Lotus Lantern Initiative
Real Aid. Real People. Real Love.
The Lotus Lantern Initiative is a grassroots humanitarian organization built on radical compassion, direct action, and human connection.
We exist to open doors for families facing unimaginable hardship—helping them share their stories with honesty, dignity, and hope. Through humanitarian campaigns, storytelling, advocacy, and community, we connect people who want to help with people who simply need a chance.
Founded by a mother, humanitarian, and storyteller, our mission is simple:
To remind people that they are not forgotten.
We don’t believe compassion should stop at borders.
We are more than a fundraising organization.
We are a bridge.
We listen. We write. We translate. We share stories. We build campaigns. We introduce families to communities around the world who choose love over indifference.
Every donation goes directly to the campaign it was intended to support. We never take a percentage from campaign donations.
Today, Lotus Lantern Initiative has opened 116 humanitarian campaigns, received more than 11,500 donations, and helped raise over $505,000 for families in Gaza.
This work is powered entirely by ordinary people.
Not celebrities.
Not corporations.
Not governments.
Just people helping people, across borders, in real time.
Our story is still being written.
Perhaps you’ll become part of it.
Our Story
The Lotus Lantern Initiative was born from heartbreak, hope, and one mother’s fierce love for humanity.
It didn’t begin in a boardroom. It began with one woman, a laptop, and the conviction that doing nothing was never an option.
What started as a single mutual aid campaign grew into a global community of people opening doors for one another. Families in Gaza found advocates. Strangers became friends. Donations became food, shelter, medicine, and hope.
This initiative grew in the cracks of empire, powered not by institutions, but by ordinary people choosing compassion over indifference. Together, we have shared stories that might otherwise have gone unheard and connected thousands of donors directly with families fighting to survive.
Today, Lotus Lantern Initiative has opened 116 humanitarian campaigns, helped raise more than $505,000 through over 11,500 donations, and connected that support directly with families and individuals in Gaza.
Our mission has never been to fundraise ourselves. We open doors.
We listen to people’s stories. We help them tell those stories truthfully and respectfully. We build campaigns, connect communities, share stories, translate messages, and introduce families to people around the world who choose to care. The donations belong to them. The hope belongs to all of us.
Now, as a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, our foundation remains the same: neighbors helping neighbors, across borders, in real time.
Our story is still being written.
Perhaps the next chapter includes you.
Meet The Team
_JPG.jpg)
Gigi Wong
Founder | Humanitarian | California, USA
Gigi Wong is the founder of Lotus Lantern Initiative, a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to delivering direct humanitarian aid to families in Palestine.
Believing that compassion is strongest when it moves into action, she has helped build an international network of volunteers connecting donors directly with families in crisis. Together, the team has supported more than 90 humanitarian campaigns, published 70+ books preserving the stories of Palestinian families, and helped deliver hundreds of thousands of dollars in direct humanitarian aid.
Her mission is simple: open doors, build trust, and remind people that ordinary individuals can change lives—one act of compassion at a time.
Cinzia Nieddu
Humanitarian | Sardinia, Italy
Cinzia is a humanitarian from Sardinia, Italy, dedicated to supporting families in Palestine through advocacy, medical evacuation efforts, humanitarian fundraising, and international partnerships. She believes that compassion, perseverance, and ordinary people working together can create extraordinary change. Her work is driven by the conviction that even the smallest act of courage can save a life.
Daynise Rain
Archivist | Author | Humanitarian | Kansas, USA
Daynise is an archivist, artist, and humanitarian from Kansas whose work is rooted in preserving stories, advocating for justice, and amplifying voices that might otherwise go unheard. Despite living with chronic Lyme disease and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), she continues to build bridges through writing, research, and compassion. Her unwavering dedication reminds us that meaningful change is not measured by physical ability, but by the courage to keep showing up for others.
Ulrika Bachér
Humanitarian | Finland
Ulrika is a humanitarian from Finland dedicated to supporting families in Palestine through grassroots fundraising, advocacy, and compassionate action.
Working alongside Lotus Lantern Initiative, she has helped launch and support numerous humanitarian campaigns, connecting donors with families facing unimaginable hardship. She believes that ordinary people, working together across borders, can create extraordinary hope and lasting change.
Her commitment reminds us that compassion knows no borders—and that even a single act of kindness can transform lives.
Rosa
Humanitarian | Wisconsin, USA
Rosa is a humanitarian from Wisconsin whose work is guided by compassion, hope, and the belief that ordinary people can make an extraordinary difference. Through international humanitarian partnerships, she helps open doors for families facing unimaginable hardship. She believes that one ripple can create a wave, one small act can change an entire future, and that humanity has no borders.ite.
Sarah Decker (Snow)
Humanitarian | Wisconsin, USA
Sarah is a humanitarian from Wisconsin whose work is rooted in compassion, justice, and the belief that no one should be forgotten. Through advocacy and international humanitarian partnerships, she helps amplify the voices of Palestinian families and open doors to hope. She believes that compassion is not passive—it is a choice to stand beside others in their darkest moments and to remind them they are never alone.
Dr. Shatha Al Qudwa
Dentist | Community Leader | Mutual Aid Organizer | Gaza, Palestine
Dr. Shatha Al Qudwa is a dentist from Gaza City, a community leader, and a mutual aid organizer working on the ground to support families affected by war and displacement. In addition to caring for patients, she helps coordinate humanitarian assistance, advocates for access to dental care, and works tirelessly to uplift those around her. Through her partnership with Lotus Lantern Initiative, she helps amplify the voices of her community, reminding us that even in the darkest times, compassion, service, and hope continue to endure.
Ereko White
Author | Humanitarian | Truth Teller | Storyteller | Content Creator
Jordan
Ereko White is a Jordan-based author, humanitarian, and content creator whose curiosity about the human experience inspires everything she shares. Through thoughtful reflections on the Qur’an, nature, psychology, the nervous system, and personal growth, she encourages others to slow down, ask deeper questions, and approach the world with greater compassion.
As a Community Ambassador for Lotus Lantern Initiative, Ereko helps amplify voices that might otherwise go unheard, using storytelling as a bridge between empathy and meaningful action.
To me, Ereko has been a catalyst—someone whose curiosity and courage have challenged me to think more deeply, grow more intentionally, and become a better storyteller.
“Stories connect us long before we ever meet.”
The Home Team
