A CRY OF LIFE IN GAZA
‘‘There is no life in Gaza’ is a common say in the strip. Hamas takeover 12 years ago has only aggravate the conditions of living of the 1.9 millions, living under a blockade that isolate them from the rest of the world. Two thirds of the population are young people, whose hopes are still unbroken, despite the fact that none can imagine how the future would look like. Many of them are not willing to give up their hopes, and continue to fuel their passions every day through art, music, sport and culture. Some of them have lost their family members and friends, some of them have lost their limbs, but still do their best to continue living the life they dream, with a passion that knows no boundaries.
In one of the hardest moment for Gaza, after more than one year since the Great march of return protest begun, these youngsters are a source of inspiration for each others and although their main desire is to leave, they are the living hope of the strip, challenging a future of broken dreams.
Night in Gaza. Lights in the building are switched off because of the lack of power. In some houses electricity only runs for 4 hours a day, unless someone can afford a generator.Out of the light of a car is coming by, Nas and Roger, friends from the ‘beach refugee camp’ are riding with their skateboard directed to the harbour of the city. The passion for skateboarding has united the two friends, who had gone through traumatic experiences on their recent past.
Two thirds of Gaza population is below 30. Teenagers constitutes the higher percentage of people, yet their possibilities of having a proper education and finding a job is very scarce. The youth unemployment rate is about 60% Families are very numerous and young people grow up living outside in the street. Sport activities, art, and culture are beneficial for young people to create a sense of community and to avoid falling into depression. Mental health experts say they have seen a significant increase in symptoms of psychological distress in recent years. In 2017, the number of psychiatric patients visiting government-affiliated mental health clinics rose by 69 percent compared with previous years, according to Gaza’s Al Mezan Center for Human Rights.
A boy with a gun toy at the beach on the side of Gaza’s beach refugee camp, one of the largest camps in the strip.It’s easy for young people in Gaza to get radicalised as a consequences of the frustration for a difficult life to live. In the camps, the main issues are the access to water, sanitation, and hygiene, as well as access to electricity and overcrowding. Gaza has one of the highest population density in the world. On average, some 5,479 people live on every square kilometre in the strip.
A girl riding a donkey in the norther neighbourhood of Beit Lahia, where the signs of the bombing and the destructions are evident. Beit Lahia is one of the poorest neighbourhood in the strip, bombed several times because of the closeness to the Israeli border of Erez. More than half of Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip live below the povertyline
Rajab jumping over the crowd of his friend on the day of his wedding.Rajab, was one of the first boys in Gaza to start skateboarding and he is now one of the most skilful skater. On YouTube he watches video of international skaters to improve his tricks with the hope that skateboarding will prosper in the strip.
Nas, 22 years old, has been one step close to death during the war in 2014. When he woke up on a hospital bed and asked the doctor where his friends were, he understood that he was the only survivor of his groups, hit by Israeli bombs. Thirteen of them had died. Nas had to spend several months in that hospital bed to recover from the wounds of the attack. Little after he left the hospital his mother also died.
Nas has not given up hope. On a wall on his house, he wrote down some of his dreams and parts of his identity. Sentences like ‘I love life’, ‘I am from Gaza’, ‘ I want to travel’.
He learned English by himself and some basic Italian and German.
Ali Tayeh, 29 years old, works as an accountant but every evening after work he returns on his painting. He dreams of moving to Italy, Spain or Germany, where some of the painter who mostly inspired him used to live.
Ali and his shoes full of colours, while working a graffiti on the male prison in Gaza city. His paintings deal with the identity of Palestinians, born in a nation without a state, in a besieged land, and therefore constantly questioning their identity.
In the spring of 2018, the protests at the border for the ‘Great march of return’ started, and one Friday Alaa and his friends joined the demonstration with their bicycles. Through these series of protest performed every Friday after the prayer, Palestinians ask for their rights of return to their original villages and cities that are now belonging to present-day Israel. That day Alaa was shot by the Israeli army on his leg which had to be amputated. More than 10,000 people have been wounded during the protest, 121 of them have lost a limb. 190 people including protesters, journalists, paramedics and minors have been killed so far according to the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories and Amnesty International.
Losing a leg could be a tragedy for anyone, but if you dream to be an International cyclist it is probably the worst nightmare that can happen. Alaa Al-Dali was shot by a small granade which almost disintegrated the bone of his leg, while he was at the border with his cyclist uniforms and his friends on his side. The muscle, arteries and veins were totally damaged. His doctor said he had never seen anything like this. Medical staff believe it was a miracle he did not suffer a hypovolemic shock due to the severe loss of blood pressure. His heart kept pumping just enough for him to survive, but his leghad to be amputated.
The story of Alaa got be known all around Gaza. It happens, sometimes, that some families invite Alaa for a tea. Here’s is Alaa praying at the house of a family who invited him one afternoon. Alaa is a devout muslim and regularly pray 5 times a day.
Alaa’s leg had to be amputated but he didn’t fell into despair. These were the hardest days of his life and it took him time to be ready to go ahead. His dream has always been to be a great cyclist. Al-Dali had quickly rose up the rankings of the local cycling scene, managing to reach second and third place among the best Palestinian cyclists. Then in 2018 he finally established himself as the best at the national cycling championship.
He was then selected with two other cyclists to represent Palestine internationally, starting with the Asian Games to be held in Jakarta soon afterwards in August 2018. That dream ended that day at the border, but despite the accident, Alaa Al-Dali has no idea of giving up his dream of being a champion.
Alaa al-Dali, leader of the Palestinian cycling team, is out training with Nedal Shaloof (on the left) and Ayman Zoroub(on the right), two of his team-mates that supported him in the hardest times, on the bumpy roads of Gaza.
The football team for people with disabilities training in Deir Al-Balah. Most of the players have been injured and amputated because of the Israeli shelling of the last years in Gaza.
Jumana preparing the weekly game against Al Aqsa team. It was not easy for her family to accept her choice of playing but now they are fine. Jumana is dreaming of a national Palestinian baseball team.
Jumana Shahin, 27 years old from Gaza, has started the first female baseball team in Gaza. Playing baseball has given the chance to many girls to meet up and challenge themselves.
The Paralympic female basketball team training at The Peace Sport Club for Person with Disabilities center in Gaza City. Some of them were injured during Israeli shelling, some others have natural disabilities.
Deema Jehad, which motto is 'if you want to be strong, learn how to fight along', practicing with the dance team of the Palestine Palace of Culture.
Raji Al-Jaru and 2 of the members of his rock band Osprey, the first rock band in Gaza, on the elevator. Raji says he loves playing in the elevator because of the way his guitar sounds.
Juju, 30 years old, parcour practicioner at the cemetery in Khan Yunis. People from Khan Yunis refugee camp started the first 'parcour' team and are training at a cemetary, the only space that fits for it. For them it became a way of self- expression and a continue motivation to improve, to be present and alive despite the troubles of the strip.
People from Khan Yunis refugee camp started the first 'parcour' team and are training at a cemetary, the only space that fits for it. For them it became a way of self- expression and a continue motivation to improve, to be present and alive despite the troubles of the strip.
