Fashion for change DI'S LIFELINE TO GAZA

Determined to help, she now personally cares for 20 families in Palestine

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When Dianne Ludwig gets a message late at night, it's often from Gaza. The words on her screen aren't from strangers, but from people she now considers family.

When Dianne Ludwig gets a message late at night, it's often from Gaza. The words on her screen aren't from strangers, but from people she now considers family.

One of them, a young man named Mohammed, 24, even calls her Mum.

"And I call him son," shares Di, 62, who's in daily contact with multiple Palestinian families she's raising vital funds for. "There's no doubt the relationship we have will be lifelong and that my life will never be the same. I'm inextricably linked with these people now."

Through selling pre-loved clothing on her Instagram account Welcome Back Slow Fashion and hosting community fundraisers, Di raises money every week for up to 20 Palestinian families.

Every Sunday, the donations are transferred to the families' GoFundMe pages. Then they're able to withdraw it with local money changers to buy food, medicine and other essentials.

The struggles she hears about firsthand are harrowing, but Di refuses to turn a blind eye, knowing she and other Kiwis can make a tangible difference.

One of the families she supports is led by 16-year-old Ahmed. His father is missing, so he's now responsible for supporting his two younger siblings and mother.