Brighten the Future of Gaza's Children

Dear friends, 

On May 18, 2015, you helped us reach our goal - 3,888 backpack kits with school supplies for Gaza’s neediest children, and donations are still coming in! Thank you for your support!

It has been over a year since since the shelling of Gaza began last summer. At the current rate, reconstruction will take more than seventy years to complete. Not a single home has been rebuilt. The blockade continues.

We must not lose hope that a brighter future is possible. In addition to backpacks, we are now sending thousands of children’s books, one of the most sought after non-essential items requests from families in Gaza.

Our book drive coordinator, Laila el-Haddad (shown above), author of Gaza Mom and Gaza Kitchen: wrote:

" My community here in Baltimore is collecting new books to put into each backpack because this is a way to nourish young minds, and nourish the goodness in us all. There is a tendency to view those in Gaza as victims requiring nothing more than sympathy and monetary donations, and the blockade as solely a blockade on the entry of food, rather than a blockade on freedoms and rights, such as the right to learn. But people everywhere long to give something tangible and useful, Sadaqah Jarayah, translated as Continous Charity — gifts if you will, that keep on giving.   It is so difficult to have the opportunity to do that for Gaza.  With this siege and destruction how do we give to help them build their future?” 

In this spirit, hundreds of people from all different backgrounds donated to the bookdrive. From Adam, our lead volunteer coordinator who brought the project to mutliple Muslim Elementary and High Schools in New Jersey: 

“The situation in Gaza is very critical. As we take life for granted, children in Gaza are not given the opportunity to grow and succeed in school because of the occupation. Being able to contribute to the book drive is really giving the gift of reading! Education is essential to the growth and success of Gaza. Working with my community and with Laila El-Haddad and her community to come together to collect books for the children of Gaza was a beautiful and selfless experience. The fact that people of all races and religions came together to contribute to the book drive showed the support and love we have for Gaza. I hope that when these books are delivered the people of Gaza will feel the support and love we are sending their way. The thought may seem simple to many, but supporting the development of these children is really setting the foundation for them to become successful doctors, engineers, and lawyers. We aren’t just sending books, we are building a brighter tomorrow.”

Now that we successfully reached our fundraising goal for the backpacks, the hard work of customs approval begins. Production of the backpack kits finished in June (photos shown) - all 3,888 kits now are awaiting clearance to be shipped from the supplier in Oklahoma to the East Coast community center that will send them across the sea.

We knew that getting approval from the Israeli Authorities wouldn't be easy. On June 2^nd, we received formal approval from the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Finance authorizing our donation. The donation was then sent to COGAT (Israeli Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories) for security approval before being cleared by Israeli customs. After over a month of delays, we have engaged our diplomatic networks. We have been calling COGAT’s offices, checking in regularly to remind them the importance of this shipment. Our elected representatives are calling the Israeli consul general in San Francisco to inquire on our behalf, and we are working diligently with the UNOPS team to ensure any questions are answered in due time. You can call your representative - tell them you donated to our project and ask them to inquire to the Israeli Consulate as to why approval is taking so long. Your calls make a difference. We remain committed and engaged, especially when proceedings are frustrating and difficult - a spirit of perseverance that the families in Gaza model every day. 

Meanwhile, the blockade continues, against the advise of Israeli military officials who say that economic opportunity in Gaza is necessary to prevent another escalation of violence. School, now more than ever, proves itself to be an invaluable asset for children recovering from trauma - it provides them stability, a support network, and promotes dreams of the future. We will continue to nourish these dreams as we expand our network. As the BDS movement picks up steam across the country, we hope to build a movement to invest in education for Gaza's children, in the spirit of peace and prosperity for all. 

Because we believe we will succeed, we are continuing our outreach. Last week, Donna and Kelly met with the United Church of Christ in Redwood City to discuss ways to partner on the next backpack container. Despite the challenges this project faces, we remain committed to reaching Gaza’s children and their families. Plans for the next container are already under way.

“It is a privilege and a blessing to be able to support the good efforts and accomplishments of Rebuilding Alliance.   I especially appreciate the opportunity to help Gaza's children rebuild their lives and hope for learning in the form of a back-pack for school.  I hope that people of faith will act out their faith by giving generously…."Walk their talk."  - Rev. Dona Smith-Powers

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or would like assistance in contacting your representative by emailing kelly@rebuildingalliance.org.

Also, tomorrow is a Global Giving Bonus Day - all donations will be matched 40%! If you or someone you know would like to give, consider purchasing a backpack for the next container, or support Rebuilding Alliance's other projects. 

With great thanks,

Kelly Leilani 

Links:

• Gaza's Mental Health Crisis and the Trauma of Prolonged War

Dear friends and supporters of Rebuilding Alliance,       

Greetings from Palestine! Donna and Kelly have been in the West Bank for the last month, moving things forward with the backpacks project. Our goal of reaching 3,888 backpacks by May is quickly approaching and we have now raised over $10,000 for the backpacks project (that’s more than 500 backpacks!). There is a strong network of support growing across the county, from San Francisco all the way to New Jersey and New York - thank you so much for being a part of it!

Today is a big day - another Microsoft Youthspark Matching grant has $5000 to give to the project with the largest number of unique donors. If we can reach 200 individual donations, we can get this big $5000 bonus prize for our project - that’s 250 backpacks for needy children in Gaza! If you can give $10, $20, or $100 again today, you can help us reach our goal of 3,888 backpacks by the end of May and build a brighter future for children in Gaza. Thank you!

During our time in the West Bank, we have been meeting with our trading consultants and the necessary contacts in the Palestinian Authority to make sure our container reaches the children in Gaza safely. Our team of consultants at Lausanne Trading have phenomenal experience getting goods in and out of Gaza, and even shared with us fresh mint, thyme, arugula, dill, and strawberries from the Gaza Strip. These delicious goods are being sold fresh overseas, even in groceries in New York! Your help to send backpack kits with new school supplies to children in need in Gaza will help continue to open the blockade and reconnect Gaza’s children and their families with the rest of the world.

On Thursday, April 9, we met with the Minister of Education, Professor Khawlah Shakhsheer, who is thrilled about this project. They are immensely thankful for American support and will help us identify the children who are most in need - those who will receive the wonderful backpack kits that you have helped provide. With approval from the Minister of Education, the Minister of Finance will provode us a donation number from the Palestinian Authority so that the container can get customs clearance and through Israeli COGAT security checks. We are well on our way to ensuring the safe arrival of these backpacks in time for school to resume in August, and we couldn't be doing it without your support.

On the other side of the world, our dedicated team members in California, New Jersey, and New York are undertaking remarkable fundraising efforts to help us reach our goal. To help prepare for the big Microsoft Youthspark Matching Grant event on Global Giving on April 14, these teams are holding fundraisers, movie nights, bake sales, and more, to raise money for the project! Our first container will be sent from the Palestinian American Community Center in New Jersey, where 5 schools and 3 universities have joined the campaign to send nearly 4,000 backpacks to children in need in Gaza. We want to give a big shout out to everyone involved in this amazing project, and thank you for your continued support!

Want to stay involved? Contact us about hosting the next shipping container in your community, or consider hosting a fundraiser event and donating the amount raised to the project. You can also give today to help us raise a bonus $5000 from Microsoft for having the highest number of unique donors. Thank you for your support of this project and please consider asking your friends and family to donate to help us reach our goal of 3,888 backpacks by the end of May. 

With sincere thanks,

The Rebuilding Alliance Team

Links:

• Donate now on Global Giving!