Letter to the Editor: A letter from Gaza to Waterford
Shahd Abu Omar.
Dear Editor,
My name is Shahd Abu Omar. I'm a 22-year-old Palestinian from Gaza, and I recently graduated with a degree in Computer Systems Engineering from Al-Azhar University.
I come from a family of five children, and I am the oldest, with four younger brothers. Before the war, we lived in a beautiful home in Bani Suheila, east of Khan Younis. I had my own room, and space where I could study. I had a comfortable and stable life. I was focused on my education.
When the war began in October 2023, our lives changed overnight. On December 5, 2023, we were forced to leave our home in eastern Khan Younis following an evacuation order issued by the Israeli occupation. At the end of December, we received the devastating news that our house had been destroyed. This was the first major shock and tragedy our family had to face.
At that time, we were displaced in Rafah, south of Khan Younis, living in a tent. It was the first time in my life that I had to spend my days in a tent. Throughout these years, I have lost people who were very dear to me, the place I loved most in the world - my home - and the normal life I once knew.
I now live in a tent in western Khan Younis because the eastern part of Khan Younis has been under Israeli military control for more than a year, and we have not been able to return home.
I have been displaced more than 20 times since the beginning of the war. Many times, we had to walk for hours carrying whatever we could, under the sun and while bombardment was taking place around us. There were times when we had to pass through areas where we could see people who had been killed and bodies on the roads. We were often moving without knowing whether the place we were heading to would actually be safe.
My university was severely damaged during the war, and my studies moved fully online in June 2024.
My education was repeatedly interrupted by displacement, evacuation orders, insecurity, and the destruction of the university. At times, I had to travel through extremely dangerous circumstances just to attend lectures, access the internet, or sit my exams. There were also periods when I had to leave my family for days, and sometimes for much longer, and stay with relatives in another area simply because I needed a more reliable internet connection.
One of the experiences I will never forget was having to complete a university examination while I was away from my family because I had gone somewhere with internet access. During the time I was taking the exam, the security situation around my family became dangerous. I was far away from them, trying to concentrate on an examination while worrying about what was happening to my family.
I kept studying because I did not want the war to take my education away from me as well.
Despite all the challenges, I finally managed to complete my degree and graduate in Computer Systems Engineering. I graduated with an average of 88.15%, and my graduation project, titled “Travel and Accommodation Booking Platform (TAABP),” received a grade of 98 out of 100. This achievement meant so much to me.
When I found out that I had received a scholarship at SETU in Waterford, I was incredibly happy. For the first time, I felt that I might be able to study in a normal academic environment, without the barriers that had controlled my education for years. The programme at SETU was closely connected to my background in Computer Systems Engineering and my future goals in software and technology.
For me, the scholarship represented the possibility of starting a new chapter of my life.
When I received an email telling me that my visa had been refused, it was a huge shock. After finally receiving a fully funded scholarship, I believed I had reached a point where I could move forward. The visa refusal made me feel as though that opportunity had suddenly been taken away.
I respectfully ask the two government Ministers who represent the Waterford constituency (Deputies Mary Butler TD and Deputy John Cummins TD) that my circumstances and the evidence provided in support of my appeal be carefully reconsidered. I hope to be given the opportunity to take up my fully funded scholarship, pursue my Master's degree in Ireland, and continue developing the knowledge and skills that will help me build a meaningful future in my field.
Yours sincerely,
Shahd Abu Omar,
from my tent in Khan Younis, Palestine
