Mirna El Helbawi

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Mirna El Helbawi
ميرنا الهلباوي
Mirna El Helbawi.jpg
Born1991or1992(age 31–32) [1]
NationalityEgyptian
Occupation(s)Journalist, writer, podcaster, and activist
Known for Connecting Humanity

Mirna El Helbawi (Arabic : ميرنا الهلباوي) is an Egyptian journalist, writer, podcaster and activist. [2] [3] She is the founder of Connecting Humanity, a non-profit organisation that helps people in Gaza to regain access to the internet, using donated eSIMs. [2] [4] [5] She was nominated for the Arab Journalism Award in 2016.

Contents

Connecting Humanity

Israeli bombardment, electricity blockades and fuel shortages have caused the near-total collapse of Gaza's largest cell network providers. [1] El Helbawi discovered that eSIMs could be used to reconnect people in Gaza by allowing them to connect to remote cell phone networks, including Israeli and Egyptian networks, when roaming. [6] [7] [8] The first two people that she helped get back online through eSIMs were Egyptian journalist Ahmed El-Madhoun and Palestinian journalist Hind Khoudary. [9] [3]

Connecting Humanity claim that, by December 2023, 200,000 people living in Gaza (around 10% of the population) had received internet access through an eSIM. [5] News of the initiative spread quickly through social media, and by December $1.3 million worth of eSIMs were donated to Connecting Humanity. [10] The project is an international effort, with people in countries such as the United States, Switzerland, and Pakistan donating eSIMs. Donors most commonly used Airalo and Simply to generate eSIMs that could then be distributed in Palestine. [11]

Writing

El Helbawi was shortlisted for the Arab Journalism Award in 2016. [12] Her debut novel, Mor Methl Al Qahwa, Helw Methl Al Chocola (Bitter Like Coffee, Sweet Like Chocolate) was published in 2018. [12] She also hosts the podcast Helbing. [13]

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Connecting Humanity is a collective which provides internet access to people in Gaza using donated eSIMs, allowing them to connect to networks outside of Gaza. It is run by Mirna El Helbawi, an Egyptian journalist, writer and activist. Over 200,000 people in Gaza have received internet access through an eSIM.

References

  1. 1 2 Aly, Rasha (17 December 2023). "Palestinians in Gaza using eSim cards to get around communications blackout". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  2. 1 2 Vo, Lam Thuy (7 November 2023). "'Let Me Tell Them Goodbye Before They Get Killed': How eSIM Cards Are Connecting Palestinian Families – The Markup". themarkup.org. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  3. 1 2 Español, Marc (29 January 2024). "The Egyptians who have sent more than 130,000 digital cell phone cards to Gaza to defy blackouts". EL PAÍS English. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  4. ↑ Kershner, Isabel; Nereim, Vivian; Shankar, Vivek; Rogers, Katie (29 October 2023). "Gazans had no cell service. An effort led from Egypt helped reconnect them". The New York Times.
  5. 1 2 Elassar, Alaa; Tucker, Emma (3 December 2023). "When Gaza lost phone and internet under Israeli attack, this activist found a way to get Palestinians back online". CNN. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  6. ↑ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  7. ↑ "Palestinians are using donated eSIM cards to stay in touch with the outside world". NBC News. 19 January 2024. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  8. ↑ "How eSims are helping thousands in Gaza stay connected amid blackouts". NPR.
  9. ↑ Hesham, Merna (19 March 2024). "'Palestinians won't be silenced again!' : Egyptian journalist Mirna El-Helbawi initiative to get Gaza back online". Ahram Online.
  10. ↑ ناشطة مصرية تقود مبادرة "ربط غزة" لتوفير الإنترنت للقطاع. arabic.cnn.com (in Arabic). 4 December 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  11. ↑ في ظل استمرار قطع الإنترنت.. كيف يتواصل الغزيون مع العالم؟. فلسطين أون لاين (in Arabic). 3 February 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  12. 1 2 Farida (8 December 2020). "Mirna El Helbawi". eniGma Magazine. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  13. ↑ "Helbing on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. 16 January 2023. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
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