Ahmad and Samar's Journey to a Better Future
My name is Ahmad Johar, a 25-year-old, Palestinian from Gaza. I have lived through 5 wars in the Gaza Strip, each one harder than the previous, but the latest one that began on October 7, 2023, has been the most devastating. In this war, I lost many of my friends and relatives, along with all the dreams and ambitions I had worked so hard to achieve.
Two years ago after graduating from university in the IT field, I attempted to travel abroad illegally in search of a better life. Hoping to migrate to another country, but unfortunately, all my attempts failed. In 2021, I returned to Gaza, realizing that leaving was not an option. I decided to build an Internet distribution network to secure my life and future. With the encouragement of my family and friends, I invested considerable time and money into the project. After two years of hard work and after my work stabilized, I proposed to my fiancée, Samar on July 6th 2023, a recent graduate from the English translation department at the Islamic University of Gaza. I was depending entirely on my business to support our future together.
War Destroyed Everything
Three months after our engagement, the war in Gaza broke out, destroying my project worth $35,000 and shattering my dreams of building a future with Samar. I lost everything, and my future became filled with fear and uncertainty.
Our Dreams
Like anyone else, Samar and I had a life full of plans and dreams. I was passionate about my business, and Samar was eager to begin her career in translation. But the war disrupted everything. Samar lost her dream of working in her field because of the destruction in Gaza, and I lost my business, which had been my primary source of income.
On December 4, 2023, I had to say goodbye to Samar as my family and I were displaced to another city, fleeing the ongoing threats of bombing. Soon after, Samar and her family were also displaced to the same city, but it was difficult for us to meet due to the long distances and dangerous roads.
During this war, we were forced to flee from our home and move from one place to another depending on the danger and finding safe areas. We suffered a lot during this journey, but after a long struggle, I returned to my damaged home due to the shells, while Samar's house was completely destroyed, unfortunately."
Although Samar and I were closer geographically after our return, our situation did not improve. The future we had once dreamed of now seemed distant and unclear. All our plans had been stopped by the war. We had planned to get married a few months after our engagement, but the war separated us for a year and 8 months!!
Samar and I will be getting married in the coming days and the war forced us to cancel our wedding as planned, so we will get married without any wedding ceremonies. The life we had dreamed of together has become nothing but a memory.
Why We Appealed to Your Help
We want to leave as soon as the crossing reopens, as life in Gaza has become unbearable. My project was completely destroyed, and with the collapse of internet networks, it's impossible to restart it here. Our homes are gone, and all signs of life have disappeared. As a couple about to begin a new chapter, we see no future for us in Gaza after this devastating war, especially after all we’ve endured over the past year and a half.
We have faced many challenges that delayed our marriage, but now it's time to move forward.
With your support, we hope to cover the costs of our wedding and travel to build a stable future abroad.
You can donate to help Ahmed here.