1/11 RIP – Mai R. Ubeid

Palestine has been robbed of one of its future leaders, exceptional tech talent, and a shining star of hope 💔

It’s with an unbearably heavy heart that I write these lines. Thursday morning I received the news that Mai R. Ubeid and her family had been killed in an airstrike.

Mai was one of the greatest success stories from the Gaza Sky Geeks Code Academy – perhaps you’ve already seen the post they shared about Mai and her life? If not, I recommend checking it out along with the video ➡ https://lnkd.in/dS6qgacQ

It was during the making of this video that I got to know Mai, and despite our interactions being numbered, she’s one of the Gazan’s that has left the greatest impression on me:

At a young age, Mai was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy and has been wheelchair-bound ever since. This is challenging anywhere in the world, but can you imagine the additional obstacles Mai had to face simply for being Gazan? In spite of this Mai and her family refused to accept this as a limitation to her potential, so together they fought for her to realize her dreams.

Their family was so connected, so filled with love and respect, and together they created a space where Mai could tap into her curiosity, strength, and desire to grow. Having chosen computers over babydolls as a child, Mai was destined to have a career in STEM. After graduating from the GSG Code Academy she went on to complete an internship with Google for Startups before landing a job with the UNICC / UNRWA. 👉🏼 She was their youngest-ever hire for the tech team! 👈🏼 Beyond this Mai kept pushing the limits of what it means to live with disabilities, not just in Gaza but across the world. Her biggest dream was to establish an initiative that would empower people like her across the globe.

Mai has made an everlasting impression on me, and I can honestly say that she was one of the strongest women I’ve ever met. I’ve always believed that she’d be a leading figure in shaping the future of Palestine – particularly from a tech perspective – and I now can’t help but feel that the Palestinian people has been robbed by the loss of Mai Ubeid.

May she rest in power ✊🏼🇵🇸

#wearenotnumbers #palestine #gaza #palestinelivesmatter #فلسطين #womenforwomen #womenintech #womeninstem