Mirna El Helbawi Explained

Mirna El Helbawi
Native Name:ميرنا الهلباوي
Native Name Lang:ar
Nationality:Egyptian
Occupation:Journalist, writer, podcaster, and activist
Known For:Connecting Humanity
Awards:Electronic Frontier Foundation award for 'Championing Internet Access in Gaza'

Mirna El Helbawi (Arabic: ميرنا الهلباوي) is an Egyptian journalist, writer, podcaster and activist.[1] [2] 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.[1] [3] She was nominated for the Arab Journalism Award in 2016 and won the Electronic Frontier Foundation award for 'Championing internet access in Gaza' in 2024.

Connecting Humanity

See main article: Connecting Humanity. Israeli bombardment, electricity blockades and fuel shortages have caused the near-total collapse of Gaza's largest cell network providers.[4] [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 two people that she helped get back online through eSIMs were Egyptian journalist Ahmed El-Madhoun and Palestinian journalist Hind Khoudary.[9] [2]

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.[10] News of the initiative spread quickly through social media, and by December $1.3 million worth of eSIMs were donated to Connecting Humanity.[11] 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.[12] In 2024 Connecting Humanity was recognised by the Electronics Frontier Foundation awards for 'Championing Internet Access in Gaza'.[13]

Writing

El Helbawi was shortlisted for the Arab Journalism Award in 2016.[14] Her debut novel, Mor Methl Al Qahwa, Helw Methl Al Chocola (Bitter Like Coffee, Sweet Like Chocolate) was published in 2018. She also hosts the podcast Helbing.[15]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Vo . Lam Thuy . 7 November 2023 . 'Let Me Tell Them Goodbye Before They Get Killed': How eSIM Cards Are Connecting Palestinian Families – The Markup . 19 March 2024 . themarkup.org . en . 15 November 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231115230937/https://themarkup.org/news/2023/11/07/let-me-tell-them-goodbye-before-they-get-killed-how-esims-cards-are-connecting-palestinian-families . live .
  2. Web site: Español . Marc . 29 January 2024 . The Egyptians who have sent more than 130,000 digital cell phone cards to Gaza to defy blackouts . 20 March 2024 . EL PAÍS English . 20 March 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240320134414/https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-01-29/the-egyptians-who-have-sent-more-than-130000-digital-cell-phone-cards-to-gaza-to-defy-blackouts.html . live .
  3. News: Gazans had no cell service. An effort led from Egypt helped reconnect them . The New York Times . 29 October 2023 . Kershner . Isabel . Nereim . Vivian . Shankar . Vivek . Rogers . Katie . 19 March 2024 . 19 March 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240319075649/https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/10/29/world/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news#gazans-had-no-cell-service-an-effort-led-from-egypt-helped-reconnect-them . live .
  4. News: Aly . Rasha . 17 December 2023 . Palestinians in Gaza using eSim cards to get around communications blackout . 19 March 2024 . The Guardian . 0261-3077.
  5. Web site: Shabana . Yasmin . 2023-12-07 . Tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza are staying connected to the world via donated eSIMs . 2024-08-15 . Quartz . en.
  6. Web site: Instagram . 19 March 2024 . www.instagram.com.
  7. Web site: 19 January 2024 . Palestinians are using donated eSIM cards to stay in touch with the outside world . 19 March 2024 . NBC News . en . 19 March 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240319065644/https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/esim-card-gaza-palestine-israel-war-hamas-rcna134498 . live .
  8. Web site: How eSims are helping thousands in Gaza stay connected amid blackouts . NPR . 19 March 2024 . 19 March 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240319070051/https://www.npr.org/2023/11/21/1196978502/here-now-anytime-draft-11-21-2023 . live .
  9. Web site: Hesham . Merna . 19 March 2024 . 'Palestinians won't be silenced again!' : Egyptian journalist Mirna El-Helbawi initiative to get Gaza back online . Ahram Online . 19 March 2024 . 19 March 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240319094556/https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/511223.aspx . live .
  10. Web site: Alaa . Elassar . Tucker . Emma . 3 December 2023 . When Gaza lost phone and internet under Israeli attack, this activist found a way to get Palestinians back online . 19 March 2024 . CNN . 19 March 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240319065644/https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/03/middleeast/gaza-palestinians-blackouts-power-airstrikes/index.html . live .
  11. Web site: 4 December 2023 . fa:ناشطة مصرية تقود مبادرة "ربط غزة" لتوفير الإنترنت للقطاع . https://arabic.cnn.com/middle-east/article/2023/12/04/egyptian-activist-found-a-way-to-get-gaza-back-online . 1 April 2024 . arabic.cnn.com . ar . 1 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240401224505/https://arabic.cnn.com/middle-east/article/2023/12/04/egyptian-activist-found-a-way-to-get-gaza-back-online . live .
  12. Web site: 3 February 2024 . fa:في ظل استمرار قطع الإنترنت.. كيف يتواصل الغزيون مع العالم؟ . https://felesteen.news/post/149495/%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%B8%D9%84-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D9%82%D8%B7%D8%B9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A5%D9%86%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%86%D8%AA-%D9%83%D9%8A%D9%81-%D9%8A%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B5%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%BA%D8%B2%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%85%D8%B9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85 . 1 April 2024 . fa:فلسطين أون لاين . ar . 1 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240401221652/https://felesteen.news/post/149495/%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%B8%D9%84-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D9%82%D8%B7%D8%B9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A5%D9%86%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%86%D8%AA-%D9%83%D9%8A%D9%81-%D9%8A%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B5%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%BA%D8%B2%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%85%D8%B9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85 . live .
  13. Web site: 2024-07-11 . EFF Awards 2024 . 2024-07-25 . Electronic Frontier Foundation . en.
  14. Web site: Farida . 8 December 2020 . Mirna El Helbawi . 19 March 2024 . eniGma Magazine . en-US . 19 March 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240319093502/https://www.enigma-mag.com/mirna-el-helbawi/ . live .
  15. Web site: 16 January 2023 . Helbing on Apple Podcasts . 19 March 2024 . Apple Podcasts . en-GB . 19 March 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240319074640/https://podcasts.apple.com/eg/podcast/helbing/id1659293751 . live .

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