Together, you helped raise £17,271 - funding her education in the UK and preventing her from being sent back to Gaza. Today we couldn’t be more excited to share her message to you…

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"Dear all,

 

I have been dreaming about this day since I was a child. I have always dreamed of studying at a well established university abroad, and thanks to you, today I can finally say I’ve done it!

 

I’ve been in Edinburgh for over a month now and waited to get my visa sorted first, to be officially enrolled in the university before updating you with this exciting news. With the great support I have received from you all, I have managed to secure funding for my first year. 

 

At times, I was very scared that it wouldn’t happen, but with your help I am now officially enrolled in one of the best universities in the world, and I would never have been able to do it without your support and love. I am extremely thankful for every single person, for all the generous donations and for all the lovely letters and very supportive comments. 

 

It’s been two years since the last time I have seen my family and friends or visited home. This summer was one of the toughest summers of my life, I have never been more homesick or never been more lost, although I had a dream that I had to fight for. 

 

Although all beginnings are difficult and it’s a completely new environment for me, I promise you that I will get the best out of this experience. I remember a meeting I had with a university counsellor at my old school, and I remembered her exact words of how I would not be able to go to university, because it’s extremely difficult to find the funds and I remember how she said she knew students who tried fundraising but never actually got to their goal. You have now idea how that makes me feel now! 

 

I knew it would be very difficult, but I also knew that there will be people out there who will believe in me and my dream as much as I do. I have challenged almost everyone in my life to make this dream come true and without your support, I would be in Gaza right now. 

 

Honestly there are no words that I could use to explain how thankful I am to all of you. YOU MADE MY DREAM COME TRUE. Thank you so so much for believing in me and proving everyone who didn’t believe in me and in my dream wrong. Thank you for enabling me to continue my education and I promise you all, I will work extremely hard to make a change and I will always follow my dreams. I wish I could celebrate with you all the new chapter of my life and thank you face to face, but I am sure this is not going to be my last update with you. I will tell you about my adventures at university and I will update you with the new things that I will do. For now I want to show you what my life is like after all of your help, so I have created a short video with the help of VERSE and I hope enjoy it. Please don’t hesitate if you have any questions, do get in touch with me. 

 

Lastly, I would like to invite you to please educate your friends about the situation in Palestine and Gaza, show them my story if you want, spread what you have learned with others because honestly this is where change will start from. I am very confident that I will be able to make a change in this world. It starts from those little changes!!! Thank you so so much.”

 

With lots of love, 

 

Yara Eid