Winter Update: delivering food to families in need in Gaza
Mrs. Najah is bringing warmth to Gaza’s winter with her fresh-hot meals, smiles, and kindness.
My name is Sara Azmoudeh and I recently returned to Rebuilding Alliance's team as the Community Manager. On my first week back with the team, I had the privilege of interviewing Mrs. Najah to learn about her project, Mrs. Najah's Kitchen, and to share recent developments with you all. I could not have asked for a better way to immerse myself in Rebuilding Alliance's work; Mrs. Najah's resilience and dedication to feeding Gaza's families is an inspiration, to say the least. Keep reading and you'll see what I mean.
Mrs. Najah's Kitchen goal is to deliver 400 meals a week, usually one per family but sometimes if the family is larger, they will need two meals. Over a two-week period in December, Mrs. Najah was able to serve 1,100 families which was less than expected due to higher food prices.
In the last week of February, meals were delivered over 7 days throughout Morag and Al-Obour. Two days of deliveries were dedicated to Refugees at Al-Shaout Refugee camp, and cancer patients at Oraiba and the Western camp. Last week, Mrs. Najah visited two small Bedouin villages, Abasan and Al-Nusierat. While you would not believe it from the smiles on their faces, these Bedouin villagers live in extreme poverty. Their homes lack electricity, some of them don’t have windows or doors. They are very poor - some are sick - and have little to no access to basic necessities like food. Needless to say, Mrs. Najah’s hot meal delivery made their day.
When Mrs. Najah arrives to make a delivery, she first asks, “What’s cooking?” The economic crisis gripping Gaza is clear from the responses she hears. Mrs. Najah explains, “One mother responded that they are cooking plain potatoes; another said spaghetti without any meat or sauce; another said plain rice; another said that they had nothing at all to cook.”
Most families have no means of transportation - and cannot afford - to pick up their hot meals from Mrs. Najah’s Kitchen. This is especially true now in the Winter when hard weather conditions make it difficult for Gazans to walk or bike over. Small amounts of governmental aid were disbursed to low-income families in January. But at this point, most have unfortunately exhausted their funds and are scrambling to feed their families. Thanks to Mrs. Najah and her team, Gazan families receive hot meals right at their front door.
Over the last couple of months, cooking has made Mrs. Najah nostalgic. Before starting Mrs. Najah’s Kitchen, Mrs. Najah was known as the neighborhood chef! She says, “As the oldest in a family of 7, my mother taught me how to cook at a young age. I used to cook for my siblings, then later I started cooking for my own children. Eventually, I would invite the neighbors over for dinner, and before I knew it my chicken and rice was famous!” Now that Mrs. Najah’s Kitchen has opened its doors to the Gaza Strip, Mrs. Najah explains, “my daughters help with preparing meals at home.” Her recipe has stayed consistent throughout the years!
When asked about her favorite part of the project, Mrs. Najah humbly said: “the smiles on people's faces.” She went on to say, “If you have the chance to help someone, do it. Not only can you help another human being, but you also enjoy how you feel after. Rebuilding Alliance has allowed me to feel that - to help others.”
Thank you for allowing our team to empower Mrs. Najah’s Kitchen. I hope you continue to keep Mrs. Najah in your hearts and minds.