Al-Qalam 
By Nabeelah Shaikh
A Soweto Christian activist, Itani Rasalanavho, is walking from Soweto to Durban to raise funds for medical treatment for the war-wounded children of Gaza.
Shamsaan founder Nadia Meer told Al-Qalam that Rasalanavho has had a long-standing association with Palestine and its people.
Rasalanavho, who serves as the coordinator for the World Federation for Democratic Youth (North and East Africa), approached Shamsaan, a local NGO, to forge a Palestinian child-focussed campaign called “The Long Walk for Gaza.”
“Through the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme, he served as a Human Rights observer on two occasions in Hebron and Bethlehem, respectively, but was denied entry a third time and subsequently deported by Israeli authorities. During this time, he was a witness to the impact of the Israeli military occupation and the current realities in Gaza, which prompted his desire to help the children by walking from Soweto to Durban”, said Meer.
Following Rasalanavho’s interest, People Against Oppression, along with the Palestine Solidarity Alliance Youth League and a host of other SA and Palestinian partner organisations, have linked with Itani to embark on the Long Walk for Gaza campaign.
“This title was inspired by our iconic liberation hero, Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, and was launched in Soweto, where Itani set off, accompanied by a dedicated group of volunteers and representatives of PAO, on the journey to Durban,” said Meer.
She said the symbolic walk will serve as a tribute to the amputee children of Gaza who face a future with disability.
The campaign aims to raise much-needed funds to assist children to become optimally mobile again and will involve working with institutional partners in consultation with medical and rehabilitative support teams in the supply of wheelchairs, prostheses, crutches, and other assistive devices.
“We will be working with a team of medical professionals to help children who have lost their limbs in the ongoing war on Gaza by providing medical care to them. A team of South African doctors will be working on this initiative.
“We are deciding whether to bring patients here or whether to take them and house them in other countries. There are other countries involved in taking care of these child amputees, so we are liaising and working out what’s going to be the best option,” said Meer.
Meer said she is speaking to the doctors in Gaza all the time.
“They are sending us information about the child amputees. We are busy compiling a list of children who are amputees who will benefit from this initiative,” said Meer.
The walk helps to engage with local communities, invites public involvement in the campaign, drives fundraising efforts, promotes advocacy, and inspires collective action,” said Meer.
The Long Walk for Gaza kicked off on January 25 in Soweto, and Rasalanavho will stop at 14 locations on his journey to Durban on February 4.
“He has passed through the towns of Estcourt, Volksrust, and Harrismith this week and was warmly welcomed by the local communities who have been showing their support,” said Meer.
In Durban, on Sunday, Itani is expected to complete the final leg of this journey. The public is invited to join him in the walk from 45th Cutting to People’s Park at the Moses Mabhida Stadium from 10:00 to 12:00.
He will then join a day of family activities at the park, which will run from 08:00 to 15:00.
“We will be hosting an initiative called the Butterfly Souls for Palestine at the park. Kids will be making butterflies to represent the lives of the thousands of children lost. This will then be put into a beautiful piece of art, which will be auctioned as part of the initiative,” said Meer. She encouraged locals to support the initiative.
“People will get to enjoy an afternoon of arts and crafts, storytelling and friendship, kite making, butterfly making, poetry, and prayer. Let us come together to welcome Itani, grow solidarity, contribute towards the healing, and build a united vision for peace in Palestine and the world over,” said Meer.
