NOTE: As of July 25th, we are temporarily using this campaign to gather funds for medical treatment, transportation, formula, and diapers. Esraa gave birth prematurely by emergency c-section on July 25th and requires medical treatment. She can’t nurse due to her wound, so she unexpectedly needs formula as well. Thank you for understanding.
Hi everyone,
I’m Melissa, a longtime mutual aid organizer, and this is a very special fundraiser for my friends Wael and Esraa.
They have a primary campaign run by another friend that helps cover food and other basic survival costs. This is a separate one-off fundraiser specifically to help them build something that would make an immediate difference in their daily lives: a proper kitchen and shaded outdoor area.
Many of you have followed their story on Instagram and through their main campaign. Wael and Esraa were both severely injured in a bombing in 2014. Wael lost a leg. Esraa lost both of her legs. Their son Sharif lost a leg and an eye, and their eldest daughter was also seriously injured.
Today, 10 people are living together in the family’s space: Wael and Esraa, their four children, Wael’s parents, his sister, and his orphaned nephew. Esraa is also six months pregnant.
Life was already difficult before the genocide, but now even the most basic daily tasks are exhausting, especially for a family living with multiple disabilities.
Thankfully, The Sameer Project recently helped build them a bathroom, which has already made a huge difference for the family. Now, the next urgent need is a kitchen space where they can safely prepare food, wash dishes, and store supplies, along with a shaded sitting area to help protect them from the intense summer heat.
We’ve connected with Tayseer Obaid, who is famous in Gaza and online for his incredible building skills and ingenuity. Since the beginning of the genocide, he has been creating things for his own family and then for displaced families around him, completely free of charge. The amount of care, intelligence, and creativity he brings to this work is otherwordly.
Tayseer has generously agreed to build this project for Wael and Esraa’s family. We only need to raise the money for materials and related costs.
Our fundraising goal is $900. This will help cover the cost of materials, transfer fees, commission costs, and any increase in prices since the beginning of the campaign.
Estimated breakdown:
– 400 shekels for wood for the canopy
– 500 shekels for metal for the canopy
– 400 shekels for wood and kitchen materials
– 300 shekels to install a stand for the water tank
– 170 shekels for screws, rope, wire, bucket, bidet sprayer, hose, and accessories
– 300 shekels for tarps
Total: 2070 shekels (approximately $700 before transfer fees and related costs)
We would also like to give something back to Tayseer and support his own campaign, since he refuses payment for his labor despite the enormous amount of work he puts into helping others.
You can see Tayseer’s work here.
A kitchen and shaded area may sound simple, but for this family, it would genuinely change daily life.
Thank you to everyone who continues to support Wael and Esraa’s family!
Warmly,
Melissa
Find Wael here.
Find Esraa here.
Their current setup, which makes cooking a serious challenge:
