Urgent Appeal from Gaza, Palestine
Donation protected
In 2009 I worked on a project to document the crisis in Gaza, gathering narratives and photographs by residents to tell the story in their own voices. VirtualGaza tried to break the information blockade and counter the sophisticated public relations campaign that justified the "Cast Lead" war and the economic siege that continues today.
One of the most prolific contributors, Fadi Skaik, wrote several moving testimonies about his experience during the war. He reached out to me recently with an update about his family, and asking for community help to save his father's shoe shop in Gaza City. Here is what he wrote about their current situation:
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"My father has been opening a retail outlet selling shoes in Gaza City, Palestine since 2000. It has become our main source of income. However, this year was the worst ever since its opening. We pay $6000 in annual rent, and have always been committed to pay the full sum in May.
However, this year was totally different and we couldn't secure the whole amount due to the devastating economic situation in the Gaza Strip; "Many different businesses went bankrupt and many will if deterioration continues!" Just in recent months we have been facing shocking sales recession resulting in a severe liquidity squeeze that has directly impacted my father's shop which is currently witnessing a gradual deterioration in retail sales. Therefore, we couldn't save all of the annual amount as usual. We just managed to pay two thirds of the total!
Unfortunately, I'm afraid that we might close it if we couldn't pay the rest to the shop-owner as he always threatens us! My father made an open-heart operation about 5 years ago and he is always worried that his second house might be closed. He told a wholesaler about a week ago "Days of war were better than these days!"
Relying on weekly cash payments to wholesalers and refusing to deal with checks, my father was forced to issue checks' books to buy shoes from the wholesalers because for them the checks have become more guaranteed than the weekly cash payments we used to secure before the current economic crisis. So our financial commitments have become higher and the debt of the shop has exceeded $16,000. In brief, I am too worried that my dad's shop will be on the brink of a dilemma if we couldn't pay to the owner and to the bank.
The shop-owner designated a deadline by the end of September to pay the remaining sum or else we'll lose our source of living. I'm confident that humans like you won't accept that happen. I'm hopeful that your generous support will alleviate our burden and financial hardship.
Please we urgently need your help to keep both of our shop and our house open before we are homeless! The situation is perilous like never before.. Save our family and donate!
If you are able to pay more, we live more! Let me know if you might need any documents about the shop.
Thanks in advance,
Fadi Nabil Skaik "The son"
Gaza City, Palestine
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I am sharing his appeal with you, to ask if you can help make a direct contribution to Fadi and his family in a time of need. I will collect funds and transfer them to him directly via MoneyGram, as Palestine is cut off from much of the international financial system. Thank you for any assistance you can provide,
- Josh Levinger
Oakland CA
One of the most prolific contributors, Fadi Skaik, wrote several moving testimonies about his experience during the war. He reached out to me recently with an update about his family, and asking for community help to save his father's shoe shop in Gaza City. Here is what he wrote about their current situation:
---
"My father has been opening a retail outlet selling shoes in Gaza City, Palestine since 2000. It has become our main source of income. However, this year was the worst ever since its opening. We pay $6000 in annual rent, and have always been committed to pay the full sum in May.
However, this year was totally different and we couldn't secure the whole amount due to the devastating economic situation in the Gaza Strip; "Many different businesses went bankrupt and many will if deterioration continues!" Just in recent months we have been facing shocking sales recession resulting in a severe liquidity squeeze that has directly impacted my father's shop which is currently witnessing a gradual deterioration in retail sales. Therefore, we couldn't save all of the annual amount as usual. We just managed to pay two thirds of the total!
Unfortunately, I'm afraid that we might close it if we couldn't pay the rest to the shop-owner as he always threatens us! My father made an open-heart operation about 5 years ago and he is always worried that his second house might be closed. He told a wholesaler about a week ago "Days of war were better than these days!"
Relying on weekly cash payments to wholesalers and refusing to deal with checks, my father was forced to issue checks' books to buy shoes from the wholesalers because for them the checks have become more guaranteed than the weekly cash payments we used to secure before the current economic crisis. So our financial commitments have become higher and the debt of the shop has exceeded $16,000. In brief, I am too worried that my dad's shop will be on the brink of a dilemma if we couldn't pay to the owner and to the bank.
The shop-owner designated a deadline by the end of September to pay the remaining sum or else we'll lose our source of living. I'm confident that humans like you won't accept that happen. I'm hopeful that your generous support will alleviate our burden and financial hardship.
Please we urgently need your help to keep both of our shop and our house open before we are homeless! The situation is perilous like never before.. Save our family and donate!
If you are able to pay more, we live more! Let me know if you might need any documents about the shop.
Thanks in advance,
Fadi Nabil Skaik "The son"
Gaza City, Palestine
---
I am sharing his appeal with you, to ask if you can help make a direct contribution to Fadi and his family in a time of need. I will collect funds and transfer them to him directly via MoneyGram, as Palestine is cut off from much of the international financial system. Thank you for any assistance you can provide,
- Josh Levinger
Oakland CA
Organizer
Josh Levinger
Organizer
Oakland, CA