Duwaji reportedly designed the shirt using London-based fundraising platform Everpress, which allows creators to sell merchandise without paying upfront production costs. The design featured an illustration of a bird resting on a woman’s head alongside the Arabic phrase “Khair Ya Tair,” meaning “Good news, oh bird!”
The shirts sold for $47 each, and Duwaji promoted the campaign through her Instagram account while assuring supporters that all profits would go toward purchasing winter clothing for Palestinians in northern Gaza through Dahnoun Mutual Aid.
According to a source cited by The New York Post, the campaign generated approximately $2,000 in profits. Those funds reportedly remained inside Duwaji’s creator account on Everpress while the company waited for her to provide the banking information necessary to release the money.
According to the source, Everpress repeatedly attempted to contact Duwaji through both her personal email account and Instagram messages but never received the required information to complete the transfer.
“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 further claimed that employees continued making multiple attempts to reach Duwaji but were unsuccessful, leaving the proceeds untouched inside 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.”
New York City Hall pushed back against suggestions that Duwaji personally pocketed the money, arguing that she never had direct possession of the funds.
“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.”
That explanation, however, has raised additional questions because Everpress previously announced that it would cease operations amid financial difficulties.
Earlier this year, the company informed creators that it would shut down, citing economic pressures that made it impossible to continue operating.
“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.
The source told The Post that Duwaji’s fundraiser concluded in 2024, meaning she allegedly had close to two years to provide the necessary payment information before the platform announced its closure.
Meanwhile, an online fundraising page operated by Dahnoun Mutual Aid reportedly contains no record of a donation from Duwaji. The organization has raised more than $1.1 million toward its stated $2 million fundraising goal. Representatives for the charity did not respond to requests for comment from The New York Post.
In promoting the campaign, Duwaji described the symbolism behind the artwork and emphasized that buyers would be supporting humanitarian relief efforts.
“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 identified on the Everpress website as a “Syrian illustrator and animator based in Brooklyn, NYC.”
The profile further states:
“Using drawn portraiture and movement, Rama examines the nuances of communal experiences and sisterhood.”
While City Hall insists the funds remain with Everpress and will eventually be delivered to the intended charity, the unanswered questions surrounding the fundraiser have fueled criticism and renewed scrutiny over whether the donation process was handled appropriately. With Mamdani already facing intense examination over his political positions, the dispute surrounding his wife’s charity campaign is likely to remain in the spotlight as the mayoral race continues.
