My name is Nina Christine Gorman from Philadelphia, PA USA, a psychology teacher,  psychotherapist and Palestinian supporter for many years. I came to know Zaki Ahmed Abu Shmeis  and his wife Faysal Abu Mahdi  from Al Bureij, Gaza on Meta facebook social media in the spring of 2024 when my friends there told me about his seeking job in Gaza as a driver. I was impressed by his intelligence, ambition and determination to support his family in difficult war conditions of siege and bombings and his work in trying to evacuate those displaced by bombardment. We had many conversations in meta face book messenger and my friends visited him  and his family. I admired his attempts to evacuate displaced people but was dismayed that he was not able to sustain it due the cruel blockade of fuel and parts by the occupation during the war.   The occupation has taken everything from Gaza. So  Zaki, his wife Faysal and the children struggle to survive in a tent that is roasting hot in the summer and brutal cold in the winter. When it rains the tent tears and floods. Zaki and Faysal like many parents in Gaza  of skip meals so the children can eat and they say to me “What fault is this war are we?. We are people of peace and just want our rights to survive, eat and have a home and a job or go to university.” and they say to me “What fault is this war of our children? Their children like all those in Gaza if they survive the genocidal war will be traumatized for life. Zaki, Faysal and the kids have lost friends and family but still they wake up another day and endure.

  Gaza has become unbearable and unlivable with all schools, mosques, universities and most hospitals destroyed and barely functioning. The water infrastructure and sewage infrastructure as well as most stores,  farms, bakeries, businesses and most homes are  bombed and are no more. So Zaki and Faysal feel  they have no other choice but to evacuate to Egypt and from there to another country when the crossings open. I urge you to donate whatever you can to help the family survive, avoid hunger, sickness  and escape the war to start a new life. No donation is too little.

Here is Zaki in his own words:

    My name is Zaki Ahmed Abu Shmeis, I am 27 years old and from Al Bureij refugee camp in Gaza and proud Palestinian. My wife,  Faysal Abu Mahdi is 20 years old. My child, her name is Raja Zaki Abu Shmeis, is 3 years old Ahmed Zakaria Abu Shmeis, my nephew is 9 years old. Ayoub Zakaria Abu Shmeis is 8 years old. Our son Omar Zakaria Abu Shmeis is 6 years old. Before the war we our life was not easy. I was a farmer and Faysal went to university.  We had to endure war after war and lack of needed items that are available in other countries due to the blockade of 18 years and minimal electricity and internet. However, we were able to survive with my working in farming and  unlike most men my age since I had skills to fix cars.But my family, my wife Faysal and our children have never seen a war like this one. I never thought our home would be destroyed by bombing and that we would lose our clothes, furniture and precious items and our precious home and with it many  memories.

    I never thought we would be living in a tent, having to cook with smoke that chokes you along with smoke from bombs  and be in the hot and the cold and the rain with no relief or to hear your children cry from bombs and constant drone noises without being able to console them. It is a terrible feeling for me and Faysal to not be able to comfort our children in bombardment and drone shootings or with hearing the shouts of soldiers especially Omar who is only 6 and Raja who is only 3 or to not be able to give them even a biscuit because you do not have a shekel that day..

Now even though there is ceasefire there is still shooting from the skies and the borders to terrorize us and the occupation blocks food, drink, fuel and electricity so we can barely survive with what little is available for food so high in price we cannot afford it. We are prone to respiratory and stomach illnesses and rashes from contaminated water, expired food in cans, and weak immune systems from not eating.

We just want to survive without hunger and fear and have a decent life. We ask the world if that is too much to ask? Our country is all destroyed by the occupation. Even though we hate to leave our land we feel there is no other option to survive. So we want to evacuate to Egypt and then to Europe get a house or apartment and start a new life.   I encourage you to have it in your heart to help us even just a little so that we can live and have some comfort and hope for the future if we dare to dream of it again. Right now we cannot think past tomorrow but we must. We must survive and we must have a future. You can help us make it happen. May God Bless you and bring you good life with health and happiness. Zaki

Here is the budget for the campaign:

CAMPAIGN BUDGET

Survival in Gaza for Food and Water for

  Family of six for 3 months (750/ month)         

   Including for lentils, potatoes, tomatoes,

greens, eggplant, noodles, cucumbers, milk

      squash, flour, and if funds permit chicken    $2250

Tent insulation for winter with tarp                       $200

Mattress Sponges for Floor Winter

  Insulation for Family of Six                                  $180

 Battery and Heater for Tent                                  $300

Survival in Egypt for Food and Water for

    Family of six for 3 months (700 month)           

Including for lentils, chicken, lamb, carrots,

   potatoes, tomatoes, greens, eggplant, rice

   squash, flour, and fruit & milk                           $2100

Clothes in Gaza for family of 6 for 3 months

     (240 per month)                                        $720

Clothes in Egypt for family of 6 for 3 months

     (240 per month)                                            $720

Family Toiletries and cleaners in Gaza including

Shampoo, soap, spray & floor cleaners,

deodorant and toothpaste for 3 months

(100 month)          $300

Family Toiletries and cleaners in Egypt including

  Shampoo, soap, spray & floor cleaners,

    deodorant and toothpaste for 3 months

(60 month)          $180

Transportation in Gaza for 3 months for

   Family of 6                                 (100 month)       $300  

  $200 Transportation in Egypt for 3 months for

   Family of 6                                (100 month)      $300  

Rent in Egypt for 3 months for basic three bedroom

 apartment or house for family of six (700 month)   $2100

Evacuation to Egypt for Family of 6 with

 Hala Travel & Tourism Company

   $5,000 per adult and $ 2500 per child                $20,000

TOTAL                                                                   $29,650