The Ayla Project offers three programs: 1) medical evacuation of critically ill children; 2) sustainable resettlement for families in Egypt; 3) an oral history project to record the stories of these families, who have survived one of the worst humanitarian crises of this generation. The Ayla Project exercises a flexible, adaptable holistic approach, meeting the needs of each family medically, educationally, emotionally, and socially where they are at. The following projects are our priority initiatives.
Projects Under $10,000
1. A General Gift of Support To the Ayla Project
A general gift of support to the Ayla Project will enable us the flexibility to spend the funds where needed most, whether on medical treatment for a sick child, or educational cost to put a sibling in school, trauma care for a family, safe housing, transportation, or advocacy costs for single parent refugee families. Regardless of the size of the gift (large or small), it will go a long way to secure, heal and empower these families.
Total Need: $50 to $50,000
2. Finishing Baby Salma’s Campaign
The Ayla Project Team visited with the second family we evacuated, Baby Salma, her mother and sister at Al Nas Hospital, and provided essentials such as toiletries, shoes and clothes to them. The family now needs to find an apartment, so we have a campaign to support their rent, food and utilities for another 9 months. As of May 21st, 2023, $13,000 of $20,000 has been raised to-date. This includes $5,000 from a major donor, $3,000 from the hospital contribution, and $6,000 from individual donors, leaving a remaining need of $7,000 to support this family’s immediate needs and living costs for a year. To read Baby Salma’s story and see her picture, click here.
Total Raised: $15,000
Total Remaining Need: $5,000
3. Ease the Suffering of Muhammed Adam
Muhammed Adam is an 11-year-old boy with a rare hip dysplasia condition, in addition to severe diabetes. He also happens to be Lulu’s cousin – his father is Lulu’s Uncle. When Muhammed Adam’s home was destroyed in the war, a concrete column fell on his pelvis, breaking it. While he was evacuated four months ago, Muhammed Adam has been in a remote hospital about two hours outside of Cairo in deteriorating condition. The hospital has not provided the surgery or the treatment that he so desperately needs. The Ayla Project is raising funds to get him to Cairo where he can be closer to family, and for the cost of his treatment and complex surgery, so that his suffering will ease and his quality of life will increase. We also seek to find an apartment in a safe neighborhood for his family to rent for the next six months as he recovers.
Total Need: $9,500
Total Raised: $1,500
Total Remaining Need: $8,000
4. School for a Year for Little Zeina
As Palestinians, the children we serve are considered stateless and ineligible to attend Egyptian state schools. While Baby Salma, our second evacuee, is not old enough to be in school, her sister Zeina, at age 11, is. Her school was destroyed in the war and she has been out of school now for over a year. The cost of putting Zeina in a private international school would be $3,500, including tuition, uniforms, books, stationery and transportation. The academic year begins in August of 2024.
Total Need: $3,500
5. Medical Needs for Lulu’s Grandparents, Sidho and Tata
Our first evacuee, Lulu, now has her grandparents also living in the apartment in Egypt with the family. The absence of fresh produce and drinkable water in Gaza caused both grandparents to develop severe urinary tract infections. Long-term interruption of each of their medications for previously diagnosed congenital heart issues have resulted in their high blood pressure and cholesterol levels. The grandmother was also diagnosed with Adult Glaucoma. The debilitating stress factors associated with living in a war zone without her blood pressure medication contributed to a rise in intraocular pressure causing damage to her optic nerve, resulting in the build-up of fluid in both of her eyes. This fluid needs to be drained to relieve the pressure. If left untreated, there is a risk of blindness.
Total Cost: $4,000 for prescriptions for 10 months + procedure cost
Projects Over $10,000
6. Support, Heal and Empower Adam Lulu, His Sister and Mother Little Adam was born in Gaza with a congenital heart defect, and also suffers from epileptic seizures. The Ayla Project team was able to assist in the evacuation of Adam, his mother Noura and his sister Sarah to Egypt. Now, the Ayla Project aims to empower Noura and her children, not just to survive, but to thrive as they build a new life. We are seeking to support this family for a year by covering the cost of renting an apartment in a safe part of town for the first critical year, food, water, education and educational supplies, trauma care, physical therapy and medications for Adam, and transportation to and from hospital visits.
Total Budget: $20,000
Total Raised: $2,000
Total Remaining Need: $18,000
To read Adam Lulu’s story and see his picture, please click here.
7. Ayla Project Capacity Building
While the Ayla project has achieved significant momentum since November of 2023, with 12 people evacuated, a network of 10 partners, 4 volunteers in Seattle, 4 volunteers in Egypt, three evacuated families served holistically, and 10 additional children assisted through various forms of advocacy, it is critical that the Ayla Project build capacity now to be able to expand the number of families it serves in Egypt. This includes registering a secular nonpolitical humanitarian 501c3 at a cost of $2,500, the creation of a fundraising promotional video for $5,500, hiring an experienced Cairo-based field director who is currently working with the Ayla Project as a volunteer for $5,000/year. Renting a Cairo flat for a year for visiting team members and short-term refugee accommodation while longer-term arrangements are found is another $4,500.
Total Need: $25,500
8. A General Gift of Support To the Ayla Project
A general gift of support to the Ayla Project will enable us the flexibility to spend the funds where needed most, whether on medical treatment for a sick child, or educational cost to put a sibling in school, trauma care for a family, safe housing, transportation, or advocacy costs for single parent refugee families. Regardless of the size of the gift (large or small), it will go a long way to secure, heal and empower these families.
Total Need: $50 to $50,000