Get to know us
30.08.2024
We’ve had a lot of new followers in the past month, so we thought it might be a good time to re-introduce ourselves and our organization:
Clean Shelter gUG is a non-profit organization, registered and based in Germany (tax no. 27/611/83976). It was founded in January 2024 by Seba Abu-Daqa, a Palestinian living in Munich, and Tom Kellner, an Israeli living in Berlin, as a response to the urgent sanitation needs and growing humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.
We started out small - collecting donations for the construction of a few toilets in Al-Mawasi. But as weeks went by, we realized that many people are interested in supporting our work and wish, as we do, to provide essential aid and relief to displaced communities in Gaza; we received enough donations to build more toilets, then toilets with showers, and then take part in the establishment of a whole IDP camp together with our local partner Damour for Community Development. At that point, we formed a team of volunteers on the ground and began the lengthy process of registering as a charity organization in Germany, which was finalized in June 2024.
Our mission is to provide immediate relief to displaced communities in Gaza by offering essential sanitation and shelter solutions, including tents, toilets, and community structures - we’ve funded and constructed more than 1000 facilities to this day. In addition, we have been cooperating and collaborating with philanthropic individuals and grassroots organizations, coordinating and distributing food and hygiene kits to displaced communities.
Since May 2024 we have been also purchasing and delivering clean drinking water to approximately 2000 families on a daily basis; in July 2024 we’ve acquired our first desalination unit, powered by solar energy, which provides 4-5 cubic liters of clean drinking water per day - enough for the daily consumption of approximately 250 families.
In short, we are a small, fast and flexible grassroots organization. Our team is able to reach displaced communities in Gaza in person and to offer real crisis relief in order to mitigate the devastating effects of displacement and war. Up to now, we’ve been working with various IDP camps in Al-Mawasi, Khan Yunis, and Deir Al-Balah (Zawaideh): Zomi Shelter Center, Mesk and Layan, Alehsan, Albaraka, Alarab, Jood 1+2, and Roh.
All this has been possible thanks to our team of volunteers on the ground, led by Ahmed Sherif. From constructing DIY toilets to conducting needs assessments in remote unregistered camps and much much more, they have been risking their lives and devoting their skills and energy to help others in need.
The humanitarian aid we provide in Gaza is financed completely by your donations: 100% of all donations go directly to Gaza. You can read more about our work on our website: https://www.cleanshelter.org/
Our work has been featured in newspapers and news channels worldwide, including Germany, Israel, and Japan; you can read more here: https://www.cleanshelter.org/press
We welcome you to donate and support our cause, and you can do so in various currencies and through different platforms; see here: https://www.cleanshelter.org/donation
We’re happy to hear from you - if you have any question, feedback or comment, please feel free to contact us: https://www.cleanshelter.org/new-page
And lastly, we’d like to thank you, our donors and followers, whose support has allowed us to alleviate the anguish of displacement while safeguarding communities against the threat of sanitary crisis.