning. The financial reality is the biggest barrier standing between us and this next chapter. I need to cover the costs associated with securing my place at university, tuition, visas, travel, and establishing a home and stable life for Tia and me.
I have worked incredibly hard to get to this point, but I cannot overcome this financial barrier alone.
I am not asking people to simply help me “leave” or to give me a new life without effort. I am asking for a chance to continue the life I have been fighting to rebuild through education, work, and determination.
I want Tia to grow up knowing that what happened to us did not have to define our entire future.
I want her to see her mother continue learning, working, creating, and pursuing her dreams even after everything we have survived.
I don’t know exactly what the future holds. I have learned that life can change in a single moment, and that so much is beyond our control.
But I still believe in hope. I still believe in education. I still believe that rebuilding is possible.
And I am ready to do everything I can to make that future possible for Tia and me.
If you choose to support us, you are not only helping me reach a university campus. You are helping a mother continue her education, rebuild her career, and create a safer and more stable future for her daughter.
Thank you for taking the time to hear our story, to believe in us, and to be part of whatever comes next.
❤️