Rama Duwaji, the wife of New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, promised to donate profits from a T-shirt fundraiser to a grassroots Gaza charity but never sent the roughly $2,000 that was raised, according to information obtained by The New York Post.
About a year after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel, Mamdani’s wife created a limited-edition T-shirt to benefit Dahnoun Mutual Aid, a Gaza-based organization that provides aid to displaced Palestinians, according to the group’s social media posts.
The $47 shirts, sold through London-based fundraising platform Everpress, featured an illustration of a bird perched atop a woman’s head alongside the Arabic phrase “Khair Ya Tair,” which translates to “Good news, oh bird!”
Duwaji promoted the campaign on Instagram and pledged to donate 100% of the profits. A source told The Post the campaign generated about $2,000, with the money held in a creator account managed by Everpress.
According to the source, Everpress repeatedly contacted Duwaji to obtain her banking information so the company could transfer the proceeds. She was then expected to forward the funds to Dahnoun Mutual Aid.
“That’s the way it’s supposed to work,” the source said, noting that Everpress regularly partnered with major charities including War Child and UNICEF. “Everpress took in the funds for the creator [then] sent the money to the creator for the charity.”
The source said company employees reached out several times through Duwaji’s personal email and Instagram account but never received a response, leaving the money sitting in the account.
“At the time we had no idea who she was, but if you say you are going to donate to something, then you need to donate,” the source told The Post. “We thought maybe she donated on her own, but we couldn’t find any proof that she did that.”
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New York City Hall disputed any suggestion that Duwaji personally kept the money.
“First Lady Rama Duwaji designed a shirt for which 100% of the proceeds would go towards Dahnoun Mutual Aid for Gaza,” mayoral spokeswoman Dora Pekec told The Post. “The shirt was sold via the third-party site Everpress HQ, which allows independent creators to sell clothing without upfront costs. At no point were the proceeds in the First Lady’s account. The proceeds remain at Everpress HQ and will be sent to the mutual aid organization.”
The explanation comes after Everpress announced it was shutting down earlier this year. The company notified creators that it would cease operations in May, citing financial pressures.
“With rising costs and an increasing challenging market, we’ve had to make the difficult decision to wind things down,” an Everpress notice shared by a former creator stated.
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The source noted Duwaji’s fundraising campaign ran in 2024, giving her roughly two years to claim the money and direct it to the charity before the platform closed.
An online fundraising page for Dahnoun Mutual Aid does not list any donations from Duwaji. The organization has raised more than $1.1 million toward its $2 million goal. It did not respond to The Post’s request for comment.
In the campaign description, Duwaji described the artwork and its symbolism.
“Khair Ya Tair is a hopeful ask, a quiet reassurance, an open palm,” wrote Duwaji in a description of the T-shirt design on the Everpress site. “The Tair in question is the Palestinian Sunbird, a symbol for freedom and defiance of restrictions and borders.100% profit from this garment goes towards winter clothes in North Gaza via Dahnoun Mutual Aid.”
Duwaji, 29, is described on the site as a “Syrian illustrator and animator based in Brooklyn, NYC.”
“Using drawn portraiture and movement, Rama examines the nuances of communal experiences and sisterhood.”
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[ H/T Trending Politics ]
