Gazan Doctor Aims to Rebuild Strip’s Only School for Disabled Children · Global Voices
Elia J. Ayoub

Sign of the ‘Society for Physically Handicapped People’ seen at the remains of the school. Photo by ‘Save Gaza Project‘
A campaign on IndieGogo is trying to raise funds to rebuild Gaza's only school for disabled children, which was destroyed during Israel's so-called “Operation Protective Edge” last summer. The Save Gaza Project was launched by Dr. Basel Abu Warda, a doctor at Al Shifa, Gaza's largest hospital, and Mostafa Asi, a human rights activist, with the goal of raising $35,000 by April 10. At the time of this writing, 91 percent of the fundraising goal had been reached, with $31,768 donated by over 500 contributors.
Using the hashtag #GazaWheelChairs, Dr. Abuwarda explained how contributions will benefit the children at the school:
#Gazawheelchairs Please check , donate and retweet https://t.co/PFXWpx3ZUs pic.twitter.com/IBcQGhTi3i
— Dr.Bassel AbuWarda (@DrBaselAbuwarda) February 21, 2015
The campaign is being run in collaboration with the Society of Physically Handicapped People, a Gaza-based NGO established in 1992 by “a group of intuitive physically disabled youths.” As they explain on the IndieGogo page, the Society “was the first NGO in the Gaza Strip to provide opportunities for disabled youth to practice their rights in establishing and leading their organizations.” It continues:
“The Society of Physically Handicapped People aims to encourage, empower and enable those with physical disabilities by educating them to exercise their rights, helping them to succeed in reaching their goals, and assisting them in achieving as much integration into the community as possible.
The Society of Physically Handicapped People provides comprehensive healthcare and medical rehabilitation, education and training, psycho-social programs and services to more than 11,600 beneficiaries with permanent physical disabilities in the Gaza Strip through its specialized medical and education centers in Gaza and Rafah.”
Dr Abu Warda also posted this campaign video explaining how the school benefits hundreds of Gaza's disabled children.
Two Indonesian charities, Akhwat Bergerak, an Islamic Women's Movement, and ACT Indonesia, a humanitarian organization, are supporting the campaign.
Dr. Basel Abuwarda and Mostafa Asi at the school's construction site. Photo by ‘Save Gaza Project‘