We are thrilled to welcome Abeer Almassri and Heba Al-Tanani to the University of St Andrews and into our STEPS family.

Abeer’s journey here has been long and incredibly challenging. She and her family endured the devastating impact of war and displacement in Gaza, losing their home and loved ones. Despite these unimaginable difficulties, Abeer held on to her dream of pursuing her MSc in Health Data Science at St Andrews.

For nearly two years, the siege and border closures made it nearly impossible for her to leave Gaza. Thanks to the extraordinary perseverance of Abeer herself, the support of her family, the STEPS team, the University of St Andrews, MP Wendy Chamberlain, and many kind-hearted individuals, she has now made it safely to St Andrews.

In her own words:

“Now that I have finally arrived in St Andrews, I am overwhelmed with relief and gratitude. It has been a long and difficult journey full of uncertainty and loss, but also by hope. I am determined to make the most of this opportunity, to grow academically and personally, and to use my education to contribute positively in the future.”

We are equally delighted to welcome Heba Al-Tanani, another Palestinian student from Gaza, who joins us on a HESPAL scholarship to pursue her MSc in Artificial Intelligence. Although her scholarship is different, she will be very much part of the STEPS family, and we are honoured to have her with us.

Both Abeer and Heba embody resilience, courage, and hope, and we are so proud to stand alongside them as they begin this new chapter at St Andrews. 💙

We are delighted to welcome our new STEPS scholars: Miral, Enas, Dania, and Rana. They are embarking on studies in Psychology, Health Data Science, International Development, and Global Sustainable Development.

In their applications, each scholar shared a strong commitment to addressing critical needs within Palestinian society. We deeply admire their courage and determination to pursue higher education in the UK despite the considerable challenges they face. Saying farewell to loved ones and stepping into uncertainty requires extraordinary resilience.

Throughout the year, the STEPS trustees will remain closely connected with them, offering support as they continue their academic and personal journeys.

Congratulations to our STEPS scholar for the former year Ahmed Nehad. Despite the difficult situation in Gaza and the continuous stream of bad news during his studies, Ahmed managed to complete his MSc in Sustainable Development and graduated with distinction.

Congratulations Ahmed and we wish you the best in your future.

Curator Ruba al-Thaher explores the personal and cultural significance of Palestinian embroidery at Tiraz: Widad Kawar Home for Arab Dress. Each dress in the Amman collection tells a unique story of heritage and resilience, reflecting diverse regional identities. The exhibition features stunning embroidered garments that serve as symbols of identity and protection. Check their Instagram post for more details.

5-year-old Marlin has now arrived in Scotland after being granted a visa to exit Gaza and come here to be reunited with her mother, our 2023-24 STEPS scholar, Israa. Thank you very much to all those who campaigned, worked or made donations to make this possible. Last weekend Israa and Marlin went strawberry-picking in Fife.

We have been delighted to hear that, with the enormous help of a human rights lawyer in London working pro bono, and a GoFundMe campaign organized by a former STEPS trustee, Gilbert Ramsay, our 2022-23 scholar Israa Aljaish, who is now in Dundee, has managed to secure the funds and a visa to get her five-year-old daughter Marlin out of Gaza, and is planning to bring her to Scotland in the next few weeks. We are extremely grateful to them and to all who have contributed to making this possible.