Clothe Gaza’s Children: 2014 Clothing Drive
The Rebuilding Alliance’s desire to help the people in Gaza, after the 2014 bombings, was reciprocated by an overwhelming response by the people.
“As you start to walk on the way, the way appears.” –Rumi
What is needed is the right intention and the willpower to carry on.
The humanitarian crisis caused by the Operation Protective Edge launched in July 2014 by the Israeli forces on Gaza is unmatched in Palestine’s recent history. According to Amnesty International, the seven-week long bombing resulted in the deaths of more than 2000 Palestinians including 500 children and injuring more than 10,000 people. The United Nations reported that more than 96,000 homes got damaged, while 7000 turned completely into rubble, displacing more than half a million people.
The team at the Rebuilding Alliance (RA), led by Donna Baranski-Walker, Founder and Executive Director of RA, knew they had to help the people in Gaza who have lost their homes, clothing, and pretty much everything. Flyers, asking for clothing, shoes, and bedding, were sent out in the bay area. The response was phenomenal. People from all faiths and backgrounds came, donated, and packed boxes for the shipment. The children sent puppets to give hope to the children in Gaza. A 40-feet long container was shipped to Gaza. However, getting the shipment through a series of clearances from local, Palestinian and Israeli authorities was no easy feat. The RA persevered.
The RA learned many new things along the way. It learned how to send things, who to work with, as the next shipment, a 20-feet container, was sent with the help of the Red Crescent Society. It learned what the people in Gaza wanted. The RA also provided clothes for the people in Gaza during the Ramadan for Eid by buying locally through funds raised at home.
The clothing drive led to the start of many ventures such as the provision of hygiene kits, backpacks with stationeries for the children, solar lights projects, etc. Extra clothes, from the clothing drive, were sent to the Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Donna shares that being able to respond to the needs of the people who have lost everything is a very satisfying experience.
It is in this spirit the RA has continued to serve the people in Gaza, Palestine. Your continued support is needed to fulfill our goal.
We made it!
Our first 40 foot shipping container filled with 727 boxes of gently used shoes, clothing, and bedding, has arrived in Gaza. But the need is still there - we are preparing to launch our Backpacks for Gaza project, which will provide brand new backpacks filled with school supplies to thousands of children in Gaza. We thank you for your support and hope that you will continue to support Rebuilding Alliance's efforts to open the blockade with compassion.
Still want to give?
Your support is always needed!
Clothe Gaza's Children
HElp Us Work with Compassion to Open the Blockade: get involved today
WHAT IS THE CURRENT NEED?
This summer, Operation Protective Edge caused the most serious humanitarian crisis in Gaza since the beginning of the Israeli occupation in 1967. Nearly half a million Palestinians were displaced at the height of the conflict and more than 11,200 were injured. The number of poor, homeless and disabled persons, as well as orphans and single-parent households has increased dramatically. 373,000 children are now in need of psychosocial support. They have lost so much in their young lives: family, friends, homes, schools, and access to basics such as food and clean water.
We asked, you gave.
When we asked for Clothes for Gaza, thousands responded generously. With aid of the United Nations, our first container is on its way to Palestinian families who lost everything.
What is next?
Now we ask your help to send six more containers with clothing and backpacks for Gaza's neediest children, who make up nearly 60% of the entire Gazan population. Our project provides a tangible way to show that Americans care. We are inviting student groups from college campuses, community groups, and places of worship to organize 'Backpacks for Gaza' campaigns. Donors like you will be able to buy the necessary school supplies for one child online at a participating office supply registry. Volunteers will then meet to sort and pack 600 boxes with backpacks and letters of support, which they will then 'live-load' onto 40ft shipping containers and send overseas. Your donation means warmth and hope for the children of Gaza.
Opening the blockade with compassion
Let's work together to open the blockade of Gaza through compassion. Let's give the children of Palestine, and children throughout the world, hope and a better future. Each shipping container will provide much needed clothing and backpacks to 4800 children in Gaza, inspiring youth both here and there to make a difference. As we've seen in the San Francisco Bay Area, each container brings together people of all faiths, increasing awareness and reminding us all of our common humanity.
WANT TO LEARN MORE? READ OUR FAQ.
How do I get involved?
There are many ways to get involved. With the success of our Youthspark Grant Competition, we are eager to bring on new members to our growing community of citizens working to open the blockade with compassion and build a better future for Gaza's children. We currently need:
Visit our Backpack Kits for Gaza project to buy a backpack today.
Clothe Gaza’s Children
A program review of Rebuilding Alliance’s first container of gently used clothes for Gaza
March 3, 2015
In attendance: Mona Kabbani, Donna Baranski-Walker, Nayab Khan, Kelly Leilani Main,
Zoe Bartarseh, Andre Bartarseh, Ayat Omran via Skype, Niveen Shaheen via Skype, Monica Quinn
Contents
Executive Summary
History of Rebuilding Alliance’s work in Gaza
Project Goals for Clothes, Shoes and Bedding for Gaza
Financial Summary
Review Process
What worked?
What didn’t?
What next?
In Conclusion
Executive Summary
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History of Rebuilding Alliance’s work in Gaza
In 2003, Rebuilding Alliance offered to build a home for the Gaza family whom American activist Rachel Corrie stood to protect when she was killed by an Israeli army bulldozer. We hoped theirs would be the first in a Rebuilding Alliance effort to rebuild the 2,200 homes that were demolished in 2003/4. Rebuilding Alliance brought the Narsrallah family on speaking tour in the U.S. with Cindy and Craig Corrie, Rachel’s parents, to raise funds for the project. We completed construction of their home in 2007. By then the siege of Gaza became impenetrable, and we were unable to send necessary concrete and steel construction materials into Gaza to build homes.
After Cast Lead in 2008, despite thousands of homes demolished, construction materials were not allowed into Gaza. So Rebuilding Alliance helped build soccer fields and playgrounds to help families and neighborhoods recover. We leveled playing fields for the annual Rachel Corrie Ramadan Soccer tournament and helped install a portable building as a field office.
Rebuilding Alliance continued to try to build kindergartens and homes . We were the only American NGO to send construction materials along with sporting equipment on the flotilla the Rachel Corrie.
Rebuilding Alliance received a grant to build a kindergarten in Al-Aqaba, and the Rebuild to Remain program in Area C began to develop.
1. Clothes, Shoes, and Bedding for Gaza
In 2014, the first three homes from the Rebuild to Remain project were completed.
In late summer 2014, after the kidnapping of three Israeli teens, Israel launched an all-out military offensive in Gaza. Associated Press was going to release a story about the homes in Al Aqaba (good news), but they cut the story as the violence escalated.
After speaking with our friends in Gaza about the dire situation, Rebuilding Alliance raised funds to buy hygiene kits on credit from local businesses in Gaza with the Rachel Corrie Foundation and the Arab American Anti Discrimination Committee - we raised over 40,000 through crowd funding and spurred the UN to finally release its own supplies from warehouses as the humanitarian situation rapidly deteriorated. We also fundraised with a group of Palestinian marathon runners who came to run the SF marathon!
Khaled Nasrallah kept us informed of the lack of basic amenities and services - people needed everything, including blankets, shoes, and clothing - so we decided to ask our community to donate goods to send to families in Gaza suffering from the reverberations of the summer violence.
Thousands of people from all walks of life, from all over the greater Bay Area and beyond, donated goods. It was truly remarkable how many people came together to fill Rebuilding Alliance’s office with bags and boxes of clothing, bedding, and shoes for Gaza.
We loaded a 40 ft. container in October, which finally arrived on January 6, 2015, and was distributed by the Palestine Red Crescent Society and the al-Basma club for the disabled in February.
Here is our summary:
1. What worked?
a. Amazing Community Support
b. Rather high quality goods - better than goodwill, and some new items
c. Container got in, not easily but we got it in. The RA team tirelessly with the shipping agents over the holiday to ensure its successful delivery and renegotiated the port fees, reducing their bill to
d. Networking opportunities - people still call to ask if they can donate (goods now being re-routed to Syrian refugees in Lebanon through the Swasia foundation)
e. Film of the October event got positive feedback
f. Palestine Red Crescent Society: Omar said that despite the problems with quality control, it was wonderful to know that there were people in the US who care - following up with Niveen to get a direct quote from him.
g. Al Basma Club for the Disabled distributed clothing as well
h. A few photos from PRCS and Al Basma
2. What didn’t?
a. Poor quality control - just not good enough. Also, some of the clothing was culturally inappropriate (rips in jeans, etc.)
b. Other organizations were distributing new clothing
c. Clothing was delivered, but 40% was not useable
d. Israel and Palestine do not accept used clothing donations by law - we got in on a whim.
e. Not enough feedback from our partners of the process
3. What next?
a. Another shipping container with donated goods was send to Syrian refugees in Lebanon - Rebuilding Alliance had a big event on MLK day and another great turnout of volunteers. People continue to give.
b. Sending containers of new clothing?
i. Containers of new clothing from China
ii. Job lot containers
c. Openings for textile imports/exports into Gaza: send raw materials
i. West Bank sewing coops to Gaza
ii. Sending textiles into Gaza and producing clothing there
1. Rafah Women’s Association
iii. Fashion show at Rebuilding Alliance!
iv. Benefits
1. Clothing style is appropriate and meets the needs of people there
2. Job creation in Gaza and West Bank = self sufficiency
d. Backpack kits for Gaza’s children