Nashwa is a workers' movement organiser. Unfairly dismissed, with multiple dependents, she needs support to survive in the short term.
Nashwa is a key figure in the formation and organisation of a branch of the workers movement in Cyprus. This branch has been growing for the past couple of years, with the help of Nashwa and fellow workers. As a working-class woman, single-mother, daughter of a migrant and bread-winner for her extended family, Nashwa has brought key insights and built key infrastructure for worker organising in Cyprus. Now she needs our help and solidarity!
Nashwa was unfairly and unexpectedly fired from her job, three days before completing the 6 months trial period for this employment. During the entire period she worked for this employer, Nashwa did not receive the slightest admonition regarding the quality of her work, or anything else. She also received no explanation for why her employment ended with the completion of the trial period. The sudden announcement of her dismissal shocked her and her coworkers. It is highly possible that the fact that she participated in instances of collective workplace resistance, along with her fellow workers, led to this employer's decision.
Nashwa is a single mother of mixed origin (Syrian and Cypriot) and has been raising her 7-year old daughter alone since the death of the father. She is also providing support for her entire family, her mother, younger brother and sister. She is in dire need of financial assistance to bridge the gap until she receives unemployment benefit in around 2-3 months time. She expects to find new employment before then. In the meantime the local workers organization is looking into how to fight the employer but also has created a solidarity fund as these things can take time. As a newly formed organization the support available is currently very limited until a more long term membership is built. For this reason we are reaching out to international networks for help!
A message from a fellow worker organizing this crowdfunder:
Hi, my name is Avi and I am an elected regional officer for the IWW, an international workers organisation that Nashwa belongs to and organizes with. I recently met her during a trip to Cyprus and again at our annual international conference (see the video). She is an inspiring and energizing character carrying a lot on her plate, but nonetheless has volunteered on multiple occasions to support me with my own work as a regional officer, alongside her local organising.
Having grown up myself in Cyprus, it has been great to return and find grounded and inspiring organizing around practices of solidarity and worker justice. The local IWW branch in Cyprus that Nashwa has helped build has been a breathe of fresh air and one of the most organised newly-formed outfits I have encountered in my travels across Europe among many different worker organizing, activist, radical and/or campaigning spaces. Nashwa has been a big part of building this.
Now she needs our support and solidarity, so with the support of other workers we have decided to help host this crowd-solidarity-fund to help. Please give as much or as little as you are able. In Solidarity.
This project successfully funded on 31st July 2024