A message from Paola, founder of Dr Zigs
If you are following our socials you would have seen us posting from Barcelona about the Global Sumud Flotilla, the peaceful civilian mission taking aid to Gaza.
This is part of our #BubblesNotBombs project, a project that supports children in many difficult situations in the UK and across the world, including those Palestine, which has, ever since Dr Zigs was founded 15 years ago, been a part of our story too.
A percentage of every single toy sold at Dr Zigs has always gone to our Bubbles Not Bombs projects, in the UK and abroad, including Medical Aid for Palestinians and +972 Magazine (if you don't know them do have a look)
And over the last two years our focus has increasingly been on the horrors unfolding in Gaza and the West Bank
In Gaza a child is killed every 52 minutes. Countless are injured, made orphan, buried under rubble, have limbs amputated, often without anesthesia, and many are critically malnourished. All children have been displaced, most more than once.
Over the last two years we have joined many marches, written letters, signed petitions, shared stories, yet, like everyone we still feel utterly hopeless. So, for us, this last weekend, there was nowhere else in the world that we could be but in Barcelona supporting the incredible humanitarian effort that is the Global Sumud Flotillas as it departs to break the siege.
It is hard to find the words to describe this moving, emotional, painful, joyful departure. Thousands of people came together determined to step in where our governments are not, in desperation to help.
The boats of the flotilla are of all sizes, but mostly small yachts. On board are people just like you and I, with jobs, with children, with taxes to pay.
And on some of these boats there are also a few small bubble kits, because when they break the medieval siege of Gaza, after the food, the medicine has been unloaded, after people have been helped, after the blockade is lifted, maybe then, there will be a time to make some bubbles, and then maybe there will be a moment where some children of Gaza will be able to simply play.
Until that day, it is imperative that this flotilla is granted safe passage. Please follow the flotilla on @globalsumudflotilla and @thousandmadleens. Write to your governments. Again, and again, and again.
We are drops, but we will make up an ocean.
#BubblesNotBombs
With love,
Paola and all the team at Dr Zigs
Sid Khan, one of the heroic volunteers sailing to Gaza
