About a year and a half ago, we launched a fundraising campaign to help a Pakistani student, Areeba Fatima, cover expenses for the journalism program she’d been accepted into at Columbia University. This summer, she walked across the stage a graduate, and along the way, produced some terrific reporting for Drop Site, including this investigation into state violence in Kashmir or her recent story on fellow Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil’s new lawsuit against Columbia itself.
All of that was thanks to the generosity of Drop Site readers. Areeba’s success, and your generosity, emboldened us to try it again.
We now have a new opportunity we wanted to get in front of you. Huda Skaik is a young Palestinian journalist from Gaza and a Drop Site contributor. She has been accepted to the University of London, where she wants to sharpen her already formidable journalistic skills. Everything is approved, but for the final visa she needs to raise money to cover her funding gap—unfortunately by this coming Wednesday.
Drop Site is launching a campaign to raise the remaining $50,000 she needs by September 23 to support Huda’s journey from Gaza to the University of London.
Full funding for Huda’s remaining two years of study and living costs has to be secured to meet the financial requirements of the UK visa process. And she’s on a hard deadline. Between the costs the scholarship doesn’t cover, accommodation and living expenses, her visa, and her evacuation and travel out of Gaza, the total comes to about $116,000. We’ve raised part of it, but we still need to raise the remaining $50,000 by Wednesday, September 23.
I think we can do it. If 2,000 people reading this email give $25 each, we’ll hit the target by the end of the afternoon. (Double-check my math, but I think that’s right.) 100% of the contributions will go toward her scholarship and we will of course cover the processing fees and all that on our end.)
If you’d like to make a larger gift to help close the gap, please reach out to majorgiving@dropsitenews.com or ryan@dropsitenews.com and we can let you know how to earmark it directly to Huda.
Alongside video reports and documentaries, Huda has published more than 70 articles at outlets around the world, including The Nation, Al Jazeera, and Middle East Eye.
Huda earned an “unconditional scholarship” offer to study journalism at the London university, entering directly into her second year. Her passport is ready. The university recognized both her academic record and the exceptional circumstances she’s working under.
That’s where you come in.
Currently displaced and living under extraordinarily difficult conditions, Huda remains committed to her work, sharing her vital perspective on the genocide in Gaza with the world. We’re asking you to chip in whatever you can. $5, $20, $100—it all adds up. If enough of us pitch in, we can make this happen for Huda.
“I am not asking for help simply to attend university. I am asking for the chance to continue telling stories, studying journalism, and using my work to make sure the experiences of people in Gaza are heard.” – Huda Skaik
Every dollar you give goes directly toward Huda’s evacuation, education, and living costs. If you can’t support directly, please consider sharing Huda’s fundraising page with others in your network.
Let’s do this together,
Ryan and the Drop Site team
