But accolades alone weren’t enough to secure her a place in the UK. Getting the necessary proof of her English-language abilities took months and is a hurdle that many Palestinian students struggle to navigate. Hanya also said, “it took me a village to get me here,” crediting many people for their help, including Alice Walpole, the Director of Goodenough College, the Kay Mason Foundation, AfH, the Gaza Scholarship Initiative, the Red Cross, and UK government officials. Rebecca Long-Bailey, Member of Parliament for Salford, was among those supporting Hanya’s journey: “When I first spoke with Hanya online about her tireless humanitarian aid work, she panned her webcam across to show me the view from Action for Humanity’s Gaza aid work office: It was rubble, ruins, and devastation. Hope was in short supply,” she told The Standard, adding she was “delighted” that Hanya finally made it to London.
