From Susanna Brinnon
Dear Friends,
I’ve been wanting to find a way to help the people in Gaza, and I just met Fayettevillian Marriah Berquist who is doing that. One year ago she posted an editing job on an international site and was surprised to get a response from a 24-year-old woman, who was looking for work to feed her family – from Gaza. Majd Yousif’s brother had been shot and run over by a tank; 2 other brothers had hepatitis; and her mother was gravely ill — so she became the family member in charge. They were living under a tarp and everything around them had been bombed, and she had to climb up into an abandoned building to even get an internet connection — but still, when Marriah learned more about her circumstances and wanted to send money, she wanted to work rather than receive a donation.
They became friends, and Marriah watched in horror as the family had to flee to Rafah in the south, leaving everything behind. They had been a somewhat middle class family, educated and living in comfort, as many of us. They walked in 2 separate groups, in order to not be a target for the Israeli army – first her father, carrying a little brother who was ill; and next 2 older brothers, her mom, her little sister, and Majd. And then, just as they reached Rafah, the border they had been hoping to cross was closed and they had to return north – walking again. They were not able to go all the way back to their neighborhood in Gaza City.
Much time has passed since then, and Majd has been ill herself but has begun many projects, including setting up a school with psychological help for the children. In the meantime, Marriah has raised almost $40,000 – for Majd and her family, for another family in the north, for a whole village in mid-Gaza that was completely destroyed, for a refugee camp, and for others – altogether supporting over 100 families who had no phones, or any way to get funds for basic survival needs.
If you’d like to help, here’s a link to the GoFundMe account Marriah started, with a wonderful video of Gazan children: https://gofund.me/48557ab0.
For stories about the project and videos of the team collecting supplies and delivering them, see her Instagram post: @fayettevillefeedsfamilies.
For a heartful interview with Marriah last May by Kyle Kellams, KUAF:
And at 5:30 pm Saturday February 22 Marriah is hosting a fundraiser, with music and a silent art auction, at Arsaga’s at the Mill. Please come. If you are an artist, she is still open for more art: contact her at 479-283-4729.
In support of the people of Gaza,
Susanna