A TEEN trapped in Gaza who has been accepted to study at the University of Glasgow has launched a fundraiser in a bid to get him to Scotland.
Ibrahim Alghorane was given an unconditional offer to study software engineering at the prestigious university, but is unable to afford the student fees, accommodation, and the costs of getting to Scotland.
Ibrahim, 19, has documented on Instagram how his life has been completely changed since the attacks of October 7, 2023. He shares the daily struggles his family have to endure just to survive while living in Gaza under Israel’s brutal retaliation, which legal experts say amounts to genocide.
In one post, he wrote: “Our house vanished under the rubble in a single second. We spread a torn tent on a cold pavement for shelter.
“The toys of our childhood and the family photos melted in the flames, and the smell of smoke stays alive as proof of what we have lost.”
His father died in 2023 and his mother in June this year after an eight-year battle with brain cancer.
Under constant bombardment and forced starvation by the Israeli military, Ibrahim lives with his five siblings: Tasneem, 28, Abdullah, 25, Ahmad, 22, and twins Mohammad and Yahya, both 14.
His brother Abdullah has a tumor in his brain, frequent seizures, severe pancreatic dysfunction, and irregular heartbeats, while Mohammad suffers from Behcet syndrome and needs immuno-suppressing pills.
In a post on one of the fundraisers set up by Ibrahim, he wrote: “Despite the ruin, we carry torn books and big dreams.
“I study software engineering, Ahmad business administration, Abdullah civil engineering, but the university fees are a sword over our necks.
“We have no coin to pay the fees or even buy a new pen, and the twins are banned from school for the same reasons. No regular electricity, no reliable internet, no safe desks.”
Ibrahim had applied for the Dima al Haj scholarship offered by the University of Glasgow, which would have granted him student accommodation, free tuition fees and £5000 for the academic year, but he was unsuccessful.
He is now calling for the university to waive his student fees and to help secure his safe arrival to Scotland.
Ibrahim’s plea has been backed by Scots and others from across the world, with more than 33,000 people signing a letter calling on Glasgow University to waive his student fees.
More than $10,000 has been raised so far to help him achieve his dream of becoming a software engineer.
Earlier this week, Ibrahim shared a short video on Instagram where he showed the ruins of his home in Gaza.
Explaining why he needs donations to make it to Scotland, he said: “Surrounded by destruction, we try to survive every day.
“No safe shelter, no peace – just broken homes and shattered lives. But we are still here. Still holding on. Still hoping for a way out.”
You can donate to Ibrahim's fundraiser here, and you can sign the letter here, which calls on the University of Glasgow to waive his fees.
A University of Glasgow spokesperson said: “As a University of Sanctuary, we recognise the desperate situation for students in Gaza who have applied for UK universities, including Glasgow.
“The University currently offers a number of scholarships for Palestinian nationals and has recently committed to further funding this year to support conflict-affected applicants. We will continue to consider additional support for displaced students."
