Local orgs raise $62,000 for children in refugee camps

Over $62,000 was raised at the third-annual Students for Justice in Palestine fundraiser Jan. 10 in the Student Union Auditorium. The money raised will be used to gift hearing aids to children in refugee camps in and around Jordan.

The fundraiser was sponsored by Life for Relief and Development (LIFE), who have partnered with SJP for three years.

SJP has continually worked with LIFE as “LIFE has a particularly strong connection with the Toledo community,” according to Shahrazad Hamdah, the president of SJP.

“We do several campaigns, several projects, and one of the stuff that we focus on, avoiding duplication. A lot of [non-government organizations], a lot of organizations doing the same thing, food, shelter. Now we’re focusing on something never done before,” said Ayman Aburahma, community relations coordinator for LIFE.

LIFE has many other projects they are running, including various projects on education, healthcare and community improvement among others according to the LIFE website.

“We are raising money for Palestinian refugees in Jordan,” Hamdah said. “A lot of them have faced extreme turmoil at the recent siege on Gaza, during the summer of 2014, so a lot of them are in refugee camps, and a lot of them lack decent medical treatment.”

Each hearing aid costs $200, according to Aburahma, and the goal for the night was to raise enough money for 600 hearing aids — a total of $120,000.

Aburahma said there are partners working with LIFE who would match every dollar raised, doubling the number of hearing aids gifted.

According to Hamdah, the fundraiser raised over $62,000. The money raised came from donations from various audience members and from a silent art auction at the end of the evening.

The excitement from the fundraiser total was no different than the energy that emanated from the start of the event.

As the guests arrived for the event, there was a meet and greet with Miko Peled, the author of the book “The General’s Son.”

Linda Mansour and Aburahma were the hosts for the evening and delivered the opening remarks, after which “My Home Land,” the Palestinian national anthem, was played.

Two poems were read next, one by high school student Hamza Suqair, and the other by Hamdah.

After Hamdah’s reading, Peled took the stage as the guest speaker, and discussed his passion for Palestine.

“The issue we are here to address today is the fact that we have Palestinian refugees in…and around Palestine that are in need of charity,” Peled said. “They are in need of benefit; they are in need of this kind of work, which is really sad.”

According to Peled, there are $4.3 million refugees in camps, sometimes only minutes away from established cities, where there is no heating and electricity, no running water, sewage in the streets and no healthcare.

“There is no good reason why Palestinians anywhere should be in need of donations,” Peled said.

A video from the HearCare Mission was shown, after which Aburahma took pledges for donations. Dinner was served soon after and was followed by a, Dabkeh, a traditional Palestinian dance.

According to Hamdah, around 160 people attended the event this year, which was lower than the previous year.

“We advertise each year with flyers, phone calls, emails, letters to potential donors, word of mouth, etcetera,” Hamdah said.

According to Peled, he enjoys coming to campuses and speaking at events put together by students.

“Their ability to put together fantastic events never ceases to amaze me, and …. it’s very important to recognize the tremendous work that you guys do as students on campuses in the U.S.”