My name is Ng̃ Liêu Trần Cẩm Minh.

I'm a citizen of the United States of America.

As a Buddhist—per Buddha's ethics, insights, and teachings—I try to use my privilege however I can to address human rights injustices and bring about social change, following venerated monk Thích Nhất Hạnh's precepts to live as an activist, peacemaker, and protestor.

This is why I am ardently pro-Palestine.

Despite my vehement opposition against the terrorist ethnostate that is the Israeli regime, I have no representation in my taxation that goes toward funding their genocidal agenda.

To atone for my unwilling complicity and discourage complacency in fellow Americans, I'm organizing this fundraiser on the behalf of my friend in Gaza, Remas Naim. I hope you can find it in your heart to make room and adopt the Naim family as your new friends too.

On 7 October 2023, like so many other Gazans, they were caught in the crossfire of Israel's “war” against Palestinian resistance fighters. Not only did they lose their home, they've been displaced numerous times, never even given a fair chance to start over.

Securing safe passage out of Gaza was the goal, but with the Israeli blockade of access to humanitarian aid/relief and denial of the Palestinian right to food sovereignty (e.g., banning them from fishing the Mediterranean Sea, prohibiting them from foraging for Palestinian diet staples, restricting them from from collecting rainwater), forced famine has run rampant.

Israel's illegal siege and constant attacks makes survival impossible.

In late March 2024, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification placed northern Gaza in Phase 5, its most severe stage. This means survival is only prolonged torture moving forward, not luck, as any damage sustained will be permanent to their bodies and inherited by their descendants (Google “epigenetics” for more information).

Israeli airstrikes have inflicted widespread destruction and decimation on Gaza's food infrastructure (e.g., bakeries, mills, food stores) and agricultural sector, including the deaths of 60% of milk cows, 70% of cattle stock, and 60% of small ruminants like goats and sheep.

Imagine trying to survive an apocalypse.

Imagine losing everything you know and own.

Imagine enduring starvation for days on end with no reprieve.

Imagine the chill of the freezing night air seeping into your bones.

Imagine suffering with no roof to cover you, not even clean clothes.

Imagine blistering under the sweltering sun with no air-conditioning.

The Naim family neither have to imagine nor wonder because this living nightmare is their reality right now; they have no electricity, only a small torn tent to call home.

They need our collective effort to rebuild their livelihoods anew, which have been stolen and reduced to rubble by Israel. Our contributions will cover essential expenses (e.g., food, water, shelter, medicine, evacuation fees).

Like Remas, I'm an aunt with my own darling nieces and nephew who I love and adore very much. It breaks my heart to watch her scrape together what little strength she has left to take care of her niecephews.

Although she and her family are celebrating the recent 2025 ceasefire, I—along with every other well-informed pro-Palestine activist—know better than to trust Israel's word because since their colonization of Palestine in 1948, they've historically violated the terms of every ceasefire they “agreed” to.

The Palestinian genocide won't end until Israel is completely dismantled, meaning recovery will be an uphill battle from here on out, no matter what.

Your donation may be a luxury to give, but it's life-saving to receive.

Think of the Naim family the next time you grab a cup of coffee or a quick bite to eat. Like us, our new friends are humans with their own ambitions and aspirations. By protecting their precious lives today, we're preventing their martyred deaths tomorrow.

Every dollar truly counts.

Like a snowflake in a blizzard, like a drop in the ocean, your generosity does matter and does make a difference. Your financial support will keep their hopes alive and help sustain their dreams, so I implore you to give what you can.

If you don't have the funds to spare, please share their GoFundMe link!

I'll update this campaign accordingly to reflect any changes, updates, and progress made. You can also visit Remas at @rem.as2558 on Instagram to follow-up on her family and see how your charity is helping them.

Read the FAQs below for more information on fund distribution.

Remas has a brother, Belal Naim, in Gaza who’s living with his immediate family. He will handle the logistics of withdrawing her funds for her and ensuring she receives them directly.

Your donations to Remas and her immediate family will be safely transferred from my bank account to Belal’s PayPal account.

His Instagram is @belal_naim2003.

Why is direct aid important in the presence of official organizations?

Many large aid organizations are raising money to help Gaza, but there are concerns about whether that aid can actually reach families in need, which is what on-the-ground donations address.

In addition to donating, many people want to support Palestinian families in other ways. Helping these families build social media accounts or donating directly lets them share their own stories and advocate for themselves. Activists have found ways to connect personally with Palestinian families, offering support and building real relationships.

How do Gazans receive their money if GFM uses bank transfers?

Many of the families have been fully transparent about this process on their GFMs and social media; strategies depend on the family’s circumstances.

Due to restrictive US-imposed international banking laws, GFM doesn't support fund distribution to Palestinian bank accounts.

To get around this restriction, Gazans must rely on “beneficiaries” to receive and transfer funds to them, typically family and friends abroad who use banks without such imposed restrictions. Unfortunately, many Gazans who don't have trusted contacts in the diaspora are forced to take a risk with an online acquaintance who agrees to be their beneficiary.

When beneficiaries withdraw funds from their fundraising account, they transfer it to Gazans in different ways for different purposes. The most common methods for mutual aid and survival funds are through Western Union or PayPal; in many of those cases, they're sent through Egypt.

It’s important to note evacuation registration fees must be paid in Egypt by a family member, and activists have been consistently told they require crisp US dollars. Unless there is already a family member in Egypt, this often requires family abroad to travel to Egypt cash-in-hand to pay these exorbitant fees and register their family in person.

This rule explains why some families can only send a few members initially; they’re the only ones related to “Aunt Reem from Canada.” After they’ve successfully evacuated, they can then do the same for their remaining family in Gaza from the Egyptian side.

International banking laws have been consistently discriminatory across multiple platforms, resulting in a lack of crowdfunding platforms allowing Palestinians to fully manage their own fundraisers.

In addition to your philanthropy, please urge GoFundMe and other fundraising platforms to revisit their policy, even temporarily, with respect to the exceptional and emergency nature of the situation.

Advocate for systemic change with banking restrictions on Palestine, for all fundraiser platforms to become directly accessible to Palestinians for more efficient, effective, and safer fundraising.

For those who wish to evacuate, is Egypt even allowing them through?

No. The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt has been closed to Palestinian evacuees since May 2024, after Israeli military forces seized control of the Gaza side of the crossing, significantly restricting evacuation options and preventing vital humanitarian aid from entering Gaza.

Despite ongoing discussions between Egypt and Israel, no agreement has been reached to reopen the crossing, leaving many families in Gaza unable to evacuate or access medical care.

The closure has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis, especially for the most vulnerable populations. Prior to the closure, families seeking evacuation had to register on Egypt’s evacuation list and wait at least 30 days for approval. Medical evacuations, particularly for children, were one of the few ways to bypass the waitlist. However, with the border now closed, these pathways are no longer available.

Organizations like Gaza Kinder Relief and HEAL Palestine continue to advocate for medical evacuations and provide critical support for vulnerable families.

Encourage fellow donors to contribute to these efforts.

Continue raising awareness of the dire situation in Gaza.

How does direct aid help when there's limited aid entering Gaza?

While consistent aid is not being allowed into Gaza, there is still some aid present. This means that the price of the aid that is left in Gaza has skyrocketed immensely. Ensuring mutual aid organizations and families have the funds to afford this aid is vital to their survival. The money raised not only pays for food, it also pays for the limited medications and supplies (e.g., tents, blankets) left in Gaza.