Help 20 year old Ruba support her family in Gaza

Ruba, at only 20 years old, should have spent the last few years in school. Instead the war has left her and her siblings responsible for the family since the death of her father and her mother's illness. Displacement and lack of access to good food mean that she is frequently ill though despite this she managed to graduate high school with high marks and enrol on a nursing course at University. She is asking for your support so she can contribute to getting the food and medicine she and her family desperately needs while she continues her studies.

Ruba has been verified by Radio Watermelon - a non-profit that seeks to authenticate the individuals behind the campaigns 

In her own words

My name is Ruba. I am 20 years old, and one of a family of seven. My father was killed in an airstrike that targeted our home in Gaza two year ago. Before the war, I was a high school student with big dreams—I wanted to become a skilled dentist and help people, especially those who couldn’t afford treatment. I believed in that future with all my heart.

But three years ago, the war in Gaza shattered not just buildings, but lives and hopes. My dream was one of the many casualties. I had to stop studying completely for a while, though eventually I resumed my studies while displaced, gaining a high mark in my high school exams and earning a place at University to study nursing.

I carry more than I ever thought possible. Trying to study so that I can become a nurse and help my people, while caring for my ill mother has taken a large toll and I am frequently ill myself. I have had Bells Palsy and stomach ulcers— most likely related to extreme stress and poor diet. I study term to term, never knowing whether I will raise enough money to pay the tuition fees for the next one. I try to stay strong for my family, but inside, I am falling apart. I am 20, but I feel like I’ve lived a hundred years of pain.

Since the war began, we’ve been displaced three times. Each time we left everything behind. Now I live and study in an overcrowded UNRWA school that offers no real support. My journey to university is a four hour round trip that is difficult and expensive.

We are not asking for pity We are asking to live. We are asking to be heard. Please, don’t look away.

Ruba's younger sisters in happier times

Ruba now

Ruba and her Mother before they were displaced