Mirna El Helbawi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Izno (talk | contribs) at 00:26, 26 April 2024 (→‎Connecting Humanity: clean refs). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Mirna El Helbawi
NationalityEgyptian
Occupation(s)Journalist, writer, podcaster, and activist
Known forConnecting Humanity

Mirna El Helbawi (Arabic: ميرنا الهلباوي) is an Egyptian journalist, writer, podcaster and activist.[1][2] She founded and runs Connecting Humanity, a non-profit organisation which helps people in Gaza to regain access to the internet, using donated eSIMs.[1][3][4] She was nominated for the Arab Journalism Award in 2016.

Connecting Humanity

Main article: Connecting Humanity

Israeli bombardment, electricity blockades and fuel shortages have caused the near-total collapse of Gaza's largest cell network providers.[5] 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 people she was able to connect through eSIMs were Egyptian journalist Ahmed El-Madhoun and Palestinian journalist Hind Khoudary.[9][10][2][11]

By December 2023, 200,000 people living in Gaza (around 10% of the population) had received internet access through an eSIM.[5][12][13][14] News of the initiative spread quickly through social media, and by December $1.3 million worth of eSIMs had been donated to Connecting Humanity.[15] 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 which could then be distributed in Palestine.[16]

Writing

El Helbawi was shortlisted for the Arab Journalism Award in 2016.[17] Her debut novel, Mor Methl Al Qahwa, Helw Methl Al Chocola (Bitter Like Coffee, Sweet Like Chocolate) was published in 2018.[17] She also hosts the podcast Helbing.[18]

References

  1. ^ a b 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.
  2. ^ a b 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.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ "This activist is helping Palestinians get back online in Gaza when connection is lost under Israeli attack". CNN. 4 December 2023. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  5. ^ a b 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.
  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".
  10. ^ "'Palestinians won't be silenced again!' : Egyptian journalist Mirna El-Helbawi initiative to get Gaza back online". Ahram Online.
  11. ^ Hesham, Merna (19 March 2024). "'Palestinians won't be silenced again!' : Egyptian journalist Mirna El-Helbawi initiative to get Gaza back online".
  12. ^ "When Gaza lost telephone and internet connection, this activist found a way to get Palestinians back online". The Mercury News. 3 December 2023. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ "In Gaza, virtual chips are breaking the telecommunications blockade". Le Monde.fr. 4 February 2024. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  15. ^ ناشطة مصرية تقود مبادرة "ربط غزة" لتوفير الإنترنت للقطاع. arabic.cnn.com (in Arabic). 4 December 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  16. ^ في ظل استمرار قطع الإنترنت.. كيف يتواصل الغزيون مع العالم؟. فلسطين أون لاين (in Arabic). 3 February 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  17. ^ a b Farida (8 December 2020). "Mirna El Helbawi". eniGma Magazine. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  18. ^ "Helbing on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. 16 January 2023. Retrieved 19 March 2024.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mirna_El_Helbawi&oldid=1220801292"