Nestled in the southern outskirts of Qatar’s capital Doha, a compound that houses around 700 Palestinians children, each carrying a dream that is shaped by loss, hope and resilience.
“I don’t have a dream before. I had a happy life in Gaza and I have nothing to be worried about.” said Sara al-Agha, 17.
Sara recalled her happy life living in Gaza. She lived with her parents and 5 siblings in Khan Younis before the war. The war did not just destroy her home, it also took the lives of her younger brother and sister, Yahya and Sama, who were 11 and 15 years old.
“I have a dream now. I want to be a civil engineer to rebuild Gaza.” Sara said. “I also want to travel and to see the world after the war. I want to go to Paris.”
Dreams are our hopes, our aspirations and our imagination of our future. However, for these Palestinian children who lived through the Israel’s war on Gaza, their dreams are something different.
Nosiba Mahmoud, 8, has a dream to pick up the strawberries at a garden which is newly built nearby their home in Gaza. She was waiting for the strawberries to grow. However, it is uncertain when she can go back to Gaza to pick the strawberries and meet her father and her two older sisters.
“I hope mommy and daddy can be together. I also want to have my own iPhone so that I can call my friends in Gaza. I miss the people in Gaza.” said Nosiba.
“I want to eat other Palestinian food in Gaza, especially shawarma. ”
The once innocent dreams of the Palestinians children have been altered by the cruelty of the violence. Dreams no longer a fantasy but a simple wish for a safe and peaceful future.
They are forced to grow up, perhaps too quickly.
The 7-year-old Maryam Ahmed FarajAllah once dreamed of being an obstetrician. Born through IVF and the first born in her family, Maryam is a precious gift to her family. She lived a beaufiul life with her parents and her 2-year-old brother in Al Nusirat until the war which took away her mother and her brother, as well as her right leg.
Maryam now wants to be a pediatrician to save children.
“I don’t want kids to suffer like me.” said Maryam. “I also hope that I will be able to walk with two legs in the future.”
Hasma al-Acqp, 12. His dream before the war is to be a photographer. She loves to capture every moment of her life in Gaza, especially the nature, because photos help her to keep the memory. She wants to be a journalist as well after the war, because she finds that journalist is important in telling people information.
Haya al-Barai, 16. Haya dreamed of being a journalist to share the stories Gaza, and raise the awareness about how the Israelis treat the people in Gaza. She becomes a paraplegic after the war. Her dream now is to be able to walk again.
(Left) Asham al-Haow, 14. Before the war, Asham dreamed of becoming a civil engineer, inspired by his father, who drove a truck used in street construction. His dream shifted slightly after the war. He wants to own a gas station now, just like his uncle. He and his family stayed at his unlce’s gas station after their home was destroyed in the airstrike. Asham also dreams of earning enough money so that he can buy two motorbikes and drive to the beach in Gaza. (Right) Ibrahim al-Haow, 10. Ibrahim dreamed of becoming a businessman like his grandfather, who runs a metal and aluminum business. Like his brother, he now wants to own a gas station and longs to return to the street outside his home in Gaza and visit a gas station called “Faris” once stood.
Rushi Abu al-Ross, 16. Rushi holds the same dream before and after the war to be an architect, which was inspired by her older sister who is an architect. He wants to design houses for others. But now he also wishes to build another house for his family, as theirs was destroyed in an airstrike.
Nosaiba Mahmoud, 8. Nosaiba wishes to visit the strawberry garden, which was newly built, and to pick strawberries there. She also aspires to become a teacher. Now her dream has changed. She wishes to have an iPhone to call her friends in Gaza. She also hopes her parents to be reunited. She longs to eat shawarma and other Palestinian food in Gaza.
Maryam Ahmed FarajAllah, 7. Maryam dreamed of becoming an obstetrician to deliver babies. She is a precious gift to her family as she was born through IVF, after her parents struggled for ten years to conceive. She understands the significance of children in a family even at her young age. She aspires to be be pediatrician after the war to save children. She does not want kids to suffer like her.
Omar Mohamed aref Dabbour, 15. He wants to be a programmer before the war and still hold on the same dream. He hopes to finish his study in Gaza. He has two more dreams now: to return to Gaza and Gaza can be the same as before, and buy a car to drive around in Gaza.
(Right) Lama al-Agha, 15. Her dream was to open an restaurant in Gaza, as she excels at cooking noodles and baking cake. Now Lama aspires to be a civil engineer so that she can help rebuild Gaza, making Gaza as beautiful as Doha. (Middle) Sara al-Agha, 17. Sara did not have any specific dream before the war, because she had a happy life in Gaza and nothing to be worried about. Now her dream is to be a civil engineer to rebuild her homeland. She also wishes to travel the world, particularly to Paris, to see Eiffel Tower. (Right) Leen al-Agha, 9. Leen shares the same dream before and after the war, which is to be a doctor to save people’s life. She also hopes to rebuild her home in Gaza.
Mohammad Alaa Abdelal Qarmout, 16. Before the war, Mohammad was an agriculture school student, living happily in Jabalia with his parents, three brothers and two sisters. He dreamed of becoming a veterinarian because of his love for animals. His backyard was filled with birds, cats and chickens. Although the war claimed the lives of his family, Mohammed still hold on to the same dream. He hopes to return to Gaza on day, buy a house and own a farm with animals when he returns to Gaza, even if he has to live alone.
Amina Ghanem, 14. Before the war, Amina dreamed of teaching people to dance Dabkeh, a traditional Palestinian group dance and she practised dance daily after school. Now she wishes to be a journalist to share the stories of her homeland, highlighting those who suffered from the war. She also hopes to reunite with her mum and brother in West Bank, as they separated for 5 years.