Mahmoud’s Dream: From North Gaza to a Life of Peace
United States
Supporter
My name is Mahmoud Abu Jalila. I live in Gaza with my mother, father, and three brothers—one of whom has children, Zaki and Randa, who are living with us now. I also have four sisters, all of whom are married and live across the central, southern, and northern parts of Gaza. I am learning to be more tech-savvy and wise in how I advocate for my family online, as I have taken on the responsibility of ensuring their well-being. Please consider reading my story—it is one of hope for a brighter future—and, if you are able, kindly donate to us so that we can survive and achieve the dreams I have shared. Every month, we need the amount of an entire European or Canadian salary, or more, just for food and basic needs. I know it is not easy for many of you to donate or to choose who to donate to, and that is why I want to share my story: one that will hopefully give you hope as well, whether or not you have the financial means to support us.
I hope you take the time to get to know me for who I am and who I aspire to be. I really love art, but I love sports even more. Football is my favorite—I enjoy watching it, cheering for Real Madrid, and I am a big fan of Cristiano Ronaldo. I also love reading, especially Arabic stories, songs, and poetry. I want to learn English so I can make friends from all over the world. I once received awards for my educational progress, but now our schools are gone. All we are left with is our love, kindness, mutual respect, and dedication to our values. This is who we are, no matter what gets taken away from us.
A free Palestine means cultural freedom—the ability to live across our ancestral homeland as one with the land, which is the cradle and foundation of our values. No matter what labels people want to assign to this catastrophic conflict or who they want to blame, it is time for Palestinian voices to be heard. We do not need the media speaking for us, defining who we are, or deciding who we elected, loved, or hated. Islam is peace. We refuse to accept blame that is wrongly placed on us, and we are not here to debate politics. Our lands have been occupied throughout history—by the Babylonians, Assyrians, the Ottoman Empire, and most destructively by the British, who partitioned our land and turned cousins against each other. The current state and the hateful people in power who are trying to erase us have nothing to do with how we see Israel—a Prophet in the Quran. We refuse to allow our names, even such as Jihad, to be misused and appropriated by foreign-funded so-called leaders we never wanted in the first place. Leave us out of that conversation. We want to live in a better world and remain dedicated to the principles of our culture, which give us the strength to realize it in this generation.
We have a profound connection to our ancestors’ 4,000+ year-old indigenous culture, and that has shaped our shared values. What matters most is what kind of human beings people are—not what faith they follow. God is one, eternal, and present in everything and everyone.
While I love my homeland, there is almost nothing left of it. I even lost my best friend. I refuse to be forced into the wider Arab world, because many people do not know that the Palestinian dialect of Arabic is different from that of even our neighbors in Lebanon. We refuse to be sent somewhere else just because others do not value our heritage. I want to go to places where I can study and make a difference while staying true to who I am—countries such as the USA, Canada, or Australia come to mind. I want to leave Gaza, start a new life, pursue education, and rise as a leader who can work to make this world a better place. I also hope that my future includes the Palestinian Right of Return to our ancestral lands, once a new generation of leaders emerges who can bring lasting peace between Palestinians and the Bani Israel, with a system of governance that reflects our civilization which existed long before colonialism and politics.
My favorite place I would like to visit is Jerusalem. I hope to go there freely one day. I believe our generation can end hate and prevent human rights abuses in every country. We wanted liberation from the British occupiers, yet ended up with a political movement and a government next door that became the same as those who oppressed and committed genocide against their own people. When will this cycle end? I believe it will end when our generation rises and reclaims our power to decide for ourselves how to create a better way of governing our homeland.
My life before the catastrophic wars was very beautiful. I would wake up to bright mornings filled with hope, go to school, take a break at noon to shower despite the heat, then return to a learning center. Afterwards, I would play football and relax by watching matches. I love technology and have always been social media savvy. I am also a critical thinker, and I encourage everyone learning about Palestinians and Gaza to actually listen to our voices before reaching conclusions. Solutions—not more radicalization and division—are what the world needs, whether in the Middle East, the West, or anywhere else. I want to be able to go to restaurants again and to swim.
Now, the harsh reality is that Gaza is in ruins and there is no hope for a better life here. I cannot be the leader and change-maker I aspire to be if I remain. My family and I need a completely new life, free of the chains imposed on us by those who have profited from our suffering. Still, I hope for a future in which Palestinians are able to return to their ancestral lands and live freely across them, not confined to the small corners we were forced into.
Most people here are depressed, missing their family gatherings and the community closeness we once had—things destroyed by repeated displacement.
I want to heal from this trauma so I can transform it into the fuel that drives me to make a positive impact in the world. I want to find “home” in a place where we can also keep our heritage alive.
Your donations will be the difference between life and death for me and my family.
Anonymous
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$9,000.00
Funding Goal -
$0.00
Funds Raised -
0
Days to go -
Campaign Never Ends
Campaign End Method
Product Description
United States
Supporter
My name is Mahmoud Abu Jalila. I live in Gaza with my mother, father, and three brothers—one of whom has children, Zaki and Randa, who are living with us now. I also have four sisters, all of whom are married and live across the central, southern, and northern parts of Gaza. I am learning to be more tech-savvy and wise in how I advocate for my family online, as I have taken on the responsibility of ensuring their well-being. Please consider reading my story—it is one of hope for a brighter future—and, if you are able, kindly donate to us so that we can survive and achieve the dreams I have shared. Every month, we need the amount of an entire European or Canadian salary, or more, just for food and basic needs. I know it is not easy for many of you to donate or to choose who to donate to, and that is why I want to share my story: one that will hopefully give you hope as well, whether or not you have the financial means to support us.
I hope you take the time to get to know me for who I am and who I aspire to be. I really love art, but I love sports even more. Football is my favorite—I enjoy watching it, cheering for Real Madrid, and I am a big fan of Cristiano Ronaldo. I also love reading, especially Arabic stories, songs, and poetry. I want to learn English so I can make friends from all over the world. I once received awards for my educational progress, but now our schools are gone. All we are left with is our love, kindness, mutual respect, and dedication to our values. This is who we are, no matter what gets taken away from us.
A free Palestine means cultural freedom—the ability to live across our ancestral homeland as one with the land, which is the cradle and foundation of our values. No matter what labels people want to assign to this catastrophic conflict or who they want to blame, it is time for Palestinian voices to be heard. We do not need the media speaking for us, defining who we are, or deciding who we elected, loved, or hated. Islam is peace. We refuse to accept blame that is wrongly placed on us, and we are not here to debate politics. Our lands have been occupied throughout history—by the Babylonians, Assyrians, the Ottoman Empire, and most destructively by the British, who partitioned our land and turned cousins against each other. The current state and the hateful people in power who are trying to erase us have nothing to do with how we see Israel—a Prophet in the Quran. We refuse to allow our names, even such as Jihad, to be misused and appropriated by foreign-funded so-called leaders we never wanted in the first place. Leave us out of that conversation. We want to live in a better world and remain dedicated to the principles of our culture, which give us the strength to realize it in this generation.
We have a profound connection to our ancestors’ 4,000+ year-old indigenous culture, and that has shaped our shared values. What matters most is what kind of human beings people are—not what faith they follow. God is one, eternal, and present in everything and everyone.
While I love my homeland, there is almost nothing left of it. I even lost my best friend. I refuse to be forced into the wider Arab world, because many people do not know that the Palestinian dialect of Arabic is different from that of even our neighbors in Lebanon. We refuse to be sent somewhere else just because others do not value our heritage. I want to go to places where I can study and make a difference while staying true to who I am—countries such as the USA, Canada, or Australia come to mind. I want to leave Gaza, start a new life, pursue education, and rise as a leader who can work to make this world a better place. I also hope that my future includes the Palestinian Right of Return to our ancestral lands, once a new generation of leaders emerges who can bring lasting peace between Palestinians and the Bani Israel, with a system of governance that reflects our civilization which existed long before colonialism and politics.
My favorite place I would like to visit is Jerusalem. I hope to go there freely one day. I believe our generation can end hate and prevent human rights abuses in every country. We wanted liberation from the British occupiers, yet ended up with a political movement and a government next door that became the same as those who oppressed and committed genocide against their own people. When will this cycle end? I believe it will end when our generation rises and reclaims our power to decide for ourselves how to create a better way of governing our homeland.
My life before the catastrophic wars was very beautiful. I would wake up to bright mornings filled with hope, go to school, take a break at noon to shower despite the heat, then return to a learning center. Afterwards, I would play football and relax by watching matches. I love technology and have always been social media savvy. I am also a critical thinker, and I encourage everyone learning about Palestinians and Gaza to actually listen to our voices before reaching conclusions. Solutions—not more radicalization and division—are what the world needs, whether in the Middle East, the West, or anywhere else. I want to be able to go to restaurants again and to swim.
Now, the harsh reality is that Gaza is in ruins and there is no hope for a better life here. I cannot be the leader and change-maker I aspire to be if I remain. My family and I need a completely new life, free of the chains imposed on us by those who have profited from our suffering. Still, I hope for a future in which Palestinians are able to return to their ancestral lands and live freely across them, not confined to the small corners we were forced into.
Most people here are depressed, missing their family gatherings and the community closeness we once had—things destroyed by repeated displacement.
I want to heal from this trauma so I can transform it into the fuel that drives me to make a positive impact in the world. I want to find “home” in a place where we can also keep our heritage alive.
Your donations will be the difference between life and death for me and my family.
Anonymous
| ID | Name | Amount | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1244 | Listing Agent | [email protected] | |
| 1215 | Listing Agent | [email protected] |
