Our Vision
To alleviate the anguish of displacement while safeguarding communities against the threat of sanitary crisis.
Our Mission
To provide immediate relief to displaced communities in Gaza by offering essential sanitation and shelter solutions, including tents, toilets, community structures, and access to clean water.
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.
Our Story
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.
Till now, we’ve constructed and financed more than a thousand toilets, showers, tents, and community spaces and structures, benefiting approximately 10,000 displaced persons. 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 2-3 cubic liters of clean drinking water per day - enough for the daily consumption of approximately 200 families. And all this has been possible thanks to our team of volunteers on the ground, led by Ahmed Sherif.
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.
Meet our Team
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Tom Kellner, co-founder, based in Berlin
Tom is an Israeli born literary scholar and cellist, a hard-headed feminist and a pragmatic idealist.
As Executive Director at Clean Shelter, Tom manages financing and donations, donor and media outreach, and social media.
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Seba AbuDaqa, co-founder, based in Munich
Born and raised in Gaza, Seba obtained her degree in the West Bank, and works in community empowerment and sustainable development.
As Director of Operations at Clean Shelter, she oversees workflow on the ground, ensures needs are met to the best of her ability, and follows up on financial and administrative reporting. Additionally, she handles grants applications.
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Ahmed Sherif , based in Gaza
Accomplished civil engineer in Gaza. With a background in project management and quality assurance, Ahmed Sherif has held key positions in various companies, including as Branch Manager and site engineer in Gaza and the UAE.
Currently serving as the Operations Manager of the ground team at Clean Shelter.
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Lobaba Daga, Based in Gaza
Born and received her education in Gaza.
Lobaba previously worked as a nurse in one of the private clinics in Gaza, and lost her job since the beginning of the attacks against Gaza.
As the Manager of “Mesk & Layan” IDP Camp, Lobaba volunteers to ensure that the camp is secure and that needs are met. Additionally, she coordinates with other organizations to maximize support for the camp residents.
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Gali Blay, Based in Berlin
Born in NYC, raised in Israel.
studied Photography in Jerusalem and Social Design in Eindhoven (The Netherlands). She is a passionate film maker who works in the intersection of documentary storytelling and animation.
https://www.galiblay.com
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Naser Abu Mostafa, based in Gaza,
Born and received his education in Gaza.
He works as a taxi driver and helps in day-to-day operation of Mesk and Layan.