if you have posted anything about Palestine in the last year, you have probably received a message from a person in Gaza seeking aid.
in talking to my Gazan friends, i've learned that most Palestinians with evacuation campaigns spend an enormous amount of time searching for an internet connection, sweating in the heat and dust and disease, and sending messages into the void, praying for that rare reply. can you even imagine how dehumanizing that feels?
luckily, you can relieve a little bit of that stress. here is a quick and easy tutorial on how to make a difference for one of those people.
- open up the link to a gofundme.
- (if this campaign is not already verified by gazafunds or another org): run a few sentences from the campaign description through a search engine. see if they are taken from anywhere else.
- (if campaign is not already verified): use a reverse image search tool to check the images on the campaign and see if they are taken from anywhere else.
- if the campaign seems legit, send them cash. $15, $30, whatever you can spare.
- this part's really crucial: post about it on your main account, when your peers are online, and encourage your friends to match your donation.
- message the person back and tell them you donated. then, ask about their day.
- repeat steps 4-6 as often as possible.
you don't have to pay for someone's full evacuation. you don't have to make a new best friend. you shouldn't offer anything you can't promise. but this is an effective method for providing consistent aid and emotional support to some of the most thoroughly immiserated people in the world.
please keep in mind that those with "suspicious" campaigns are often communicating through language/cultural barriers and sparse resources. (for example, you might find someone's name spelled several different ways on their campaign; this is normal when translating arabic to english.)
i highly encourage those with the time, funds, and energy, to make a donation, and introduce themselves to a Palestinian family in need. π