Voices For Palestine raises Sh98M to support Gaza over two years

Close to 1,000 life-saving surgical operations have been carried out in Gaza for victims of the ongoing Israeli genocide, thanks to the efforts of Voices For Palestine (VFP).

Alongside medical support and other humanitarian initiatives, including food distribution, shelter programmes for the displaced, and the udh’hiya (qurbani) campaign, are part of the campaigns spearheaded by Kenyan Muslims under the VFP initiative.

Speaking during the release of a two-year activity report at Jamia Mosque on Saturday, February 14, VFP chairman Ahmed Sharrif expressed gratitude for the unwavering support of Kenyans toward the people of Gaza, who have endured a severe campaign of mass killings over the past two years.

“Thanks to the generosity of Kenyans, we have raised over Sh98 million, which has gone towards medical assistance, hot meals, food parcels, and hygiene kits for displaced families,” Sharrif said, acknowledging the crucial role of VFP’s implementation partners in Gaza, international humanitarian organisations, Al Khair Foundation, Al Imdaad Foundation, Islamic Relief, and Humaniti.

Sharrif highlighted VFP’s efforts to raise awareness and mobilize support for Gaza. “Our impact is visible through large-scale community actions, such as the Tree for Gaza campaign in Uhuru Park and Mombasa, where thousands of Kenyans rallied for environmental conservation and, simultaneously, the urgent need to save lives in Gaza,” he said.

Despite these achievements, Sharrif noted that the crisis persists. Families continue to lack basic necessities, and children urgently need medical care. He criticized calls for a ceasefire, stating that the killings continue while the world largely looks away. “In 2026, our goal is to expand our reach by providing feeding programmes, essential medicines to the injured, shelter kits, education for vulnerable orphans, and advocacy for the release of thousands of prisoners held incommunicado,” he added.

During the event, VFP launched a campaign through M-Pesa Ratiba, enabling individuals to donate at least Sh100 weekly to support Gaza. The Safaricom service allows users to set up automatic transfers via the M-PESA App or by dialing *334# option 9, with contributions made through Mpesa Pay Bill 150770, Account: TREE4GAZA (Account Name: Jamia Mosque Committee).

Speaking at the event, former Mandera Senator Billow Kerrow urged Kenyans to continue supporting Gaza, calling it a moral, religious and humanitarian duty. While commending the financial contributions, he noted that more needs to be done, as Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank continue to face severe deprivation of basic life necessities such as water, food, and shelter.

“We have witnessed the depravity documented in the Epstein files. These are the same forces backing the genocide in Gaza, showing blatant disregard for humanity,” he said.

In his remarks, Sheikh Abdullatif Abdulkarim, chairman of the Family Resource Centre, praised VFP for amplifying the plight of Gaza while providing tangible medical and humanitarian support. He urged Muslims to avoid products linked to Israel, citing economic boycotts as an effective means of protest. “Boycotts work. The closure of pro-Israeli establishments in several countries has hurt them economically. No one has died from not drinking Coca-Cola or avoiding KFC,” he said.

Echoing his remarks, SUPKEM’s North Eastern Regional Coordinator, Dr. Adan Yusuf Sheikh, underscored the importance of courageously standing up for the Palestinian cause, stating that it is a religious obligation for Muslims to support the oppressed and provide them with the necessary assistance.

Voices For Palestine (VFP) was founded in November 2023 to break the silence on the human rights violations and genocide in Gaza. The advocacy group aims to uphold the dignity and inalienable rights of the Palestinian people as the foundation for peace and justice.

The VFP movement brings together a wide network of Muslim organizations and mosques to support the Palestinian cause amidst the genocide. The organisations including the Jamia Mosque Committee, National Muslim Leaders Forum (NAMLEF), Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM), Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK), Masjid al Ameen, Parklands Mosque, Adams Mosque, Masjid Rahma (Hurlingham), Maahad Da’wah Organization, Park Road Mosque, and the Kenya Association of Muslim Medical Practitioners (KAMMP), among others.