Zahra longs to leave Gaza, but Author Laila El-Haddad treasures her trips back. I met the author of Gaza Mom and co-author of Gaza Kitchen when she returned to Gaza to consult for the UN refugee agency for Palestinians.
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#GivingTuesday Now Underway! Click here to support the Gaza Emergency Relief Fund. Gaza Emergency Relief Fund,Family by family. Our government stopped all aid — so that's all the more reason to step forward to help.
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Behind every strong daughter is a strong mother. In Futtna’s story and how her daughter, Majd, inherited her strength, we can clearly see that.
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Although I couldn’t imagine living in the conditions I saw there, my hostess—Emarat Qandil—smiled throughout my visit as if she had nothing to be worried about or depressed about. "I’ve gotten used to hardship,” she shrugged. “If I gave up on life, what would my children do? They need me.”
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Palestinian youth will share their visions of peace before Congress on February 5th, 2019 in Rebuilding Alliance’s fourth #ICareAboutPeace congressional briefing. Help maximize the impact that our brave young speakers will make by making a donation to support our ongoing advocacy efforts. Following the visit to Congress, the children and their parents will remain in the US for two more weeks to do a multi-state speaking tour along the Eastern seaboard. I am looking for caring individuals like you to donate to Rebuilding Alliance so that we can continue to spread this important message. Contributions to Rebuilding Alliance are tax-deductible and every little bit helps.
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“This is the biggest challenge we have faced since the creation of UNRWA [in 1949],” says Amir el-Mishal, LSU chair. “First, the agency lost about US$446 million, causing it to stop hiring, terminate many contracts and change others from full to partial. That not only negatively impacted agency employees in Gaza, it also led to a decline in the quantity and quality of services we offer refugees."
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You can change life in Gaza — that's what Artist Maysa Yousef and her husband came up with when we asked Gaza artists to design a logo for the #GazaLightMessage campaign.
I am honored to announce that the Local Staff Union - Gaza is co-sponsoring this campaign each Wednesday night and, via Facebook and email, is inviting its 13,000 members to participate from their homes, then post photos and messages using hashtags, غزة_رسالة_ضوء# #GazaLightMessage. The members of the LSU are employees of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and with their commitment, professionalism, and expertise, they are a key to Gaza's future.
Gaza's social media activists have joined too, another key to Gaza's future. (see the article below).
Over the next seven weeks, I invite you to click "Going" to our Facebook event, and respond to the weekly hashtag messages posted by the people of Gaza (to do this, go to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and paste #GazaLightMessage or or غزة_رسالة_ضوء# to see them and post a comment). After January 3rd when the new Congress is sworn-in, we'll send you an Action alert to help you press Congress to restore the U.S. aid cancelled by President Trump, recognize Palestinian planning rights, keep the U.S. Consulate open in Jerusalem, and lift the blockade on Gaza.
I perked up when I was told by We Are Not Numbers that its partner NGO, the Rebuilding Alliance, was going to distribute Little Sun solar lights to people in particular need of light at this dark time of year in Gaza. It has been a long time since I had participated in community service, so—despite the early starting time, which goes against my nature—I jumped at the chance to participate. When I see people in need receive help and witness happiness bursting from the depth of their hearts into their eyes, I forget all of the tragedy and suffering that dominates life in Gaza.
However, although I have participated in many charitable activities during my years, this one was really special. I found myself wishing that everyone—both inside Gaza and out, where they often don’t understand us—could have accompanied me during this experience and felt what I felt. So, let me try to share a little of it with you.
The warmest and kindest salute
First, we visited the Al-Amal Society for Rehabilitation, which serves hundreds of deaf and mute students in Rafah, in the far south of the Gaza Strip. The pride they felt upon receiving the gift of the Little Suns was evident as we began distributing the solar lamps. One little girl kept staring at her Little Sun, without a single blink, as if she had been given the most valuable prize in the world.
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