Help a family survive genocide and hunger in Gaza

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United States

Hi! My name is Ellie, and I’m creating this fundraiser on behalf of my friend Taghreed Al-Jarisi, who lives in Gaza, Occupied Palestine.

I was first introduced to Taghreed through Walid Herez, who runs a soup kitchen in Gaza that I’ve been following and supporting for a few months. (You can read more about Walid’s work here). Taghreed is a close friend of Walid and his wife, and he made a post on Twitter sharing Taghreed’s account, where she posts about living in a tent camp with her children, sisters, and nieces and nephews.

Above: Taghreed with her two children, Naya and Khalil

I followed Taghreed then and was moved by her posts, about being ordered to evacuate again and again by the IDF, searching for belongings in the rubble of her destroyed home, and going to visit the grave of her baby niece, killed before she reached 1 year old.

Above: Twin babies Eileen and Ella; the twins with their older sisters

Above: Baby Ella’s burial and grave site

One day Taghreed posted that she was feeling ill, and I reached out to see if there was anything I could do to help her. Since then, we’ve talked every day, about her two children, Naya and Khalil, her former career in UX/UI, and our favorite books, and she’s become a dear friend.

Taghreed is in need herself, but she wanted to make a campaign for her sisters Hadeel and Islam, who she feels have suffered more in the genocide than her. Here are their stories, in Taghreed’s words:

Above: Lama, Layan, Eileen, and Hadeel

Hadeel suffered a lot in this war. The most devastating thing was the loss of her beloved daughter, Ella, in the war. She now lives with her three remaining daughters: Eileen the youngest, Ella’s twin, Layan the middle, and Lama, the eldest sister.

Above: Lama and Layan

Above: Baby Eileen

She will not be in a better condition than others who live in Gaza, as she resides with the rest of the family in a tent on the beach of Deir al-Balah, and some rescue teams asked them to change the place of displacement due to the sea waves, especially since her tent is in a deplorable condition. Now she does not know what to do, especially since she has nothing.

Above: Anas, Islam, Massa, and Fouad

As for Islam, I will not compare her situation to that of others. She suffered enough from this war. She was one of the families whose home was completely destroyed from the beginning of the war, and she moved again and again carrying her same tent. She has three children: Fouad the youngest, who may seem to be better off than his sister Massa, who needs treatment due to a postpartum growth hormone disorder, and Anas, the eldest brother, who lost a lot of weight due to malnutrition. Now she lives in the same small tent with Hadeel and their children, but it is worn out and torn from the inside, and most of its supports are broken.

Above: Massa, Anas, and Fouad in their tent with a broken support bar

What Hadeel and Islam need is the following:

1. They need to buy a good, sturdy tent lined from the inside with a floor to protect it from rain, humidity, and wet dust.

2. They need to buy some waterproof covers, wood, a toilet seat, and a water tank to create a good bathroom next to the tent, to protect the children from going to public bathrooms in storms and rain.

3. They need to buy winter mattresses, warm winter covers, and some winter quilts and blankets.

4. They need to buy children’s underwear, winter clothes, some sweaters and winter shoes.

This may not sound like very much, but the cost of these items in Gaza after a year under siege has reached 8 times or more than their cost before the war. In light of that, we’ve set a goal of $18,000 to secure these necessities for both Hadeel and Islam, and help them prepare for the coming winter.

Thank you for reading. I sincerely hope you’ll contribute to help this family survive. Everything helps, no matter how small the donation, but please give generously if you’re able – the need is desperate.

Above: doing laundry in a tent

Above: Anas amid the remains of his destroyed home

Above: Islam’s children sleeping in their tent

Hello! This is an update to let you know that the focus of this campaign is shifting. In April, my last update informed you that we would be raising evacuation funds for Taghreed, Naya, and Khalil. Unfortunately, due to Israel’s siege on Gaza, we’re now forced to change the goal of the campaign again: this will now be a survival fund for Taghreed and her children as they endure the forced famine. Your donations will allow the family to purchase food from merchants, albeit at extortionate prices, instead of risking their lives at the death-trap GHF aid points, where many have been killed trying to get flour and other simple goods.

Taghreed has asked me to remove the pictures of her sisters and their children that were previously attached to this campaign, because she feels it would be dishonest to keep them there while we raise money specifically for her, Naya, and Khalil. I’ve obliged, and I hope this small fact demonstrates to you what a kind-hearted and pure person my dear friend is. She also asked me to tell you more about Naya and Khalil, which I am happy to do.

Naya is 7 years old, and a very sassy, social, outgoing girl, who loves giraffes. Khalil is 6, and a strong, dependable, helpful (though sometimes naughty!) boy who loves lions and horses. Both of them are curious, playful, and mature despite their young age. Like all children, they love ice cream and candy, but these days, they would be overjoyed to have even a simple piece of fruit. Naya and Khalil were abandoned by their father when Naya was very young and before Khalil was even born; Taghreed is their sole caregiver and provider.

Please join me in helping to make sure these precious children and their mother survive this genocide!

Thank you so much to everyone who has donated to help Hadeel, Islam, and their children. Because of you, the family was able to buy winter clothes not only for Hadeel and Islam’s children, but the rest of Taghreed’s nieces and nephews as well. See the pictures attached to this update to see the children in their new clothes, including little baby Kenan in his new elephant onesie.

As the ceasefire in Gaza rapidly nears its end, Taghreed now needs to raise money to evacuate from Gaza with her children, Naya and Khalil, as soon as the border crossing into Egypt opens. The cost for one adult to get a visa to cross the border from the Egyptian Hala company is $5,000; for a child it is $2,500, totalling $10,000. Taghreed has around $7,000 saved for this purpose, so we’re aiming to raise another $3,000.

I hope you’ll stick by us and donate as generously as possible. In addition, please share the campaign far and wide. Together we can save this family from war and famine!

Michael Wasney