Two Irish-Palestinian sisters based in Waterford are walking hundreds of kilometres to raise tens of thousands of euro for their relatives in Gaza.
Sara Abu Selmia and her sister Emma are walking more than 300 kilometres across January to raise money for approximately 100 relatives who have been displaced during the conflict in Gaza since October.
Sara Abu Selmia explained where the idea to fundraise for their relatives in Gaza came from: “The biggest thing is probably this feeling of helplessness almost, sitting and watching what’s going and how can we make a difference or doing something to help.
“I’m 26 and my sister is 22 and she gets to go to college and study every day, and have dreams and aspirations and I have a career that I get to progress in but we have cousins our age in Gaza and it was kind of almost that guilt of how different our lives are versus theirs.
“So it was looking at what the next six, 12 months will be of their lives and thinking how could we do something to get them back on their feet.”
She said that they wanted to do a fundraiser that could help contextualise what Palestinians have gone through during the mass displacement of people from the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
Sara said that her relatives had to move from an area where they were all living close by because of fears that three generations could have been killed in a single strike.
“They’ve only ever known living all together and now they’re all being separated from each other.
“It is a small thing, but it is another element for them to be dealing with.”
She said that as time has progressed, more and more homes have been destroyed and some of her relatives are now living in tents.
Over January, the sisters are running and walking 320km to represent the 40km that each of their eight aunts and uncles travelled by foot with their families when they were displaced from their home in northern Gaza to Rafa in the south.
“We thought the story of the journey our aunts and uncles have taken and that 320km is a big undertaking for us spread out over a month, and it is something they had to do overnight.”
Sara Abu Selmia said the money raised will go directly to their family, many of whom work in hospitals in Gaza.
“The money raised will be distributed to those in greatest need to try and rebuild their lives after the war.”
She said she can stay in touch with some of their relatives through social media, but internet cuts have made it difficult to get through.
“Every day when we wake up it's checking for proof of life, which even to say out loud is insane.
“But, yeah, just touching base and making sure they’re OK, keeping track of where everyone is.”
She said she hoped the money raised could “alleviate one small stress from their day”, which may be to buy food, get access to clean water, or other necessities.
“It’s a drop in the ocean.
“It’s never going to be enough, but if the generosity of the Irish people can help with that, there’s such a sense of community over there that they will look to their left and right and make sure that they can eat that day.”
Asked how the first week of walks has gone, Sara Abu Selmia said: “The walks have been going good, cold, but we’ve been wrapping up.
“It is so lovely.
“When we started, me and Emma would do it, but now people have reached out and asked if they can do 10km with us and I think we basically have people booked in for every day of the week.
“It has warmed our hearts for sure, the generosity and kindness from people.”
As of this morning, the sisters have raised more than €30,000 through their GoFundMe.
By Cillian Sherlock, PA
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