For the Children of Gaza: The Global Help Initiative

Rachael M. Rudolph, PhD

Regardless of whether they are family or friends, the loss of a loved one fills our senses with sadness, our hearts with emptiness, and our minds with anger.  Sadness comes because we know they are no longer part of our lives; emptiness because their eyes no longer twinkle with amusement or laughter; and, anger because of the suffering and injustice that led to their death.  Over time, however, we come to accept that is through our hearts and minds our loved ones remain in the present; it is through us that they continue to live in this world.  We, however, are adults.  What of our children?  How do they come to terms with the loss of their loved one?  How can they erase the images of death from their heart and minds?  How can they come to understand that it is through them the memory of the loved one remains?

We can tell our children time will heal their broken hearts, but, often, they are too young to understand.  Therefore, it is through our efforts and those of nongovernmental agencies such as The Global Help Initiative for Palestine that we can help.    The Global Help Initiative, known as HI, was founded by a group of university students who seek to improve the lives of Palestinians living in Gaza’s refugee camps.

According to one of the founders, Amr Hassouna,  the HI seeks to improve the lives of Gazans through sponsorship programs, cultural exchanges, monetary assistance for food packages and aid distribution, reinforcement of small business projects, and facilitation of employment opportunities.  Since the end of the 22-day Gaza Holocaust, the HI has channeled their energies in an attempt to return some sense of semblance of normalcy to the lives of Gaza’s children. 

One project recently implemented by HI was the Peace and Love Program for the Children of Gaza. 

 

This program is geared specifically to provide activities for the children and their mothers.  Activities such as the recent trip to the zoo help the children overcome the memories of war, death and destruction.  They seek to replace those images with moments of happiness.   
 
 
 

Another program implemented by the HI that focuses on children is visits to children suffering from cancer.  

 

The programs implemented within the short six months that the HI has been in operation and those it plans for the future are all geared toward bringing a sense of normalcy in a life that is anything other than normal.  They seek to bring smiles to the faces of the little ones, laughter from their mouths, and excitement for their future. 

We too, the citizens of the world, concerned humanitarians, can help the Global Help Initiative with their endeavors.  Assistance through donations of aid, grants or monetary contributions can go a long way in providing a smile.  Individuals or families can also participate through their Sponsor-a-Child program.   More information can be found on the Global Help Initiative at www.help-initiative.org or by contacting Hamza El-Taweel or Amr Hassouna.  

Where is humanity; where is justice?

There are images of bodies strewn across the ground, with some partially covered by debris and others lying in the open for the world to see.  There are puddles of blood, dismembered body parts and broken hearts.  Families grieve over the loss of their loved ones, while frantically searching for those who have yet to be found.   Cut off from the world, our brothers and sisters in Gaza are left to ponder whether humanity still exists in this world. 

While they are left wondering, the majority of Americans sit in their homes watching the censored media of what is actually taking place, with pundits and politicians bickering back and forth as to who is to blame for the Israeli massacre in Gaza.  The media outlets in the US claim it is inhumane to show the pictures of Gaza, which those in the Arab world are displaying across the television screen.  I wonder if Americans did see the images, would there be an outcry to stop this injustice, to halt the Israeli genocide?  Would the barbarity of the images spur them into action? 

The majority of Americans live in their own little world, unconcerned with events that have no immediate, direct impact.  Sadly, what they do not realize is that our world is interdependent; events always have an effect.  While the majority is silent and our politicians are apathetic, the minority is crying out for an end to the barbarity and genocide inflicted upon the people of Gaza.  Standing in solidarity with our brothers and sisters across the sea on a daily basis, little attention is given to the protests in the media and our politicians remain apathetic to our pleas.    The silence and apathy of the majority of Americans reminds me of something someone said not so many years ago.  This person said the majority of Americans only listen to violence. 

The majority of Americans cried out for sympathy when they lost their loved ones in 9/11 and demanded action.  They called for and expected the world stand in solidarity.  The world responded and stood with those that loss their lives.  Yet, how do we repay our brothers and sisters living in Gaza?  We stand silent while they are massacred!  Where is humanity; where is justice?