Dear Mary,
Last week, you heard from my colleague, Mike, about the 15,000 olive trees that supporters like you helped plant in Palestine over the last ten years through our partnership with the Palestinian Fair Trade Association (PFTA).
I wanted to share with you why this initiative to plant olive trees is so dear to me and my Palestinian family.
Like most Palestinians, I come from a long line of incredibly powerful and resilient women and let me tell you, these women are not the type who accept the realities of the brutal Israeli occupation sitting down. Today, I want to tell you about my Amto (Aunt) Hanan, an olive farmer in the besieged Gaza Strip.
One out of every four Palestinian farmers lives in poverty due to the massive economic toll of Israeli apartheid. My aunt inherited her father’s lands and was determined to make hers a story of success. In Gaza, that’s no easy feat because the Israeli blockade prevents olive farmers from selling much of their crop.
That’s why it means so much to me that our initiative with the PFTA prioritizes giving olive trees to young farmers, women, and those impacted the most by settlements and the occupation. These olive trees root resistance—they are a tool of resilience and livelihood in the face of the Israeli occupation and increasing environmental challenges.
Supporters of USCPR have planted 15,000 trees over the last decade. You can help us plant tree number 15,001 this year.
Today my aunt cultivates her olive trees and supports her family in defiance of a brutal military occupation intended to keep Palestinian farmers down and strangle their livelihoods. Their remarkable resilience, like the olives they’re harvesting today, means that they continue to rise up in defiance of a system of oppression meant to uproot them. Your gift today can help root resistance and resilience for generations to come.
Today, you can support these families, women, and young farmers—and show your solidarity—by making a contribution that will plant an olive tree and support our work for Palestinian rights. A gift today helps these families root resistance and keeps us moving towards freedom, justice, and equality for the Palestinian people.
In solidarity, 
Sincerely,
LENA ABDELHAMID
Director of Finance & Operations
P.S. For the first year ever, we’ve added a crowdfunding component to this campaign to allow you to share this important call for support with your family, friends, and networks Please donate what you can today to help plant trees and then, bring in your community to multiply your impact with a crowdfunding page to help us plant even more!
|
