#eSims

[decolonize-the-everything]

"The seasons are changing, but the situation in Gaza is not changing, and if it is changing it's changing for the worse. People are still in so much need for esims, we have a shortage of esims right now, we need NOMAD, we need Simly. I know this has been going on for a long time now, but please donate an esim. If you can't donate an esim please share this video and share it with your friends so someone else can donate an esim. And if you're still wondering about the importance and impact of esims you can check the pinned posts on the @connectinghumanity account or my personal account. Esims are helping a LOT of people and they are saving lives. So please donate an esim to Connecting Gaza."

Text on screen:

Video by IG @MIRNA_ELHELBAWRI

Screenshot of WhatsApp message saying "Mirna, I need Simly esims. Urgently."

Send a clear QR code screenshot to: gazaesims@gmail.com

NOMAD: (Regional Middle East)

Code: NOMADCNG

Simly (Regional Palestine)

Truely (Israel)

Code: TRUELYCNG"

Connecting Gaza Twitter/x link

Connecting Gaza insta link

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mirna El Helbawi (@mirna_elhelbawi)

There's never been a better time than the present to help provide Palestinians with much needed ESIMS!

Boost and Reblog

[acepumpkinpatrick]

Y'all!!! Emergency!!!

Your Esims are also helping Palestinians in Jenin!!

Instructions & Discount codes

Truly Esim

Thank you @anneemay for the notice

[gothhabiba]

eSims for Gaza is facing constant eSim shortages.

They get over a thousand requests for connection a day, but their email inbox is regularly sitting at 300-500 eSims. With the bombardment of Rafah and continual internet blackouts, the need for more eSims is particularly urgent.

Even if you have already sent an eSim or donated to an eSim donation drive, there is more you can do. The team is calling for people to campaign in their communities to help spread the word about eSims and encourage donations.

You can help by printing out posters and putting them up in local businesses, on telephone poles and notice boards, or wherever people are likely to see them.

[ID: Poster headed “eSIMs for Gaza” with an illustration of a red poppy, a QR code, and a link to tinyurl.com/gaza-esims; copy reads “Sending eSIMs is an immediate, concrete way to help Gazans on the ground. Scan below to learn how you can get involved.” End ID]

Download color poster (18 x 24")

Download color flyer (8.5 x 11")

Download black and white poster

(For a black and white flyer on A4 / 8.5 x 11" printer paper, just print out the black and white poster: the extra white margin space won't matter.)

Or make your own poster, pamphlet, or protest sign with one of these QR codes:

[thedisablednaturalist]

In case the esim process confuses you or you aren't able to buy them yourself for any other reason, crips for esims for Gaza is collecting donations, they've almost met their goal of $150,000 raised. Donating allows them to buy esims in bulk which allows them to obtain more than individuals would be able to. I just donated and it was super easy as you can use paypal.

[pearwaldorf]

Because I needed the reminder and maybe you do too: the best way to deal with political frustration is to do something.

A real and immediate impact you can have that will directly help a Palestinian is to buy an eSIM and send it to gazaesims@gmail.com. This allows Gazans to access mobile data so they can get news out and keep in touch with their friends and family.

If you have never done this before, here is a step by step guide, complete with discount codes. It is slightly technical but still fairly easy (imo, ymmv). If you can't/don't want to buy one directly, you can donate to Crips for eSIMs and they will buy one on your behalf.

You don't have to top up the eSIMs when they get low/run out, but I find it comforting to do so. It means somebody is still alive, and that you've made a hellish experience a tiny bit less terrible.

[magnus-rhymes-with-swagness]

Connecting Humanity is EXTREMELY LOW on esims right now - yesterday (September 1 2024) they posted an update saying they had ZERO ESIMS LEFT. The need for esims is greater than ever, so if you've got a few dollars to spare, please donate one!

Incentives to donate:

AMVs by various @amvs4palestine creators

Pet portraits and sketches by @mollybrooks

Writing commissions and help with homework/emails by @bluedabadeedabadie

Star Wars art commissions by @swartists4palestine

Art commissions by various @cartoonistcoop creators

Portrait commissions by @coyoxxtl

Donate an esim here or here. Don't know how? Check out these resources!

[therehavebeenstranger]

nomad esims are currently 15% off with code NOMEXPLORE15

[blackpearlblast]

a rundown on the listed e-sim platforms from this tweet from mirna el helbawi. visit esimsforgaza to learn about this effort. (they also have a tutorial on how to purchase an esim and send it to them)

update v12 (5/21/24) holafly (israel and egypt), nomad (regional middle east), simly (palestine and middle east), mogo (israel), and airalo (discover) are currently in the highest in demand. if it has been more than 3 weeks since you initially sent your esim and your esim has not been activated, you can reforward your original email with the expiration date in the subject line. you can see gothhabiba’s guide for how to tell if your esims have been activated. if your esim has expired without use, you can contact customer service to renew or replace it.

troubleshooting hint 1: if you are trying to pay through paypal, make sure you have pop-ups enabled! otherwise the payment window won't be able to appear. (this issue most frequently seems to occur with nomad)

troubleshooting hint 2: if you are trying to purchase an esim using the provider's app, it may block you from purchasing if your phone does not fit the requirements to install and use their esims. use their website in your browser instead and this problem should go away.

nomad

for the month of may, first time referrals give 25% off for a person's first purchase and 25% off the referrer's next purchase! it's a great time to use someone's referral code from the notes if you are a first time buyer.

you can use a referral code to get $3 off your first purchase and also make it so the person whose code you used can buy more esims for gaza. many people have been leaving their referral codes in the replies of this post and supposedly a referral code may eventually reach capacity so just keep trying until you find one that works! BACKPACKNOMAD is another code to get $3 off your first purchase, it's been working for some people but not others so try out a referral code instead if you can't get it to work. NOMADCNG is a code for 5% off any middle east region nomad esims posted by connecting gaza. it can be used on any purchase, not just your first but is generally going to give less off than the first-purchase only codes, so use those first. it can be used in combination with nomad points. AWESOME NEW CODE: nomad esim discount code for 75% off any plan, NOMADCS25 do not know how long it lasts but this is an amazing deal esp. since they are really low on esims right now! (nomad promo codes do not work on plans that are already on sale, unlimited plans, and plans under $5)

weekly tuesdays only code on nomad web, PST timezone! it gives 10% off plans 10gb and above. NOMADTUE

nomad also seems to be kind of sluggish sometimes when it comes to sending out emails with the codes. you can look for them manually by going to manage -> manage plans -> the plan you purchased -> installation instruction and scroll down to install esim via QR code or manual input then select QR code to find the QR code which you can screenshot and email to them. often just the act of logging back into your nomad account after purchase seems to cause the email with the code to come through though.

mogo

mogo's website is fucking annoying to navigate and i couldn't find any promo codes, but their prices are massively on sale anyway. you have to pick if you want your esim to be for iphone, ipad, or android for some reason. according to statcounter, android makes up approx. 75% of mobile markets in palestine while iphone represents approx. 25%. so i would probably recommend prioritizing donations of android esims but if you can afford multiple, try buying an iphone one too? if i can find any official direction from the connecting gaza crew on this i will update with it.

a good referral code to use for mogo is 8R29F9. the way things are worded are confusing but as far as i can tell, if you use it we both get a 10% discount on your first purchase. (the referrer gets a 10% voucher that allows them to top up in use esims, they are someone who i know has bought a lot of esims and will be able to make good use of the top-up discount vouchers!) also upon signing up it automatically generates a password for you which you can change by downloading the app. (check your email to find your account's current password)

holafly (also looking for holafly esims for egypt now)

holafly is pricier than the others and the only promo code i could find was ESIMNOW for 7% off. someone in the tags mentioned GETESIM7 as another 7% off code they had received, so if you have already used ESIMNOW or can't seem to get it to work, try GETESIM7. another 7% off code is HOLAXSUMMER7 which is valid until june 2nd. referral codes only seem to give 5% off and they don't stack. (i don't remember the source, it was on some sketchy coupon site i don't want to link to and only can recommend because i tried it myself) you can also use my referral link for 5% off if you can afford the 2% worse deal on your end, it will give me $5 credit which i can put towards buying more esims. connecting gaza has also posted the promo code HOLACNG for 5% off but since it is less than the 7% off codes and as far as i can tell does not give credit towards others to buy esims like the referral links, i would consider it lower priority for use.

simly (note: simly must be downloaded as an app to be used, the website link is to help people confirm they are downloading the right app)

i have not personally used simly so i am going to be going off of the sixth slide of mirna el helbawi's instagram guide, with some corrections from someone who has successfully purchased an esim from simly. after downloading the app and making an account, search for palestine or middle east and purchase your preferred package. the page the app takes you to after your purchase should have the QR code to send to the esimsforgaza email, it won't show up in your email receipt. someone kindly left her referral code in the tags of this post, it gives $3 off your first purchase and will give her $3 credit to put towards purchasing more esims for gaza. the code is CIWA2. (if this referral code doesn't work, try one from the notes of this post!) according to someone in the notes, ARB is a simly promo code for 25% off esims that is still working as of march 3rd.

airalo

some people have noted issues trying to sign up for airalo using the browser version of the website, it worked for me but if you are struggling you can give the mobile app a try and that should work. you can use a referral code to get $3 off your first purchase and give the code suppler a $3 credit for buying more esims. KARINA9661 is a code sourced from this post which is also a wonderful example of how using people's referral codes can really make a difference. if for some reason that referral code isn't working, you can find more in the notes of the original esim post i made here.

@/fairuzfan also has a tag of esim referral codes for various platforms!

(note: mogo and holafly both link to israel esims as there are no general regional packages for the middle east like on nomad and the esims for gaza website specifically linked to the israel package on mogo, so i linked to the equivalent on holafly.)

[emanfamily3]

Save us before it's too late ‏🍉🥺

Please, don’t skip 🙏😭

I’m verified 🍉🇵🇸

Hello, I am Iman from Gaza 🍉, a science teacher, a mother of five children: Nada (11), Rahaf (8), Sarah (5), Sham (3), Zeina (9 months). Technology is a beautiful, beautiful life. When the war broke out, everything turned upside down. My school that she uses was bombed, my husband lost his job, our house burned down, and our children lost their schools, clothes, toys, dreams, and future. We lost ten members of the group and lived in a tent that did not protect us from the cold of winter or the heat of summer. We were displaced more than ten times to escape the hell of war and there was no safe place in Gaza! We would flee from another place until we were besieged and miraculously escaped death! Until we set up the tent on the Mawasi of Yu Khanis and lived in it. It was not suitable for human habitation. In the winter, the rain would drown the children and the tent would be flooded with rain, with the lack of stimulants that made my daughters suffer from influenza, colds, and diarrhea. They would shiver from the cold of winter and the winds almost tore the tent apart!! And we stayed in the tent until summer came with its dangerous, scorching sun and its many harmful insects, such as flies, mosquitoes, scorpions and mice. The heat almost melted my daughters' bodies, as they were symptoms of skin diseases, ulcers, hepatitis, epidemic and pollution, all this in a wretched tent that could not accommodate two heads, as it was the kitchen, the one that was gloomy and the one that was high enough for sleeping.

‏We suffer from fetching water long distances on foot, and it is not enough, and if we find it, it is not polluted and not fit for drinking or use.

‏In this tent, my little girl Zeina was born and she left the hospital to the tent under direct health conditions. We suffer from good morning to crazy in terms of selling prices and completing vaccinations and medicines, and my daughter stopped due to malnutrition.

‏Do you think the tent is safe? No, by God, other tents were bombed near us and my children and I were shot at by occupation naval boats while we were on the sea, but we survived!

‏Since the beginning of the war, we have been living on canned food and my children crave water, fruits, meat and dairy products, but they are expensive. They crave sweets that are not simple!

‏As for our house, its walls have been bombed and everything in it, including beds, children's clothes, their clothes and belongings, has been burned. They are always crying, wanting their clothes and their clothes!!

‏We have been suffering from power outages since the beginning of the war (a year ago) and gas outages. My children are working by collecting firewood to cook food in primitive ways. !

‏Save us from the hell of war before it is too late. We are growing slowly every day 😭 Please donate to my children, help us get out of Gaza and escape this deadly war 🙏🥹🍉

https://gofund.me/77751696

@appsa @90-ghost @90-ghost @el-shab-hussein @nabulsi @sar-soor @sayruq @queerstudiesnatural @appsa @communistchilchuck @fairuzfan @neptunerings @just-browsing1222 @appsa @akajustmerry @feluka @marnota @annoyingloudmicrowavecultist @tortiefrancis @flower-tea-fairies @tsaricides @riding-with-the-wild-hunt @vivisection-gf @belleandsaintsebastian @ear-motif @animentality @kordeliiius @brutaliakhoa @raelyn-dreams @troythecatfish @violetlyric-blog @the-bastard-king @tamaytka @4ft10tvlandfangirl @northgazaupdates @skatehan @awetistic-things @nightowlssleep @baby-girl-aaron-dessner @friendshapedplant @mangocheesecakes @commissions4aid-@timetravellingkitty @tiredguyswag @brokenbackmountain @imjustheretotrytohelp @sylvianritual @magnus-rhymes-with-swagness @aces-and-angels @marnota @cenobutch @transmutationisms

[houseofpurplestars]

Crips for eSims for Gaza – Disability Visibility Project

Lots of good things on this page, writings from Palestinians and activists, info about esims, donation links, and more

[robogart]

Hello lovely people! I'm opening up 10 Slots for Grayscale Portrait Commissions like the ones above for eSims purchases to help the people in Gaza! 💖

To grab a commission, please follow the directions at gazaesims.com for purchasing an eSim (and updates from the organizer says that they are specifically most in need of nomad, simly, and holafly) and then send me a screenshot of your email to gazaesims@gmail.com (please include timestamps! Don't use old receipts please!), and a reference of your character to my email hht.illustration@gmail.com!

Let's connect people and help where we can! I'll update this post as slots are filled! Thank you for your time and please boost! 🙏💖💖💖

✨ Slots Available : 10 Slots

[schoolhater]

[i.d.: tweet by mirna el helbawi (@Mirna_elhelbawi) from august 4th 2024, 5:49 PM: all caps: We are freaking out! #ConnectingGaza. Attached image 1 transcript: This has never happened since October 2023. all caps: We are in a huge problem! Yes, we have 6 nomad e sims left! Image 2 transcript: We desperately need: Nomad (regional Middle east) Discount code: NOMADCNG. Simly (Palestine). Simly (Middle east). Send your QR code screenshot to: Gazaesims@gmail.com. end i.d.]

eSims for Gaza guide

eSims for Gaza guide 2 (by @gothhabiba, more thorough)

Crips for eSims for Gaza (only donate if you are absolutely unable to set up and maintain an eSim)

Printable flyer to encourage others to buy and maintain eSims

[acepumpkinpatrick]

Esims for Gaza

How to donate an esim

How to donate if you don't have a credit/debt card

Discount codes for Nomad

Use code: NOMADCS25 for 10GB Nomad esim

Simly referral codes:

6916A2E24962

KATZUV2

1F34EE5C7918

[gothhabiba]

🍉🇵🇸 eSims for Gaza masterpost 🇵🇸🍉

Which eSims are currently being called for?

Connecting Humanity is calling for:

Nomad (“regional Middle East” plan): code NOMADCNG (they are completely out)

Simly (“Palestine” and “Middle East” plans)

Airalo (“Discover” plan)

Gaza Online is calling for:

Holafly (“Israel” and “Egypt” plans): code HOLACNG

Nomad (“regional Middle East” plan): code NOMADCNG (can now be used multiple times from the same email)

Airalo (“Middle East and North Africa” plan)

Sparks (“Israel” plan)

Numero (“Egypt” plan)

For Connecting Humanity: if you sent an eSim more than two weeks ago and it is still valid and not yet activated, reply to the email in which you originally sent the eSim. To determine whether the eSim is still valid, scan the QR code with a smartphone; tap the yellow button that reads “Cellular plan”; when a screen comes up reading “Activate eSIM,” click the button that says “Continue.” If a message comes up reading “eSIM Cannot Be Added: This code is no longer valid. Contact your carrier for more information,” the eSim is activated, expired, or had an error in installation, and should not be sent. It is very important not to re-send invalid eSims, since people may walk several kilometers to access wifi to connect their eSims only to find out that they cannot be activated.

If a screen appears reading “Activate eSIM: An eSIM is ready to be activated” with a button asking you to “Continue,” do not click “Continue” to activate the eSim on your phone; exit out of the screen and reply to the email containing that QR code.

Be sure you're looking at the original post, as this will be continually updated. Any new instructions about replying to emails for specific types of unactivated plans will also appear here.

Check the notes of blackpearlblasts's eSim post, as well as fairuzfan's 'esim' tag, for referral and discount codes.

How do I purchase an eSim?

If you cannot download an app or manage an eSim yourself, send funds to Crips for eSims for Gaza (Visa; Mastercard; Paypal; AmEx; Canadian e-transfer), or to me (venmo @gothhabiba; paypal.me/Najia; cash app $NajiaK, with note “esims” or similar; check the notes of this post for updates on what I've purchased.)

You can purchase an eSim yourself using a mobile phone app, or on a desktop computer (with the exception of Simly, which does not have a desktop site). See this screenreader-accessible guide to purchasing an eSim through each of the five services that the Connecting Humanity team is calling for (Simly, Nomad, Mogo, Holafly, and Airalo).

Send a screenshot of the plan's QR code to gazaesims@gmail.com. Be sure to include the app used, the word "esim," the type of plan (when an app has more than one, aka "regional Middle East" versus "Palestine"), and the amount of data or time on the plan, in the subject line or body of your email.

Message me if you have any questions or if you need help purchasing an eSim through one of these apps.

If you’re going to be purchasing many eSims at once, see Jane Shi’s list of tips.

Which app should I use?

Try to buy an eSim from one of the apps that the team is currently calling for (see above).

If the team is calling for multiple apps:

Nomad is best in terms of data price, app navigability, and ability to top up when they are near expiry; but eSims must be stayed on top of, as you cannot top them up once the data has completely run out. Go into the app settings and make sure your "data usage" notifcations are turned on.

Simly Middle East plans cannot be topped up; Simly Palestine ones can. Unlike with Nomad, data can be topped up once it has completely run out.

Holafly has the most expensive data, and top-ups don't seem to work.

Mogo has the worst user interface in my opinion. It is difficult or impossible to see plan activation and usage.

How much data should I purchase?

Mirna el-Helbawi has been told that large families may all rely on the same plan for data (by setting up a hotspot). Some recipients of eSim plans may also be using them to upload video.

For those reasons I would recommend getting the largest plan you can afford for plans which cannot be topped up: namely, Simly "Middle East" plans, and Holafly plans (they say you can top them up, but I haven't heard of anyone who has gotten it to work yet).

For all other plans, get a relatively small amount of data (1-3 GB, a 3-day plan, etc.), and top up the plan with more data once it is activated. Go into the app’s settings and make sure low-data notifications are on, because a 1-GB eSIM can expire very quickly.

Is there anything else I need to do?

Check back regularly to see if the plan has been activated. Once it's been activated, check once a day to see if data is still being used, and how close the eSim is to running out of data or to expiring; make sure your notifications are on.

If the eSim hasn't been activated after three weeks or so, reply to the original email that you sent to Gaza eSims containing the QR code for that plan.

If you purchased the eSim through an app which has a policy of starting the countdown to auto-expiry a certain amount of time after the purchase of the eSim, rather than only upon activation (Nomad does this), then also reply to your original e-mail once you're within a few days of this date. If you're within 12 hours of that date, contact customer service and ask for a credit (not a refund) and use it to purchase and send another eSim.

How can I tell if my plan has been activated? How do I top up a plan?

The Connecting Humanity team recommends keeping your eSims topped up once they have been activated.

See this guide on how to tell if your plan has been activated, how to top up plans, and (for Nomad) how to tell when the auto-expiry will start. Keep topping up the eSim for as long as the data usage keeps ticking up. This keeps a person or family connected for longer, without the Connecting Humanity team having to go through another process of installing a new eSim.

If the data usage hasn't changed in a week or so, allow the plan to expire and purchase another one.

What if I can't afford a larger plan, or don't have time or money to keep topping up an eSim?

I have set up a pool of funds out of which to buy and top up eSims, which you can contribute to by sending funds to my venmo (@gothhabiba), PayPal (paypal.me/Najia), or cash app ($NajiaK) (with note “esims” or similar). Check the notes of this post for updates on what I've purchased, which plans are active, and how much data they've used.

Crips for eSims for Gaza also has a donation pool to purchase eSims and top them up.

Gaza Online (run by alumni of Gaza Sky Geeks) accepts monetary donations to purchase eSims as needed.

What if my eSim has not been activated, even after I replied to my email?

Make sure that the QR code you sent was a clear screenshot, and not a photo of a screen; and that you didn’t install the eSim on your own phone by scanning the QR code or clicking “install automatically."

Possible reasons for an eSim not having been activated include: it was given to a journalist as a back-up in case the plan they had activated expired or ran out of data; there was an error during installation or activation and the eSim could no longer be used; the eSim was installed, but not activated, and then Israeli bombings destroyed the phone, or forced someone to leave it behind.

An eSim that was sent but couldn’t be used is still part of an important effort and learning curve. Errors in installation, for example, are happening less often than they were in the beginning of the project.

Why should I purchase an eSim? Is there any proof that they work?

Israel is imposing near-constant communications blackouts on Gaza. The majority of the news that you are seeing come from Gaza is coming from people who are connected via eSim.

eSims also connect people to news. People are able to videochat with their family for the first time in months, to learn that their family members are still alive, to see their newborn children for the first time, and more, thanks to eSims.

Some of this sharing of news saves lives, as people have been able to flee or avoid areas under bombardment, or learn that they are on evacuation lists.

Why are different plans called for at different times?

Different eSims work in different areas of the Gaza Strip (and Egypt, where many refugees currently are). The team tries to keep a stockpile of each type of sim on hand.

Is there anything else I can do to help?

There is an urgent need for more eSims. Print out these posters and place them on bulletin boards, in local businesses, on telephone poles, or wherever people are likely to see them. Print out these foldable brochures to inform people about the initiative and distribute them at protests, cafes and restaurants, &c. Also feel free to make your own brochures using the wording from this post.

The Connecting Humanity team is very busy connecting people to eSims and don't often have time to answer questions. Check a few of Mirna El Helbawi's most recent tweets and see if anyone has commented with any questions that you can answer with the information in this post.

[risoria]

(10/7 2024)

Please if you have the means, check out the Connecting Gaza project and consider donating an e-sim, as they are constantly needed to help Palestinians stay in touch with their loves ones, the outside world and to document and tell their stories.

The discount code for NOMAD is NOMADCNG.

Update from yesterday, 9/7:

[sealdeer]

hey gang!! i'm going to be doing an e-sim drive on friday in solidarity with palestine and the strike called by bisan. i'll be live on youtube/twitch at about 5 pm est on the 26th. here is the link to Gaza eSims, which explains the need, where eSims are sent, and what carriers plans can be bought through.

here is an article about the project itself.

donations can either be made through the stream/my kofi for the purpose of purchasing e-sims, or you can send me proof of an e-sim purchase through my email, sealdeerofficial@gmail.com. I'll be drawing live, doing mostly ink, watercolor, and marker drawings in the usual style of my sketchbook videos. complexity will vary based on donation amount.

if you can't donate, feel free to come hang out and spread the word, and check out other campaigns happening! i was really inspired by the cartoonist cooperative's e-sim project, which is absolutely worth checking out as well.