Look: Kids As Young As 5 Join Volunteers In Sharjah To Pack Aid For Gaza Orphans

Emirati brothers Omar and Abdulla Alkhanbashi, who are 7 and 5 years old, respectively, were seen going around different clothing racks picking shirts, pants, socks, undergarments, and shoes to meticulously pack them in boxes .

After sorting each category, the duo carefully counted the clothing items to ensure each box was sufficiently stocked, and with the help of a volunteer, taped up the box and stacked them on the side to be shipped off.

Preschoolers, university students and parents were among the volunteers who came together to pack boxes full of clothes for orphaned children in Gaza. The 'Kiswa for Gaza' initiative began last Thursday, and will run until Wednesday, March 26. Many volunteers managed to pack dozens of boxes of essential clothing, despite fasting.

Organised by The Big Heart Foundation as part of its Ramadan campaign, the in-kind packing initiative is located in City Centre Al Zahia, Sharjah and is open to the public. The campaign was launched by Sheikha Jawaher Al Qasimi, Sharjah Ruler's wife, to help raise donations for orphaned children in Gaza.

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.

The siblings started volunteering on Monday, and their aunt, Amira, said that they will be returning every day until the initiative ends. She added that the two boys insisted on staying for the entire duration of a volunteering shift - the first shift lasts from 10am till 5pm, the next one begins at 8pm until 11pm.

“I organised the clothes and the pants for the children in Gaza,” Abdulla said. Volunteers can also choose to include a handwritten message for those receiving aid, Abdulla“drew them a big heart”.

Hana Hamdan and her daughter, Tala, drove all the way from Ras Al Khaimah just to pack clothes for this initiative. The Palestinian said she's a regular volunteer at the Red Crescent so has been volunteering at such initiatives. However, this time around, she decided to bring her 17-year-old daughter along to pack humanitarian aid.

Hana said,“We came at this hour [3pm] because it's good for one to put their time and effort into volunteer work.” Her daughter, Tala, said that she planned to sleep in, but decided otherwise,“it's better to actually donate, so I came here instead.”

Many also came with their family and friends to help pack. Soha Chehab came with her friend and two daughters, both of whom volunteered for the first time.

The owner of an online shoe retailer said that she donated a large amount of the footwear she sells to the initiative. This, the Lebanese expat said, was in addition to 15 per cent of her store's revenues for this month.

“We have a lot of responsibility, so we wanted to participate. We always try to help, like in the past during the Beirut bomb blast and the war in Lebanon. We always donate but we usually never publicise it, but for the children of Gaza, I felt that this is a very big issue and that everyone should help,” she said.

MENAFN25032025000049011007ID1109355942