Wednesday, January 21, 2009

To My Friend in Gaza - a support and healing project


Dear folks,

Since December 27, 2008 when the Israelis started bombing Gaza, children and women have suffered the most. Over 800,000 children have been exposed to extraordinary levels of violence and insecurity, some 1,600 have been injured and more than 300 children have died. Gazan children who have survived are experiencing unimaginable trauma every day, cowering from fear and suffering from stress-related health problems such as asthma.

Even though there is now a truce, the ordeal of the children is not over. Many are still fearful, in pain and have an uncertain future because they have lost their parents and siblings.

In trying to think what I, as a mother, could do, I came up with this idea and have teamed up with UNICEF Malaysia and +wondermilk to launch To My Friend in Gaza (Untuk Kawan Ku di Gaza) today. The basic idea is to get Malaysian children to write letters/cards/postcards or make drawings for the children of Gaza to show their support, provide encouragement and let them know that they have friends here who are thinking of them and praying for their safety.

The letters will be translated into Arabic by a team of volunteers and will then be handed over to UNICEF Malaysia to be sent to UNICEF in the Occupied Territories to be then distributed among the children in Gaza. +wondermilk designed the logo which they say "is a celebration of hope, peace, love and happiness". I think it's the absolute antithesis of aggression.:-)

I believe that knowing that someone out there cares about them will help these children heal more quickly and will make them realise that there is a world out there where violence and war is not the norm and where there is hope for peace.

I've already received my first letters when the news about this project spread via email, Facebook and word-of-mouth. The first ones came from a bunch of 4 and 5-year olds from a church in PJ. Really sweet messages that say simply 'I love you, I will pray for you'. There are many parents who are asking their schools to get their students to participate so I hope there will be many many more letters that we can send over.

If you would like to help, this is what you can do:

1. Please talk to your children, their friends and their schools and ask them to participate. All letters can be sent to:

To My Friend in Gaza, c/o 48, Jalan Terasek Dua, 59100 Kuala Lumpur.

Preferably by February 20 please.

2. If you have a blog, could you kindly display the logo and link to mine so more people will know about it?

The letters can be in any language at all. I will try and scan some and put them on this blog from time to time.

Thank you so much, folks, from me and my partners in this project and most of all, from the children of Gaza.

(Post is taken here)


14 comments:

  1. mari kita sebarkan.....:)

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  2. ~sebaknye rs d hati..uhuhu..pity of them..lets pray 4 them~

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  3. dill - sebarkan ye :) mana tahu campaign ni mendapat sambutan...

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  4. Anonymous7:20 AM

    Campaign Ops Sikap...so many already, still so many die every festival. Re. my comment in ur previous post: Where is the love?

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  5. I just posted something about Gaza too. :) This is really great of you Faisal.

    I'm sure if we all work hand in hand we can make a difference.

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  6. I support Israel. May God bless these children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. May God uphold Jerusalem and His children as He promised King David long ago.

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  7. mai kita sama2 doakan agar dia org mendapat kesejahteraan...sedih tgk anak2 kecil yg x tau apa2 meninggal camtu ja..leh smp nangis oo

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  8. Suituapui - Yes pal but it gives them hope when they know someone else out there think of them and support them by sending them letter or cards. Don't you think?

    Rozella - Yes Rosie. Most people think about boycotting and supporting Palestinian won't work as we are doing it alone. Imagine if the whole world do the same, don't you think the war can be stopped? :) I want a peace world.

    Joseph - I respect your decision. But if by supporting Israel can stop the war, I hope world will be peace soon. They already win the war, but I see no peace yet? If they are not wrong, why say sorry in the news? :)

    Noorjan - I hope Obama can do something to stop this war... not only this war but all the wars in the world at the same time, vanish poverty :)

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  9. dah menderma ka faisal?? jom pakat2 kita menderma sorang sikit...

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  10. Anonymous12:40 PM

    good work...

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  11. Ej - Dah derma kat ofis hari tu.

    Isha - Thanks :)

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  12. It is good to help those needy in gaza.
    Wish no more war.

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  13. Coolingstar - Yes... world peace!

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Thank you for the comment.

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