"I escaped Gaza and sent my family to Egypt. Now, my goal is to reunite with them in Canada."

Bombs destroyed my neighbourhood and killed my loved ones. I hope my family and I can find refuge in Quebec.

- Haya Elsayyed

I'VE LIVED IN THE SHADOW of relentless conflict my whole life. I was born in 1998 and grew up in the Rimal neighbourhood of Gaza City. My family and I often had to evacuate to the homes of friends or relatives to wait out bombing or fighting. When I was seven, a blast violently rocked my school while I was in class.

My father, a French teacher, and my mother, an English teacher, were deeply committed to our education. Under their guidance, my two younger brothers and I became fluent in both languages. We dreamed of moving to Canada, known for its welcoming attitude toward Muslim immigrants. I saw education as my way out, so I pursued biotechnology at the Islamic University of Gaza. Then, in 2021, I met a Canadian during a visit to Egypt. We got married and, in early 2023, moved to Montreal. I gained permanent residency. But the marriage didn't last, and I returned to Gaza later that year to visit my family.