The Importance and Detail Behind Our Free Palestine Collection
What is Going On in Gaza?
On October 7th 2023, the whole of Gaza’s future was about to change. There is no doubt that the Israel-Gaza war has been absolutely devastating, with more than 62,000 people killed in Gaza, the city is stripped of life. Buildings are rubble and everything is grey, who is left of the population is starving from malnutrition and famine. It is an obvious humanitarian crisis but it is also being allowed to happen; hospitals are being destroyed and aid becoming inaccessible. When you are in the UK you can feel helpless, but there are things we can do - we must support Palestinians that are getting forcibly displaced and terrorised.
What are we doing to support Gaza?
Daisy and I were sat wondering what can be done with the platform we have, so we came up with our ‘Free Palestine’ campaign. A 14-piece jewellery and sticker collection will contribute all its profits to individual families - sourced from Operation Olive Branch’s spreadsheet. Each piece is named after a real individual with real families, living in genocide. With each family we will share their social media profiles and links to their gofundme’s, we encourage donating as well as purchasing. There is only so much money we can make with 13 pieces of jewellery and sticker sheets, but we wanted to use this campaign to shed light onto people who are living through this. We hope this campaign will encourage others to do something similar, educate other people, and use your platform for good reasons.
When you go to purchase an item, any tips given will be going into the donation fund. Once we have sold everything, all the money will be evenly distributed to the families mentioned. Everything is made with the colours of the Palestinian flag: green, red, black and white and continues to be made from recycled materials. Stickers are made to be stuck where people can see them.
Who are we helping?
Below you will find a list of the people that are being affected by this genocide, please share their links and stories. We can donate and support the people that need it the most.
Sujod
A 29-year-old wife and mother, children have been injured in the war and husband is undergoing treatment for a car accident prior to the war. She was working for the Ministry of Agriculture, building her career and living gratefully. Her home is now uninhabitable and she has two babies and a two-year old. The mother and father have witnessed the children injure during bombings, it feels like a nightmare she can’t escape. The money you donate will contribute toward buying food, that has financially skyrocketed, and essentials for looking after their babies.
You can find Sujod's gofundme here.
Amer
A Palestinian Canadian who is raising money to get his brother and family over to Canada from Gaza. The family living in Gaza are forced to stay in their war-torn home as opposed to tents in the street. His brother has had to witness a massacre of people including his immediate family members. The money you donate will assist them to get over to Canada and provide them with everything they need to restart their life in a safer place.
You can find Amer's gofundme here.
Islam Obaid
A mother to two young daughters that is currently residing dangerously in Khan Younis. With no home or belongings, Islam is trying to soothe her two frightened daughters despite feeling the same fears. Hunger is the norm and food prices are unfathomable, the money we can raise will help her survive.
You can find Islam's gofundme here.
You can find Islam's Youtube here.
Suzan Al-kolak
A university student with two children trying to get over to Egypt to restart their lives. During the war, she has had a miscarriage, been exposed to dangerous pathogens and faced immense trauma. Your money will help Suzan and her family to eat and drink, with the potential of crossing the border to safety.
You can find Suzan's gofundme here.
Mohammad Khatir
A lawyer with his wife and little girl have been displaced several times, his wife gave birth during the war making early parenthood a living nightmare. The destruction of Gaza City preceded the abolishment of their home, all they want to do is escape. Getting to Egypt costs thousands of dollars but we can help them raise enough money to try.
You can find Mohammad's gofundme here.
You can find Mohammad's Instagram here.
Ahmad Ghanim
A journalist and pillar of his family, Ahmad is desperately trying to flea his motherland with them to continue living a life without missiles. Already losing his brother to the war in 2014, grief is being threatened again with his mother currently in hospital with an expected lack of supplies. The money you give will direct him and his family toward safety.
You can find Ahmad's gofundme here.
You can find Ahmad's TikTok here.
Alaa Hammouda
A woman originally from Gaza that is staying in the United States, she is raising funds to help her sisters that are still there. One of her sisters is pregnant and has 7 children, sleeping stripped of a home and little access to food or water. Her other sister has 3 children and a husband that have no food, shelter or house. After the worsening state of the war, evacuation is the most feasible option for these two families - money will go towards fulfilling this goal.
You can find Alaa's gofundme here.
You can find Alaa's TikTok here.
Noha Ayyad
A Palestinian from Gaza that is being subjected to living in a small tent with her family. Bombs from Israeli Defence Forces obliterated their home, business and life. Her brother and mother require aid for their health conditions, aid that has been made scarce and unreachable. Noha will use this money to evacuate with her family, hopefully saving their lives.
You can find Noha's gofundme here.
You can find Noha's TikTok here.
You can find Noha's Instagram here.
Alaa Ayad
Alaa is raising funds to help her family in Gaza, her father is diabetic and her sister is facing pregnancy complications whilst having to occupy a tent. She is a dentistry student looking to continue her studies and fulfil her professional dreams in Egypt. Money donated by you will give her the opportunities we all should have, along with saving her family.
You can find Alaa's gofundme here.
You can find Alaa's Instagram here.
Haitham Hammad
A 31-year old man, new to fatherhood, is asking for help to feed his newborn son and support his pregnant wife. Living under menacing conditions, he recently survived a drone shot whilst attempting to buy flour. A recurrence of pain from a shoulder injury is leaving Haitham weak and tired, and with famine rife, money we can gather will get him and his family their basic needs.
You can find Haitham's gofundme here.
Khalil Najjar
A 29-year old father is pleading for enough money to evacuate him and his family including his wife, Hadeel. His children are urgently in need of milk and food to survive but with these items a rare luxury, he is relying on his gofundme. Their recent requirement is a tent to shelter the family, the cost of a tent in Gaza is currently $1,000. Anything we can raise will supply Khalill with the necessities to survive.
You can find Khalil's gofundme here.
You can find Khalil's Instagram here.
Hani Albayari
Hani Albayari - A children’s author trying to relieve expenditure of hospital expenses for his sister’s baby. Unfortunately, baby Ayla sadly passed away in a Hospital in Egypt after their gofundme allowed the family to evacuate. He still has some family that are trapped in Gaza, therefore every penny counts to get them out.
You can find Hani's gofundme here.
You can find Hani's Instagram here.
Rana Abu Ahmed
A palestinian residing in Canada aiming to get her aunt, Eman along with four children to security. Eman is a single mother of four seeking refuge in Rafah. Any additional donations from this will go toward making care boxes for the people of Gaza.
You can find Rana's gofundme here.
You can find Rana's TikTok here.
Amira
Amira is a young girl living day by day, not knowing what one will be her last. Many of her family members have died due to the genocide that is happening in their hometown. No home and no belongings, Amira is a 3-year old that has shrapnel in her hand from a bombing - requiring immediate medical attention. Donations made will give Amira some form of stability during her childhood.
You can find Amira's gofundme here.
You can find Amira's TikTok here.
Conclusion
Despite the luck we have to not be living in these conditions, we have every right to help for humanity, for the children and for the individuals who are suffering at such a tough time. We can constantly learn more, educate others, share their stories to the world and donate.