Ali Tahrawi is a 29 year old ER doctor at Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah. He has been sharing his story for the past year on social media, including some devastating testimony about his patients. He has seen people burned to death outside the hospital, treated children whose tiny limbs have been blown off, consoled cancer patients who have no chance of survival as their treatment is abandoned due to lack of drugs and infrastructure, and so much more.
Treating his patients while he himself is suffering from his own health conditions, trauma and pain.
His dream is to continue his medical studies in the UK. A sensitive young man who loved to swim in the sea, and hang out on the beach with his friends.
One of the things that drew me to Ali is his beautiful way with words. Although he won't admit it, he is a poet. And so we have become friends over the past year, and a few months ago I started to create reels on Instagram where I blended videos from my homelands in Scotland, with his words. Collaborating with Ali has meant these reels have reached thousands of people globally.
That gave me the idea to try and get his words out to more people, folk who may not follow him on social media, and the concept of the booklet emerged. A small booklet that can be carried and distributed easily. Read, share, pass on. Keep it, love it, photocopy it and give it to your friends, create a second volume....
The booklet would be shared for free at demos and events.
To start with I'd like to get 500 copies printed locally. The cost of this will be £495. It will happen, even if I have to sell some stuff, but I'm hoping my community will help me get this started.