We’ve Been in Gaza for a Year: The Name of Hope is Çare

Since October 7, 2023, immense oppression has taken place in Gaza, with the whole world watching. Since January 2024, we have been supporting our brothers and sisters in Gaza who have remained in their homeland and continue to resist by distributing lunch daily from the soup kitchen we established in the Shuja’iyya neighborhood. As the Çare Association, we are determined to stand by the resistance and humanity in Gaza.

Since October 7, 2023, immense oppression has taken place in Gaza, with the whole world watching. Unfortunately, even a year later, this suffering has not ended. As the Çare Association, we consider it a duty to support the people of Gaza during this process and have continued our aid. Here are some of the efforts we’ve made in Gaza during these challenging times:

Spreading Hope Under the Shadow of Bombs

Our Gaza office has continued to support people despite the bombings. Despite the attacks and all dangers, we provided essential food supplies to our brothers and sisters there and have been distributing hot meals daily. With these efforts, we support the resistance of the people of Gaza and do everything possible to meet their basic needs. Alongside food and hot meal distribution, we also organize various social support programs to uplift families in Gaza. We deliver support packages to families to ease their daily lives. Additionally, we arrange play and activity programs for children to bring some joy to their difficult days.

A Helping Hand from Mersin to Gaza

Through cooperation with AFAD and the Turkish Red Crescent, aid ships carrying food, hygiene, and cleaning supplies were sent from Mersin Port to Gaza. We also provided additional support with trucks loaded in Kahramanmaraş that traveled to Mersin. The fourth aid ship reached Gaza mid-year. The food, hygiene, and basic necessities on these ships played a crucial role in meeting Gaza’s urgent needs, especially during this period of interrupted essential services like electricity and water. Through this aid, we have helped provide some relief and improved the living conditions of our brothers and sisters in Gaza.

Hopeful Events for Orphans

During the Mawlid al-Nabi week, we organized a special program with Palestinian orphans, aiming to uplift the children and provide them with moral support. In this program, we arranged various activities, Quran recitations, and gift distributions for the children. This special event offered a moment of peace and joy amidst the sorrow brought by the conflict. The program for Palestinian orphans brought smiles to their faces and helped keep their hope alive.

Daily Hot Meal Distribution

At our soup kitchen in Gaza, we serve hot meals to hundreds every day at noon and continue to do so. This hot meal distribution is especially important for those living in the most affected areas. Our soup kitchen helps children and adults meet their daily nutritional needs, supporting their survival. Our volunteers and local teams work tirelessly to ensure that meals prepared in the kitchen reach various neighborhoods in Gaza.

During this challenging time, as the Çare Association, we have mobilized all our resources. Despite the difficulties we face in delivering aid, we have never stopped supporting the people of Gaza. With the support of our donors, we continue to help heal our brothers and sisters in Gaza and be a source of hope for them.

What Can We Do?

By joining us on this journey of goodness, you can bring hope to the people of Gaza. Your donations will be used to provide hot meals, food, hygiene supplies, and other basic necessities to those in need in Gaza. Every donation means easing the lives of families in Gaza and offering them hope. You can join us to extend a helping hand to the people of Gaza and stand by their side. With your support, we can meet the needs of our brothers and sisters in Gaza and offer them a brighter future.

Remember, every donation is a smile on a child’s face and a piece of bread on a family’s table in Gaza. As the Çare Association, we will always stand by the oppressed and continue to spread hope.

“We are merely a means.”