Photos by Seraj
[Image description: a yellow collage graphic that says “Help 20 yr old Seraj Survive Gaza and be able to complete his studies” There are 4 photos in the collage that look like they have been ripped out of paper. from left to right: 1st photo is of when he was building his first tent in Khan Yunis, 2nd photo if the frame of the tent in Khan Younis, 3rd photo is a proof of life selfie in his new tent in Rafah, 4th photo was the tent with a tarp over it from Khan Yunis. End image description]
Hi all! I have been connected now to Seraj Aburaida, a Palestinian youth, since January 16, 2024. When we were first connected, he was staying in the camps in Khan Yunis but everything there was bombed. He has lost everything, again, except for the clothes off his back and his phone, and was displaced for the 3rd time to Rafah, so that is where he is now!
His last Go Fund Me for immediate survival necessities has ended. That campaign was organized by our comrade Brenda, who is in the Netherlands, where crowdfunding campaigners have to pay 30% in taxes after a certain amount is received. I received an urgent message from Seraj today asking for me to start a new gofundme on his behalf. Brenda and I video chatted with him today in his new tent in Rafah. He is trying to keep himself in good spirits, but he knows that no one is safe in Rafah, and we can tell he is in true despair. We talked to him more about if it is possible for him t escape and after looking into more logistics, it sounds like it will not be possible under present circumstances.
Priority- Your donation to Seraj will first go towards urgent survival needs:
1 - Water, food, medicine for his family members, blankets, a clay oven to cook, pay back the telephone he had to get in order to receive his donations, gas, and sanitary needs. He is very generous and always helps out the families and children around him, but he tends not to keep enough for himself!
All basic necessities are astronomically priced right now, as aid into Gah zah has been heavily thwarted by border blockades.
2 - unexpected costs of survial
Then eventually, donations will go towards helping Seraj not only survive but also thrive:
3 - Laptop for studies
4 - Books and materials for college
How the Funds will be distributed:
The funds first will go to my (Sky's) personal Bank account and then I will send it over to Seraj's Paypal immediately every day, which he can access with his phone.
From Seraj:
“Hello everyone,
I am Seraj, a 20 year old young man from Gah zah. I lived with my parents and 5 siblings. Before the war in Gah zah I was living my life like anyone else. My dream was to live in peace, in tranquility, to achieve my wishes and the wishes of my family, to seek a safe and wonderful future, to obtain a university degree, and to obtain a profession, a job!
But suddenly there was this day of disaster.
On the seventh day of October 2023 I was going out to university in the morning. I could not even imagine that the normal life we were living would change in the blink of an eye! As if we were in hell. I came home to see the news and unfortunately, everyone was surprised by this. The start of this war and what happened after the 7th of October till this day took away all of our dreams and wishes.
I had reached the third level in university and spent two full years studying. I specialized in the field of information technology, mobile programming branch. But now, I can not complete my studies. My university is destroyed and my MSI laptop is gone. I bought it for exactly $1,500 but it was there at the university, in the lab room (full of equipment) when the university was bombed. On Saturday I should have had a practical test on my laptop, but unfortunately I didn't have the chance to do the test.
Despite the fact that everything I worked for is gone now and we are unsure when this war will end and what will happen to us in the coming days and weeks, I keep dreaming. I always said: “You will not achieve your dreams if you do not dream”.
My dream now is to live through this war, buy me a new laptop and complete my studies abroad, outside Gah zah.
It is really expensive but at least I can try.
I hope you can help me regain my studies, my dream, and my future. Help me reach my goal please by donating to this campaign.
Don't leave me stuck like this! Please share this campaign with your family, friends, donate as much as you can, I really need your help. I would be forever grateful if you will help me to have a future. For my family, for me, for Gah zah.
Thank you so much❤️
Seraj”
Stay connected:
- Follow Seraj’s new Instagram at @Se3raj.0 (his previous 2 accounts have been deleted)
- Follow his backup account @Help.Seraj.From.Gaza , which is run by Brenda who is our comrade in the Netherlands, and ran his last Go Fund Me.
- Add Seraj on Whatsapp at +972 59-321-4359 to make sure you stay connected to him. Instagram has deleted his last 2 accounts, and is trying to censor Palestinians on the ground showing the world the truth of what is happening to them.
If you have any questions for me (Sky) you can DM me at @RebirthGarments or @RadicalVisibilityCollective