Donate now—your help could be the reason my baby Qais survives.

two campaigns have come to my attention through instagram. both teenagers who were shot by the iof and had their entire lives changed. both are in terrible condition, and no doubt this is not only because of the direct violence enacted upon them but also because of the purposeful genocidal annihilation of medical infrastructure in gaza and obstruction of aid by the occupier.

I WILL KEEP THIS BRIEF BUT PLEASE PAY ATTENTION:

ahmed is just 18 years old. he was shot in june while seeking aid and now suffers from total paralysis due to the deterioration of his medical condition. the urgent, lifesaving surgery, medical care and rehabilitation he requires are unavailable in gaza. he is also severely malnourished, leading to further complications. he is dying.

mohamed is just 15 years old. he was shot in september while seeking aid and now suffers from a severe spinal injury and paralysis, and recently went into a coma. his sister, who is just 18, has been advocating for him. his parents spend much energy traveling to and from the hospital and caring for the rest of his siblings who are also in need of basic necessities that are unavailable or extremely hard to secure in gaza. mohamed is severely malnourished. he is dying.

both of these boys need to be evacuated, they have their whole lives ahead of them. mohamed has a referral for evacuation but his family needs funds to cover the costs of leaving gaza. ahmed is on a WHO waiting list but hasn't been approved yet, possibly because he is 18 so he is not considered a priority because he is technically an adult. if anyone knows any way to help them get evacuated, or if you want more information on their stories in general, please refer to ahmed's instagram account here and mohamed's sister's instagram here

in the meantime, funds are urgently needed to provide food and medical costs for ahmed and mohamed and their families. THEY ARE SEVERELY MALNOURISHED. PLEASE give whatever you can and share at the very least. i know many of you can live without 5, 10, 20 dollars.... and it may seem like a small sacrifice but it DOES add up and it DOES make a difference. and i know many of you are good people and want to help. but they need consistent donations, and they haven't been getting that. their campaigns have been going days without donations and at best they get only around 3 donations daily.

palestine will be free and we must not forget about the people who need our support the most, during the occupier's false so-called 'ceasefire' while the world watches passively while gaza is still suffering. thank you for reading and caring

Ahmed's chuffed

Right now Ahmed's mother, who has now lost 3 of her sons, and his brother are suffering in Egypt. Ahmed's mother is suffering from broken ribs, a broken shoulder and low blood pressure. They are struggling financially as well as mentally.

Please keep Ahmed and his family in your prayers, and give them any support you can. They should not have lost Ahmed, but they deserve to be grieving in peace rather than worrying about their own survival.

Only 3 donations in 16 days, the last being 5 days ago.

Please donate now. Your help could save my baby before it is too late.

Excerpt from the Orthodox Calendar project.

“OC (Orthodox Calendar) is the title of wall calendars and videos first published in 2012, featuring nude and semi-nude photographs of members of the Orthodox Church. The calendar is the brainchild of a group composed mostly of Orthodox eastern Europeans of the former communist region. The primary goal was to create the very first organized global effort against homophobia in the Orthodox Region. At the same time, the calendar takes an ironic approach to the Orthodox Church itself, which in recent years has been embroiled in artist repression, questionable behavior and homophobia.Through their unconventional and bold images, OC’s creative Team seeks to counteract the negative and outdated influences of most of the Orthodox Church leadership. While recognizing that change might not come quickly to the official Orthodox Church position, OC nonetheless believes that at least it can encourage people (believers or not) to reflect and realize that there is an urgent need for an update in values as part of the modern society.”

And I pray that I may forget

These matters that with myself I too much discuss

Too much explain

Because I do not hope to turn again

Let these words answer

For what is done, not to be done again

May the judgement not be too heavy upon us

[…]

Teach us to care and not to care

Teach us to sit still.

Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death

Pray for us now and at the hour of our death.

A Seeker's Prayer – St. Anselm of Canterbury

to put it simply, i have never had the resources or support to live my life. i have always depended on others or government funding. i do not have parents, i do not come from generational wealth. working in the arts without either of those things is incredibly difficult and tricky. i took me 4 years to be able to come to london for grad school, and even after i arrived it has been hit after hit.

i'm writing pretty desperately here, as the emotional taxation of leaving the country and having to start all over again in the usa is daunting, undesired and moves me further and further from my goal of working as a theatre director.

i have struggled to find work, lost my housing plans and had to start all over last september, setting myself back so much that now moving forward with my next visa has become a herculean nightmare.

i know that this is a lot to ask of anyone, but i am all but getting on my hands and knees and begging because the only place i've ever been able to find consistent support and help is my online community. please, please, please if you can donate, please do.

He will not, can not, does not look away. He embraces you and looks at you, fully, wholly. All pretences and façades undone.