Saddleworth charity turns to the virtual world to raise funds

In a world that is turning differently thanks to Covid-19, supporters of the Saddleworth Palestine Women Scholarship Fund (SPWSF) that sponsors women into higher education in Gaza and the West Bank, turned to the virtual world to show their continued support for the students.

The local group had to cancel their annual Spring event, but undeterred brought together 61 people in a virtual online meeting.

Each displayed the name of one of the students, to demonstrate solidarity with them at this most testing of times.

University education in Gaza costs around £600 per year, but due to the widespread poverty this is beyond the means of many women.

Michele Abendstern, the group’s chair, said: "Our fundraisers are crucial to ensure our commitment to the students.

"We were so disappointed not to be able to meet in person, but it was uplifting to see so many people coming together virtually to show their support.

"The response on social media was incredible with donations and messages of support from the Middle East as well as around the country."

The event’s social media storm brought in nearly £1,000 for the fund and raised global awareness of their support for women in Palestine.

Project assistant Wafaa A El Derawi sent a message of thanks from Gaza where he explained how difficult life is for the students.

With universities closed, students rely on a patchy internet service to study and take their exams online.

"Many of them do not have a laptop at all," he said.

"This is in addition to frequent outages of electricity, thus students have to organize their study schedule according to the short electricity hours, many times they study at night."

SPWSF, together with groups in Sheffield and Bolton, sponsor 61 women in Gaza and the West Bank through higher education.

If you would like to help sponsor the students to ensure they continue their education please contact: saddleworth.pwsf@gmail.com

The Saddleworth Palestine Women's Scholarship Fund group meets regularly and welcomes new members.

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