A History of Impact
Palestinian sisters and ecological designers Suzan and Qamar founded Veranda Green Solutions in 2014, have been serving their community in northern Gaza ever since. For the last decade, this pair of Palestinian future builders have worked at the intersection of food security and public space, in partnership with local and global supporters. In 2014, their organization won the award for Best Women's Project at the Startup Weekend competition organized by Gaza Sky Geeks in Gaza Strip. For three consecutive years (2015/2016/2017), they participated in the annual bazaar to support women entrepreneurs, organized by the US consulate in Jerusalem at the Palestinian level. In 2019, Veranda participated in several activities and events to support women entrepreneurs in the agriculture sector, and were featured in this UN Women video for their contribution to their community.
Over the last decade they designed and implemented countless community projects and initiatives: Al-Hakura children's play park built from recycled materials in central Gaza with funding from Nawa for Cultural and Arts Association; an eco-tourism village in Juhar al-Deek area with Youth Future Rescue Association; a 1000 sq meter public garden for Baptist Church headquarters in Gaza City; home gardens to enhance food security for marginalized groups throughout Gaza with the MAAN development center; the "Tree House" in Hamdouna Farm in Beit Lahia with Agricultural Relief - PARC; rehabilitation for 3 parks and integrated access in 8 locations throughout Gaza for children with disabilities and disability-responsive tertiary education services in emergency contexts in the West Bank and Gaza Strip with Humanity & Inclusion; a public children's park in the Khazaa area, east of Khan Younis with Beit Al-Mustaqbal Association; and five environmentally friendly gardens in kindergartens across all areas of the Gaza Strip with the Natuf Organization for Community Development.
Troubled Times
In 2023 they were unexpectedly displaced from their homeland, trapped outside of Gaza with nothing in hand, and prevented from reentering, separated from their family and their team, forced to witness as so much of what they had cultivated, was destroyed.
But even in the trying conditions of their displacement, Suzan and Qamar’s commitment to their community in Gaza never ceased. Since 2023, Suzan and Qamar have been busy feeding hundreds of displaced Gazans through edible plant distribution with their initiative in the north, and setting up a rooftop nursery to increase cultivation capacity in high density areas of displacement.
Their Latest Initiative
Suzan and Qamar’s latest initiative, the Land Lab, focuses on bioremediation. This land anchored project will engage environmental architecture, plant assays and multi-species bio-remediation partners to regenerate soils and groundwater while scaling up regenerative agricultural offerings, optimizing human health, and restarting circular economic systems for waste management and compost production. The project aims to reestablish a waste collection network for organic materials for displaced community members, build compost for integration with soil and water bioremediation cycles in situ, provide remediated growth inputs for a 500m2 agricultural operation, and proliferate nutritious vegetables and portable plants available to displaced community members from within the boundaries of the blockade. Suzan and Qamar will begin to restore intoxicated soil, while cultivating educational materials, trainings and infrastructure, to further disseminate land healing knowledge. They hope this project can provide a model which other communities impacted by war and engineered scarcity can adopt.
Your Donation
Your contributions over the last 2 years have been a life line for many - for the inspiring sisters themselves, and all the lives they connect with and support. Funding their work, supporting their journey, and feeding their community is part of what waters a fruitful future for Palestine.
Funds have already supported
> the sister's expenses in displacement
> immediate resources for their family and team members in Gaza
> edible plant distribution efforts for displaced families in Gaza
Funds will continue to grow
> further plant and food production and distribution efforts for their community still facing starvation
> expansion of their bioremediation Land Lab project to restore soils and support regenerative agriculture in Gaza
_____
This fundraiser is facilitated by Alexis, their friend and colleague in the US, and funds are automatically transferred daily directly to Suzan and Qamar.