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Countless lives changed on October 7, 2023, and Youssef Mahmoud’s was no different. Even before the war, the Palestinian taxi driver could not bear the role of passive observer of unemployment and hunger, both of which are widespread in daily life in Gaza. In 2022 and early 2023, More than two million Gazans lack access to clean water and an adequate sanitation system, while two-thirds of the population lives in poverty.
Against this background, Youssef turned to the Internet for help. It was Ramadan of 2023 and he wondered if other Muslims around the world would contribute Bitcoin, the first decentralized cryptocurrency, which he could use to buy and distribute food to people in need and toys for children in Gaza. A UK Bitcoin user, Famble, was among those who responded to his call.
“I quickly saw that Joseph was genuinely relaying the support he received to the people on the ground,” Famble recalls. “When Bitcoin users sent satoshis (smaller units of Bitcoin) to Youssef, he sent back images of the impact the donations had on the elderly and orphans around him. The more evidence I saw of his work, the more I wanted to help, so that’s when I suggested it to him. Geyser As a way for Youssef to organize his initiative and expand the scope of the project.
In April 2023, Youssef was launched Project on the heatera global Bitcoin crowdfunding platform, to raise more funds and provide food and drinking water to Palestinian civilians in need.
When things got tough, support followed
In the following months, Youssef’s project took on new dimensions. The situation in Gaza was exacerbated by the military occupation, which led to their displacement 85% population of Gaza and halting economic activities, further exacerbating poverty and unemployment. Demand for food and water escalated, and Youssef shifted his focus from supporting families during Ramadan to providing daily necessities to civilians in need.
Between April 2023 and May 2024, more than 1,500 people donated to the cause. This has enabled Youssef to procure food and drinking water on a recurring basis for 20,000 families in Gaza, each with an average of five to seven members. About 500 of the people he helps are orphans.
Fumble explains that having the Geyser Project made it easier for people to support Joseph’s efforts. Today, Youssef relies on these donations to provide canned food, baby supplies, potable water, bags of flour, clothes, and ongoing access to medicines for civilians. Donations also ensure that Youssef has enough credit on his e-SIM card to stay in touch and up to date with what the community needs, and to be able to access the donations he receives through the project.
“More people here are using Bitcoin now, and there is no other way.”
Within two months of the start of the war, unemployment rates in Gaza rose to high levels 79.3%. Local residents lack sources of income and access to water, sanitation, health care and education. Half of the local population are children. Meanwhile, even those with savings in the bank found themselves unable to conduct transactions.
“During wars, you only have the amount left in your wallet,” Youssef explains over an elaborate call, where Fumble is also on hand to help bridge our language gap. “Banking apps on our phones are down and banks are freezing accounts in Gaza. We only have cash or Bitcoin.”
Famble explains that the Palestinian economy runs on Israeli shekels and that Gaza’s financial system is almost entirely dependent on Israel, which must approve the movement of cash into the area. The reason is that Israel controls the transactions that come into its banks,” says Famble.
For this reason, many Palestinians have relied on contacts from abroad to manage or access their money, but tales abound of people who trusted someone to receive their money only to find that person would not transfer it to its rightful owner. Those who pass the money often charge hefty fees of up to 30%.
For people like Youssef, Bitcoin has emerged as a stronger alternative than ever before. Its permissionless, peer-to-peer nature enables it to bypass financial and platform barriers to source aid from abroad and help people on the ground. Additionally, the fee for converting Bitcoin to fiat money is around 5%, making it cheaper and faster than the alternative. “You can see why more people here are using Bitcoin now; there’s no other way,” shares Youssef.
In addition, other crowdfunding platforms either do not operate in Gaza or have been blacklisted, so you cannot use them to send or receive money if you are registered in Palestine. Geyser continues to enable people on this site to raise funds using Bitcoin, with additional precautions such as requiring users to identify themselves to ensure the funds are not used to support sanctioned individuals.
“Citizens have no fault in this war, and that’s why I’m helping them.”
To further complicate the economic situation in Gaza, many families are separated due to forced displacement, as is the case with Palestinian men detained on a large scale while their families are being forced to flee. “Fathers were the main breadwinners in Gaza, and many families are now left to fend for themselves. These are the people who most often come to my house to ask for help,” says Youssef.
To help them, Youssef regularly travels to Rafah in search of supplies. Moving around is not easy. Displacement through Gaza makes Youssef more vulnerable to being targeted, while comprehensive inspections by military forces restrict goods coming into Rafah from Egypt. “Supplies are intentionally restricted,” Fumble explains. “There is no anesthesia, no insulin, and medical respirators are perforated… Even medical scissors can be considered a weapon and used as an excuse to refuse a batch of supplies. Not to mention deliberately delaying trucks so that the food spoils.” When asked what motivates him to continue, Youssef simply answered: “Citizens have no fault in this war, and that’s why I help them.”
But there are also good days. In March 2024, Youssef was able to buy 2700 chickens From Egypt to feed his community. It was classified as “commercial capacity,” which simplified the cross-border bureaucracy. These large-scale transactions are a source of hope for Youssef, but they will only be possible when large donations come in.
In April 2024, Yousef’s project raised $48,000 worth of Bitcoin. I ask Yousef if he is proud or surprised by this achievement, and he says, “My greatest achievement is providing the help people need, especially children.” Most recently, he built nearly 100 tents to house displaced families.
Although his project consistently ranked among Geyser’s most funded projects, it sometimes struggled to keep up with the ongoing needs and expenses Youssef was trying to meet. For example, not only is food difficult to obtain, it also comes at a high cost Significant price inflation When available. The week of our call, shortly after Youssef raised $48,000 on Geyser, donations became scarce and he came close to selling his car so he would have money to help people in desperate need of medical help. “To help more people, we need money to access large-scale supplies and rent cars or trucks to transport those goods to displaced communities,” he explains.
Using Bitcoin to meet people’s immediate needs, day in and day out
The work is performed online X“Youssef helps Youssef disseminate information about the project so that the stream of donations does not dry up. “Youssef sends me videos of the work being done on the ground, which helps prove the project’s credibility and sincerity,” explains Mr. Youssef. The consistency with which he posts these clips also helps demonstrate transparency about his intentions. The challenge is to share as much information as possible without compromising people’s safety.”
“You have to be very attentive,” Fumble says. “We want to show as much as possible what is happening, and Youssef’s live content is invaluable in this regard. The more transparency, the more likely people will donate. But at the same time, we need to protect the innocent civilians in Gaza, many of whom feel abandoned by the world.” .
Alongside this feeling, Palestinians cling to the slogan of “steadfastness” that they have always held on to. When asked if he had hope for life to return to normal, Yousef did not hesitate: “Yes, of course.”
Until then, Famble is thinking about how to help civilians in Gaza. There is the possibility of manufacturing and supplying 3D-printed prosthetic limbs to children who lost limbs during this conflict. “When I share these thoughts with Youssef, he just says, ‘God willing,’ because he doesn’t take anything for granted; he doesn’t just say, God willing,” says Vambli. He works hard to meet people’s immediate needs. Bitcoin donations have become a lifeline to cling to to help people get through just one day.
Donate to Joseph’s Save Gaza project here.
This is a guest post by Michelle Morucci. The views expressed are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of BTC Inc or Bitcoin Magazine.
