My name is Nina Gorman, a psychotherapist and social science teacher in Philadelphia, PA, USA and supporter of human rights especially of Palestinians in Gaza. I am doing this campaign to assist my friend Randa Al-Najjar, 55 years old from Khan Yunis, Gaza in Palestine and her 6 children to survive the genocidal war, acquire a new tent and hopefully evacuate from Gaza to start a new life. Her children include Omar, age 6, Ahmed, age 5, Riyad, age 3, and her daughters, Najwa age 2 and Hudhaifa age 10 and also son Yahya age 16 who is missing now after his father, Randa's husband was killed.

I came to know Randa on social media meta with live video calls and many conversations in DM. Though all in Gaza are suffering from bombings, starvation with loss of family and many illnesses, Randa has endured more than most. Two years ago there was a bombing in Khan Yunis which resulted in her dear husband Alaa being killed as well as her son Yahya, 16 years old going missing. Randa and her children were displaced and escaped running for their lives and losing most of their possessions with inability to carry them on foot. The main picture of this campaign was taken on that terrible day, showing Randa carrying three of her babies damaging her back and exhausting her as she fled in terror to a safer place. At first I thought the picture was of someone else since I saw it in the news but when she came on live video it was indeed her. Yes was Randa, very depressed and not knowing what to do. So even though I have 31 other campaigns all with high needs, I agreed to help her.

Randa misses her son Yahyah dearly and is trying to find him now and will travel to the port of Gaza where a friend said he saw him. Randa also suffers from low blood count that varies from 5 to 7! This makes for dangers for her health and her life and with going in and out of hospitals for blood transfusions. Her lymphodema making intense swelling in her legs also needs treatment and is aggravated by walking to search for her son as is her damaged back with arthritis.

To lose a husband is very difficult in Gaza but to lose a husband with having 6 children is catastrophic. Though some widows get help from organizations, that help is minimal and Randa is not getting help from them now. Though sick herself she must wake up every morning to carry water sometimes with the children who carry smaller containers for many kilometers damaging her back more and aggravating her severe anemia and lymphodema.

In addition due to going without help for most of the war, the tent of Randa’s family is in very poor condition and in need of repair. At minimum it will need a cover as soon as possible for all of the holes that leak rain into the tent and bring in bugs making for parasitic infections of the children. She really needs a whole new tent that will cost about 600 dollars unless we can get lucky and find a used one for less since the occupation continues to block the materials and the tents waiting at the border.

I hope you can reach down into your heart and give as much as you can. The children are all very hungry and very scared from bombing with the explosions at night. They are at risk of starvation if we do not help them since the aid is restricted severely by the occupation. If leaves the children with Hudhaifa or sends her to wait in lines, it is not uncommon for her to come back empty handed with nothing to eat.

All funds will be transferred from my secure USA bank account to the secure Paypal of

Randa Al-Najjar (See BUDGET BELOW)

HERE IS RANDA IN HER OWN WORDS:

My name is Randa, 55 years old from Khan Yunis Gaza now near the sea in Al Mawasi Khan Yunis in a crowded camp. I do not know where to start to tell some of my story with all I Have endured in this genocidal war and since I am so exhausted, sick and tired that it is very hard to think.

Before the war my husband Alaa and I were far from rich. He was a proud hard working man in agriculture. We managed to provide for ourselves the basic necessities despite having insufficient vegetables and fish and electricity outages daily due to the blockade that continues but even worse during this war with us very hungry and now and at risk of starvation. Despite the terror of war before this one almost every year we managed to survive and recover somewhat from that trauma.

There has been no war like this one and it is not really a war at all since they are out to exterminate us and we do not know what to do. Two years ago our home and crops were bombed with the loudest of explosions with no warning of evacuation. My husband Alaa was killed. I just could not believe it really happened. Thanks to God our children were not harmed or trapped in the rubble but I was in shock and could not believe he was gone. I had to take what I could on my back which was very little and escape with my children as fast as I could. I carried the little ones in my arms and walked on foot exhausted with pains in my back, legs and feet, as we could not afford a car to carry us. The quadcopters chased shooting at us and I did not know if my children and I would also be injured or killed. I just knew I had to leave to keep walking (it was impossible to run) to a safer place even though there is no safe place in Gaza

There are some days and really most days that I feel I cannot go on and wish I was with Alaa in heaven out of this nightmare but then I think again that I have to carry on for the sake of the children.

It is most painful to hear your children cry in fear from loud sudden explosions and to see your neighbors and family killed or injured and body parts everywhere and have your children see these horrors. It is also very painful to hear your children begging for a shekel for a sweet or have them go to bed hungry and not be able to sleep. It is also very painful not to be able to buy them clothes or shoes for the winter or summer and to have the rain and wind damage your tent with flooding and bugs and rodents that come in instead.

It is extremely painful also to have my son Yahyah missing. I have been searching and searching for him on foot leaving me exhausted with more pain in my legs that swell terribly from leaving me unable to move. It is also very painful to have to leave my children to go to hospital to get transfusions for my severe anemia since they fear I will not return. I have come close to death from this before since I cannot afford the transportation back and forth to the hospital and end up taking a donkey or walking until I faint.

Gaza has been reduced to rubble. I do not want to leave it as a matter of principle since this is our land and they are trying to take it and chase us out. But for the sake of my children I feel I have no other choice since we want to survive like normal people and have a comfortable normal life. So I asked Nina to make this campaign so hopefully we can survive, not be so hungry anymore and go to Egypt and then some place in Europe. There where we can get a little house or apartment and my children can go to school and get good jobs some day and we can have for a change some happiness again.

I hope you can help us even just a little since even 5 dollars can buy a little medicine or a couple cans of lentils or a vegetable so my children and I can eat for a day and have less pain and suffering that seems never ending. May Allah Bless you for your kindness and I will never forget you.

Sincerely,

Randa

BUDGET

Food for three months to survive in Gaza (360 per month) $1080

Including Lentils, flour, eggplant, noodles, cucumbers, cooking oil, sugar tomatoes, greens and if funds permit apples, bananas or other available fruit

Tent cover $100

Tent for seven$600

Hygiene and cleaning materials for three months in Gaza

Including soap, shampoo, and surface cleaner $160

Gas tube for cooking $200

Iron supplements , vitamins and medications $300

Large Portable heater with battery $175

Clothes in Gaza for three months

Including pajamas, shirts, pants, and jackets $1050

Shoes for in Gaza $200

Evacuation to Egypt with Hala Travel and

Tourism Services (6000 for one adult $6000

2500 per child$ $15,000

Rent of 3 bedroom apartment in Egypt

At 800 per month $2400

Food in Egypt for 3 months (250 per month) $750

Including chicken, rice, noodles, eggplant, tomatoes, eggs, cheese, bread, tuna, salmon, Peanut butter, lamb, broccoli, salad greens, beans, onions, tomatoes, cooking oil, sugar and tea and flour

Transportation in Egypt including for job search

For three months (40 per month) $120

Cleaners and Hygiene supplies for 3 months $70

TOTAL $ 28,055

All donations will be transferred from my secure USA bank account to the secure PayPal of Randa