This initiative is led by Anam Raheem and Matt Davis, two friends and former colleagues who worked at Gaza Sky Geeks, a community center and tech hub in Gaza City. Gaza Sky Geeks is an initiative of Mercy Corps, an international aid organization.
At Gaza Sky Geeks, Matt and Anam gained a big, beautiful community of coworkers and friends who now need our support to survive genocide.
About the initiative
Gaza Champions connects allies from around the world who are interested in being a volunteer champion for a Gazan family’s fundraiser. We assign an individual GoFundMe to the champion, and then they fundraise for the family using online and offline methods. We also connect them directly to the Gazan they are supporting as a pen pal.
So far, we have nearly 150 active champions who are in a supportive WhatsApp group sharing creative fundraising ideas and keeping each other motivated to support their families. This initiative has gone above and beyond our dreams for it— in one week we saw the funds we've been championing raise over $96,000 and many individuals have been able to evacuate as a result.
We originally launched this initiative while the Rafah border was operational and Gazans (who were able to secure the funds to escape Gaza) were able to evacuate to Egypt. At the time, Gazans had launched GoFundMe fundraisers in order to pay the exorbitant fees at the rate of $5000/adult and $2500/child to Egyptian-state affiliated company Hala. Thankfully, many families were successfully able to escape Gaza with the help of a Gaza Champion who fundraised for them.
However, the Rafah border has now been closed for months and it is unclear if and when it will open again. In the meantime, there is still a need for families in Gaza to raise money. Day-to-day life in Gaza has become incredibly expensive due to the scarcity of goods in the market and most Gazans have lost their livelihoods and homes in this ongoing catastrophe. There is still a dire need for the support of allies to make ends meet while they endure genocide.
Beyond directly supporting the safety of families in Gaza, this initiative offers other gifts. It gives us allies on the outside a chance to convert our passive support of Gaza into an active one by stretching our creativity and intellect and taking matters into our own hands. It roots us into our personal and collective power. If our government will not protect and uphold Palestinian life, then we will. It also gives us, some who are witnessing genocide and others who are enduring it, a chance to say, “I've made a new friend.” This is true solidarity, true resistance, and true love.
If you'd like to join our small but mighty movement, register by clicking the button below.
