A STUDENT from Gaza is pleading for financial support so his brother can take up an offer at a Scottish university alongside him.
Mahmoud Hasanain, 20, took up his studies at Glasgow University in November last year after he secured the scholarship necessary for him to flee the genocide in Palestine.
But he told The National that while his brother Mohammed, 22, had secured a place studying business and management at the same institution, he was unable to follow because his place was not funded.
Mahmoud worried that his brother might miss out on his only hope of building a better life for himself if he failed to get the money.
He said: “All those students like my brother that have worked so hard to secure themselves offers at UK universities have both their past and present stolen from them and this is their only opportunity.”
The computer science student described the horrors he had escaped during the Israeli genocide in Gaza and told how a friend had went out to get bread only to return and find his home and the rest of the neighbourhood reduced to rubble.
Mahmoud and Mohammed had been displaced from Gaza City during the years-long bombardment of the territory, ending up in Deir al-Balah.
He said: “We’ve lost our home and all the memories and everything is literally there under the rubble. The city that you’ve been raised in and everything, in the blink of an eye just turns into pure rubble.”
Reflecting on his time under siege by the Israelis – who restricted food and other essential supplies to the Palestinians while subjecting them to a relentless, deadly assault – he said: “Every day was a struggle.
“We’ve lost family, friends, relatives, cousins. One of my friends, our neighbour’s son, he went out to get bread. On his way back home, he realised that there was no home and that the entire neighbourhood got completely demolished. All he could see was pure rubble.
“You have this feeling inside of you, at any moment I could potentially lose my brother just because of the situation, the constant bombardment that’s taking place, displacement because of bombardment, fear, stress.”
Mahmoud was lucky to gain a scholarship, which secured his passage to the UK though his evacuation was not straightforward.
“We were given a specific location to go to and then we had to go there in the middle of the night, at 3am when it was completely dark outside. We had no cars, no electricity, nothing so we had to walk down the streets for hours just to get to that specific destination.”
From there, the group of evacuees were taken to Jordan before flying to Heathrow and he onto Glasgow.
A journey of 68 miles took him 28 hours, he said. “It’s like going from Glasgow to Edinburgh but in 28 hours.”
Mahmoud described a close relationship with his older brother Mohammed, saying: “We used to do everything together, we used to go fishing together, we used to play football together.
“We used to do all sorts of things together because he’s a couple of years older than me and we share everything together, it would mean the world to me to finally be reunited with him and for him to pursue his dreams and his studies.”
Including Mohammed and Mahmoud, there are six Hasanain children and both the parents in the family are still alive, said the younger brother, but they are struggling at home in Gaza.
“They’re still there together, suffering,” he said. “They’re just trying focusing on survival, basically. From getting water, charging their phones, living under constant fear and stress, bombardment; they could potentially lose their lives.”
For Mahmoud Glasgow has been a place he can rebuild his life – one that he hopes his brother can share in.
“Everything is perfect, the culture, the history, all the spectacular views,” he said. His only issue is with the rain, as he cycles to get to university on the other side of the city.
The charity Phoenix Space is currently holding an auction – with the chance to bid on items like a football top signed by Gary Lineker or artwork by Dylan Moran – to raise money to fund people like Mohammed’s education in the UK.
Alevtina Nepomnyashchikh, founder and CEO of Phoenix Space, said: “We’ve been humbled by the extraordinary level of support received for the Scholarships for Gaza celebrity auction – from cultural icons donating memorabilia to members of the public placing bids and sharing messages of support.
“There are hundreds of students like Mohammed who have earnt places at universities in the UK, including in Scotland, but desperately need funding to take them up. For anyone in a position to give, be assured that scholarships are not just financial support for these students. They are lifelines to an education and a future these young people have worked so hard to achieve.”
The auction runs until midday on Wednesday, April 12. You can find out more or place a bid here.
