Be the Change

One of the people I interviewed passed away today...

2012-01-30T19:21:00.000-08:00

I've packed up my notebooks from Gaza in preparation for my move to DC tomorrow, so I'm going to be doing this short post from memory with little specific details, but that won't be that hard of a task since this particular story is etched in my mind. Maybe not the details, but the family, and the man....or boy....he was only 22....who passed away today. His name was Ahmed Al Assar and he had been diagnosed with epilepsy and a nervous system problem so severe that after 11 years, he was confined to a bed and could barely move. The expensive medications didn't work and his condition worsened over the years, leaving him in the state he was in today when he left the world. The most awful part of Ahmed's story is that when we sat and spoke with him, you could tell he could still understand everything we were saying and wanted to respond. His mind was still there, but it was trapped in a body that would no longer function. His hands and feet were crumpled and frozen in that state and when his brother would lift his arms, he would begin convulsing uncontrollably....his muscles atrophied and his nervous system not functioning.

When we arrived at Ahmed's simple home in Nuseirat, we sat with his mother, father, and siblings for awhile. We started out with lovely conversation about their family and life in Gaza, laughing and smiling as his little siblings played with our cameras and told us about themselves. When Ahmed's mother began to explain his situation, it was obvious how helpless she felt. They were poor and couldn't find work, like 45% of the residents of Gaza, left with no hope for money because of the Israeli siege. Without money, treating Ahmed was a constant challenge, and as we discussed his condition, I couldn't help but question the diagnosis and wonder that if he had been able to access the type of care we have available to us in the US if he would be in such a state. The worst part was that 2 of his brothers were beginning to have seizures as well and were being treated the same way Ahmed was....their mother worrying she was going to lose two more of her boys to their beds as well since Ahmed's treatment had never worked. I couldn't imagine being her today....watching one of her sons slip away and not being able to take care of the other two as she wondered when she might lose them to the same illness.

The poverty, the poor medical care, and eventual death that Ahmed faced might have been avoidable from my perspective. If not for the poor treatment of Palestinians...the occupation.....the siege.....the complete lack of regard for them as human beings by the Israeli government and much of the West.....things could be different The situation in Gaza could be completely different if they had they weren't under siege and dealing with a political disaster that has left 1 million of them permanent refugees. The people of Gaza are well educated, kind-hearted people who simply want a better life and all of these things are holding them back and slowly killing the population. It just isn't right.

The right words seem to be escaping me tonight, but ultimately, I'm just deeply saddened for Ahmed's family and am filled with concern for his two brothers who seemed so full of life, yet also with worry that their fate too could be sealed. I had to at least try to tell his story.

RIP Ahmed.

Ahmed with his mother and brother

One of Ahmed's brothers who is dealing with the same medical issues developing

Ahmed's parents - amazing how much they smiled despite all they were dealing with

Ahmed's parents and another of his brothers

Oxfam Gaza Update: Tragedy in Khan Younis

2012-01-16T11:24:00.000-08:00

Two more lives taken in Gaza as a result of the unfolding difficulties associated with Israel's illegal siege. The sewage issue in Gaza is a major problem not only because of situations like this, but because the waste is being dumped directly into the Mediterranean, causing a further environmental and health issue, simply because there is no where else to take it. Because of the siege, no sewage treatment plant can be built, nor can anything be done about the infrastructure because Israel won't let anything in. To make matters worse, the money for such a project simply isn't available. As a result you have an environmental and health crisis growing by the day and slowly taking lives in the process. This shouldn't be happening.

Tragedy in Khan Younis

Wesam Abu Sahloul, 5, and his sister Malak, 2, were playing with other children close to their home on 6 December 2011 when the siblings drowned in a sewage pond. The children lived in an area of Khan Younis that is not served by a municipal sewage collection system.

“I always felt fear for my children because of the sewage; they were my only children whom I brought to life after many years of trying,” their mother Fidaa Sahloul said. “Seeing them floating in the sewage tore my heart apart.”

Fidaa and her neighbours in Al Atatwa depend on cesspits to dispose of their sewage but they cannot always afford to have them professionally emptied. Residents instead discharge the sewage from their cesspits into an open area where a big and deep sewage pond has formed. The pond poses a serious public health threat to the neighbourhood and is a safety hazard, particularly for children, with similar accidents reported in the past. A three-year-old who fell in the same pond had to spend two months in intensive care and has been suffering from scabies ever since.

Residents have been complaining about the lack of sanitation services and the threats to the neighbourhood for the last 20 years but their complaints went unheeded.

“We need an end to this crisis; a dignified life with adequate sanitation services,” said Wasfiya Abu Sahloul, Wesam and Malak‟s grandmother. “We are faced day and night by the nasty smell and the mosquitoes, and it‟s worse in summer when we can‟t sleep at night from the mosquito bites. Our life has become unbearable here but we don‟t have any alternatives.”

Oxfam partner Palestinian Centre for Human Rights called for an investigation into the fatal accident and for the responsible parties to provide immediate protective measures around the sewage pool.

Text and picture: Ghada Snunu/EWASH

That Suit Isn't Going to Be Here When You Die

2012-01-12T10:57:00.000-08:00

People are constantly asking me why I do what I do. The simple answer is "because I should," but the more complex answer lies in a comment I made to a friend today after she posted an article about the Gates Foundation's contribution to a polo-free year in India:

I'd love to see more wealthy people doing their part. Too many of them love running around the globe and spending $10,000 on a suit. Why not save children's lives and better the world? That suit isn't going to be here when you die, but the next generation will.

That, right there, is why I do what I do and why I believe more people should be doing the same. I remember growing up thinking "I want to be the CEO of some huge international corporation and make lots of money and travel the world and have a big old house and lots of stuff!" While that's all well and good and I do believe those who work hard should enjoy the benefits of said hard work, why not give back as well? You make all this money, why not do something truly, truly, worthwhile with it?

I'm a girl who grew up comfortable. I'm from suburbia New Jersey and live in one of the richest counties in the country. My parents provided for me above and beyond what they needed to and still do sometimes. The money I've seen in my life thus far is insane. I'm surrounded by huge houses, BMWs, private schools, Amex cards with no limits, and designer clothes. I would be lying if I didn't tell you that I sometimes look at all of those things and go "Oohh pretty! Wouldn't it be nice?" but then I draw a line in my head and think "How many kids could I help with what that cost?" I think of the smiling faces of the hundreds of kids in Gaza who were able to receive school because of $17,000 worth of donations, and to me, those smiles are worth more than any of the shiny things I could covet at any moment. Those smiles, and knowing I helped to improve their life, even a one thousandth of a percent, is worth everything.

I've always wanted to help people, and that definitely comes from how I was raised. My family was always doing what they could for others, and many times, doing it quietly. It wasn't about recognition, but simply about doing good. The tipping point for me was in time spent overseas. Seeing the rest of the world and getting outside of my bubble made me realize that how I was living wasn't even remotely close to normal. Having seen more of the US as well now, I know its not even normal right here at home either. I made my first trip abroad when I was 14 and then 9/11 happened and my world was turned upside down. September 11th made me acutely aware of what poverty can drive people to take part in. Although I took a hard-line stance after that, I also still felt an extreme empathy toward those who were much less fortunate than me and simply trapped by circumstance. I'm the girl who cries at UNICEF commercials. My friend Maura can attest to the time I called her up crying because I had just seen a commercial for the 2004 tsunami victims. (She thought someone had died until, between gasping breaths I muttered, "the...the...kids....the the tsunami....its so sad!!!") I wanted to help, but I had no idea how. Then living in Cairo for five months in 2007 and seeing REAL poverty, sent my head spinning. Never in a million years, could I imagine seeing this in the US or imagine living on less than $2 per day. Then to go on to see what I saw in Palestine and and the Palestinian refugee camps in Jordan during that same trip left me feeling absolutely compelled to do something.

It's this same tipping point that I think is missing in the US. Those in this country who are struggling, have an excuse. They have their own lives to focus on....their own problems....their own poverty even. But those living a comfortable life have no excuse except ignorance and their inability to look outside their bubble. How can you sit back and spend exorbitant amounts of money on things that make your life more and more cushy, yet not give back? And when I say give back, I don't necessarily imply giving abroad. You need to find your passion and what is important to you, but you need to be doing something more. Period. The clothes, the house, the cars, the gossip, the bullshit, isn't going to be here 100 years from now, but your legacy can be. The children you help could grow up and cure cancer or be the next Gandhi or Bill Gates or Steve Jobs or Mother Theresa or whomever else you could think of that could make great contributions to our world. Your great-great-great-great grandchildren won't be able to play with your BMW, but they will be able to live in a polio free world or a world where there is actually peace.

This is why I do what I do. I believe in a better world and I believe that we can't stand around and wait for other people to make it better. We have to take matters into our own hands and do something. If you can go volunteer, awesome! If you can only give $5, amazing! If you have deep pockets and can give thousands of dollars, you may have just saved hundreds of lives. Enjoy your own life. Enjoy the material things and the luxuries you are able to afford, but make sure there is a balance there. I got a Michael Kors bag for Christmas and I absolutely love it. It's pretty, it's functional, and it's kinda nice to have a really good bag for once, but I've also sat here numerous times since getting it, wondering what I could have done with the $250 it cost, and then turned around and kept moving forward with all the volunteer work I do. This is what I mean by balance. You shouldn't be penalized for gifts or for working hard and earning wealth, but you should, without question, always think of others and give what you can. That suit or car or purse or wild night out in New York City isn't going to be here when you die, but the impact you have on people's lives, your legacy, could be. The one child you help tomorrow could be the one child who grows up into the one person who is able to bring peace to the world. Think about that the next time you make a big purchase, and ask yourself what you're going to do to balance it out.

Oxfam Gaza Weekly Update: A Baby Is Gone

2011-12-30T10:48:00.000-08:00

I'm going to begin posting the weekly updates from Oxfam-Gaza which I receive via email, as they are not currently appearing on their website and are a great way to understand the situation on the ground. It's the best re-reporting I can do from outside of Gaza, so here's the update this week, courtesy of Karl Schemrbi.

This story in particular broke my heart because it was completely avoidable. My father suffers from kidney disease and because we're in the US he is able to get the dialysis he needs daily....at home....keeping him alive. While in Gaza, I visited the dialysis unit at Shifa Hospital and saw machines that were a decade old, people on shifts at 2 am because there are too many patients and not enough machines, and machines that were unusable because Israel wouldn't let parts into Gaza. To top it off, patients, old and young, would lose blood when the electricity would cut and the power would surge as the generators kicked on, stopping the machines momentarily and clotting the blood passing through the machine leaving it unusable. This is dangerous. This is inhumane. There is NO excuse for denying medical treatment to ANYONE. This, right here, is collective punishment. It cannot, and should not, be tolerated.

I'll be writing more on my time at Shifa soon, but until then, here's the latest from Oxfam....

Seven-month-old Adham Baroud is seen here at the Al Rantissi Children‟s Hospital‟s in Gaza City‟ suffering from acute chronic renal failure while he was waiting for permission from the government of Israel to be able to travel for treatment.

The permit never came – Adham died at around 1am on 26 December. He was referred to Israel for emergency treatment by his doctors in Gaza on 1 December. By the 19th, when this photo was taken, Adham was described by doctors at the hospital‟s Intensive Care Unit as “terminal”.

Acting Hospital Director Dr Mustafa Al Aqila told Oxfam that Adham was referred to Israel after a catheter inserted four months earlier in a previous operation in Israel got infected. The boy was born suffering from congenital renal problems requiring specialised treatment that is unavailable in Gaza.

“Adham needed immediate surgery and we couldn‟t provide that kind of service in Gaza,” Dr Al Aqila said. “We waited for Israel‟s permission to send him for treatment, like we did in the past, but the more time passed the more complicated his situation became.”

“We want to expand our services but the siege limits our development,” Dr Al Aqila said.

While emergency beds for patients waiting for permission to travel for treatment may not always be immediately available in Israeli hospitals, Israel, as the occupying power, is obliged under international law to ensure the welfare of Palestinian civilians whenever the existing resources do not suffice.

At the moment, the Gaza Strip is also suffering from a serious shortage of kidney dialysis filters that is putting the lives of 450 Palestinians, including 15 children, at risk.

This problem is also related to the lack of coordination between the Ramallah-based health ministry, which is responsible for ordering and sending medical supplies to Gaza, and its counterpart in Gaza.

Renal dialysis filters are essential for the cleansing of kidneys, and patients normally require two to three dialysis rounds a week.

“Kidney dialysis is a cycle. If you take out one element, the treatment cycle is stopped, and that compromises everything,” Dr Al Aqila said.

Last week, around 960 filters were sent from the West Bank to Gaza, an emergency measure that allowed dialysis rounds to continue, but the problem will remain unless thousands are shipped to the enclave soon. The same problem has existed for other medical disposables and medicines throughout this year, imposing an ongoing medical crisis in Gaza.

Oxfam partner the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) called on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to intervene urgently and get the health ministry in Ramallah to supply the blood filters to Gaza immediately. According to PCHR, there are currently 178 types of medicines and 190 types of medical consumables that are out of stock at Gaza‟s health facilities.

“PCHR warned of the impact of the shortage of medicines on the lives of patients in the Gaza Strip, but the crisis has not improved and it has re-emerged with the shortage of medicines necessary for renal diseases,” the centre said, adding that long-term coordination between the two governments was now an urgent priority, especially under the current atmosphere of political reconciliation.

Text and picture: Karl Schembri/Oxfam

**The full report includes stats on the humanitarian situation. If you'd like to be added to Oxfam's distribution list, let me know**

#GazaLives

2011-12-27T10:04:00.000-08:00

A friend in Gaza told me that I should write something on Gaza since I've lived there and it's the third anniversary of Operation Cast Lead, but to be honest, I'm struggling. I could never feel what my friends there have felt. The pain....the suffering....the sheer terror of total warfare. No where to run and hide, no way to fight back. I can't even begin to imagine it. It's heart wrenching and downright painful to even hear the stories, let alone live them. So what can I say?

I will never forget watching the invasion of Gaza and feeling my heart physically break. I was still somewhat new to this whole "Palestine thing" and had been in the West Bank just a year earlier, witnessing, for the first time, what occupation meant. Transforming my opinions from pro-Israel to pro-justice, human rights, and peace. I was torn to shreds by what I saw there and instantly compelled to do more. Now, a year later, I was standing in the Newseum in Washington, DC, in front of its massive screen, watching re-runs of Obama's speeches, when suddenly, CNN broke through with the news that Gaza was being invaded. I was with a friend, and it took all of my strength not to collapse onto the floor in tears. We'd been glued to the TV watching the lead up to this....the bombing.....the horror of bodies obliterated....and we knew this was coming.....but the news hit me like a speeding train. I knew this meant a massacre. It was already underway, and I thought this was the nail in Gaza's coffin. I was terrified for the people there and could only think of the families and incredible people I'd met in the West Bank who had compelled me to where I was in that moment. They deserved so much more than this.

Fast forward to April and I found myself sitting in a lecture at NYU given by Dr. Mads Gilbert. He had been on the ground, treating patients in Shifa Hospital during Cast Lead, and hearing his words, listening as he described, in nauseatingly graphic detail, the mutilated bodies, the screaming mothers, the shocked children begging for their fathers. The pictures left me so distraught, I could barely breathe, and after the lecture, I quietly asked Mads for his card, not knowing that it was in that moment that I would find my inspiration and support to go to Gaza myself.

I first entered Gaza a year after the invasion and what I saw, was sadly, exactly what you would expect. A sealed off world, completely devastated by the despicable crimes against humanity that the IDF had committed. Bombed out buildings everywhere. Families reeling from what they had survived. I met the Samouni family and found myself in one of their homes, staring at hate-filled graffiti left behind on their walls, while holding Narmeen Samouni's hand and choking back tears. The incredible part of all of this was that these people still had hope and still welcomed me with tea and smiles. Sharing their stories with strength and courage I could only dream of. I was completely in awe, but this was Gaza.

It has been three months since my last journey to Gaza, which lasted three months this time, instead of three days. I now feel like I know Gaza....at least what one can know in three months. I know the goodness of the people....the strength, courage, generosity, hospitality, love, and hope. I know that Israel tried to break them 3 years ago today and continues to try to break them daily with the siege and drones and air strikes and navy ships, but I also know that the people of Gaza are some of the most incredible people in the world, and their spirit can never be broken. You can kill their families, starve them, destroy their homes, schools....everything; but they will carry on....heads held high....because they know they deserve more and because they constantly fill their lives and those around them with hope for a better future.

In a place where the children don't dream of becoming famous, but instead dream of becoming doctors, lawyers, and engineers so they can help their people, I have no doubt that a better future awaits. It is, however, up to us, the international community, to ensure that Israel never again, brings its iron fist down on Gaza, suffocating and massacring the children with their dreams and Gaza's hope. I made a promise to myself the day that I met Narmeen Samouni, as I sat in the back of a bus sobbing once we'd left, that I would do whatever I could not to let her or the other children of Gaza continue to suffer, and I reaffirmed that promise to myself a few months ago when I got to see her again and spent a couple of wonderful afternoons with her and her cousins. We cannot let Gaza's hope die at the hands of war criminals. We must speak up, and be sure their voices are heard, every...single...day, so that the world knows that next time, no one will stand silent. Today...and always....Gaza lives.

Me and Narmeen during my first trip to Gaza

Me and Mousheera with some of the Samouni children (and Narmeen in bright green to my right)

Ehab Tulba, 10, son of a fisherman

Boy looking through the grate of an UNRWA container school in Nuseirat

Girls celebrating after the Parachute World Record

Boys enjoying the UNRWA Summer Games

From a previous post: "Faiza's nephew (holding the truck and animal we gave him) is around 2 and now may never speak again. He was playing in the home and tripped on some of the rubble, falling and splitting his tongue. He needed 12 stitches and because of the nature of the injury, has not spoken since and may not be able to regain the ability. The aftermath of a bombed out home being a child's only playground."

Boy in the Khan Younis Co-Ed Elementary School

Reflections on Gaza begin....

2011-09-25T08:25:00.000-07:00

Sitting here reflecting on my time in Gaza is both challenging and bitter sweet. I met so many amazing people and did so many incredible things, that I know there will always be a special place in my heart for Gaza and its residents. The challenges faced as well, leave me feeling an odd sense of freedom and relaxation now that I’ve left though, and leave me wondering if I would have made it staying there for the long haul like I considered at one point. Perhaps if I’d been more consumed by an actual job it would have been a different feeling, but those moments of idleness and the inability to be fully myself, and fully independent, are what made it difficult.

Despite that, I will forever miss the beauty of the people and the simplicity of life, and don’t honestly think you can experience such warmth and openness elsewhere. My last few weeks in Gaza really stand out when I think about this and I think about the family I had the opportunity to share them with. They were beyond wonderful and welcomed me as soon as I walked in their door. At a point in my time in Gaza where the stress of daily life and some of the dramas that come from living in a place where society is closed off from the world by a siege, this family made me feel safe and secure…loved and cared for. I’m forever, forever, grateful for them, and that is what I will miss about Gaza. The countless cups of tea, the moments of laughter with those I was meeting with and those who welcomed me into their homes to share their stories and their lives.

Nothing about Gaza is easy. The electricity cuts, the airstrikes, the strain of feeling imprisoned by the siege, and at times the conservative society, the salty showers when all you wanted was a fresh cool shower to cleanse yourself of the dirt and stress of the day to day. The security concerns and the knowledge that someone was always watching your every move left me feeling like I had to retreat at times. But when I could let go of that, and do what I was there to do, life in Gaza was beautiful. I will never ever forget what I have seen and heard and am in awe of the strength and resilience of the people I met and those I didn’t even have the opportunity to meet. Their stories and their hopes and dreams are what I will share. I’m inspired by them all.

Gaza is so complex and it is going to take me weeks to truly reflect on all I’ve learned from it and to understand fully how it has impacted my life. Today, for the first time, I woke up from a nap in Cairo, and breathed in fully and relaxed with my independence restored. Now the thoughts are flowing into my mind and I’m trying to make sense of everything and completely see what my full purpose was, as I know my time there was just one step in a journey and one piece of what I now owe to Gaza and to the world. Some of life in Gaza was shared in my blog, and I can only hope it opened people’s minds and hearts to the reality of the situation they face and what we, as Americans, have done to create it. There is so much more, though, and by no means have I done all of what I need to do to repay Gaza, which welcomed me, and allowed me the chance to understand. My life will never be the same.

Give a man a fish....

2011-09-19T09:28:00.000-07:00

I'm normally not a big proponent of aid. I don't think it always helps, and can actually be counter-productive at times. The saying, "give a man a fish, he eats for a day, but teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime," always comes to mind when considering it. There are certain instances when it can be a vital part of life and a necessary component of development; however, and I saw this first hand over the last week while visiting an UNRWA school in Khan Younis, where over 2000 students from the Khan Younis Girls Prep C and the Khan Younis Co-Ed Elementary attend classes on a double shift – the girls in the morning, and the co-ed elementary in the afternoon.

This school is one of the poorest in the UNRWA school system in Gaza, with over 50% of students being classified as abject poor, meaning they come from families that are no longer able to feed themselves, even with UNRWA assistance, and typically survive on less than 1 USD per day. They are the poorest of the poor here in Gaza and many of the families have been driven to this point because of the lack of employment and the stagnant economy, which is a direct result of the Israeli siege. Now, the students depend on the School Feeding Program implemented by UNRWA through its Emergency Appeal for sustenance, and are about to lose this lifeline due to lack of funding.

The School Feeding Program provides basic food for the students, and while it is not a huge meal, it is a help, and takes a bit of the burden off of the parents, filling the bellies of hungry children in Gaza so that they can get the education they deserve. These children who may go hungry at home, now have the opportunity to eat before their classes, which can drastically impact their ability to learn. It is something that the students and their families have become dependent on, until the siege is eased and the economic situation can improve.

The importance of the program truly struck me while I was speaking with the principal of the Girls Prep School after she informed me that the School Feeding Program has been on hold since the beginning of the school year because funds are not available. The result has been one or two students fainting during the school day, - every day - since the beginning of the month, and numerous students complaining of hunger related headaches.

These kids deserve so much more than this. They are victims of circumstance, and have dreams bigger than most of the children I know in the US. While conducting interviews of over 35 students in both schools, the one question I asked that repeatedly shocked me by the answers I received was “What do you want to be when you grow up and why?” The vast majority of the children wanted to be doctors and engineers and teachers, and all for the same reason: they wanted to help their people. Where else do children have dreams like this? In the US, where 90% of kids do not go to school hungry, or face abject poverty of this level, the children want to be famous celebrities or singers or reality TV stars. As Americans, we take this all for granted. In Gaza, kids just simply want their lives to improve…somehow. If the way to begin this process is through a simple meal before school so that they can focus, and learn, and achieve their dreams, I can’t, for the life of me, understand how we cannot support it.

For more information and a chance to donate visit American Friends of UNRWA: http://friendsunrwa.org/our-programs/education

BOOM!

2011-08-18T19:13:00.000-07:00

We all knew it was coming. We knew we'd be hit hard tonight. As soon as the news from Israel broke....the first attack on the bus....I KNEW Gaza was in for it. Whether or not anyone from here had actually even carried out the attack, we were going to feel Israel's wrath. We're an easy scapegoat. Seal up the borders, keep the media quiet, and have some fun...

Rafah, in the south, was hit first, before sundown and 7 were killed, including a child and the leader of the Popular Resistance Committee. Then we got reports of tanks on the border, and by the time iftar (the breaking of the fast at sundown during Ramadan) came around, we were all braced for more. F16s and drones were overhead all evening, but that was it. Nothing more. I spent most of the night staring at my screen between conversations with friends....tweeting and Facebooking trying to make sure someone....anyone....was paying attention when all hell broke loose. I was fighting off rumors about an UNRWA evacuation and then trying to confirm whether or not the US embassy in Tel Aviv had told Americans to leave Gaza....the former not being true and the latter being true.

Finally, just before midnight, my friends walked me home from the cafe we were hanging out at, and within 20 minutes, the bombing had begun. As soon as I opened my computer, I was reading reports of strikes all over Gaza, but especially in Gaza City. Then the electricity went out and suddenly BOOM! boom boom! I shreeked in terror as I felt a gush of air rush through the window I had cracked open hours before (thank God!!) and felt the ground shake under me. Still shaking, I grabbed my phone, called one of my friends and proceeded to just go "holy shit! that was so close! holy shit!" repeatedly as we both laughed. He was laughing with me out of amusement because this was normal to him and I was laughing out of panic because I didn't know what else to do and desperately didn't want to cry. I knew in that moment, why people here are so angry with Israel and with the US. If nothing else, this was terrifying! And try having it happen repeatedly just because some jerk you don't even know decided to fire off a rocket or carry out some pointless attack in the southern part of Israel....and not be able to run away from it. We're trapped here. There is nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.

I'd felt strikes before, but nothing so close that I felt the air pressure go nuts and thought the windows would explode. It finally hit me what it was like to be here. I watched the images unfold on TV of women and children, covered in dust, being brought into the ER of Shifa Hospital, where I had been just a couple days ago collecting information and conducting interviews for a piece on the health crisis. It was surreal in a way....but it also left me feeling frustratingly helpless. I'm here. I'm an American, on the ground, in Gaza, as it's being bombed like mad, and there was absolutely nothing I could do. I could tweet. I could report. I could absorb it all. But that was it. What could I have possibly done to save the life of the 13 year old who died 15 minutes from where I live? What could I have done to comfort the mother I saw screaming on TV carrying her injured child to an ambulance? All I have for now are my words. So please take them, share them, and understand that innocent lives are being lost. Every Palestinian killed today is a human being too. One life lost is too many. I don't care who you believe is right or wrong. This is life and death.....there's no room for politics anymore.

My most retweeted tweet tonight....

@JuliaCHurleyJulia C. Hurley

I'm officially in hell. TV screen filled with death. Bombing next to my house. F16s & drones overhead. Welcome to #Gaza. Thanks #Israel...

2 hours ago via web

We're still here screaming....even after 15 hours of silence....

2011-08-10T07:12:00.000-07:00

Can you imagine living in New Jersey and having the federal government tell you that you couldn’t go to New York City for a lifesaving medical procedure?

Welcome to Gaza.

Welcome to siege. Welcome to the crux of it….the lack of freedom….of movement….of all of the things that we as Americans take deeply for granted. The siege isn’t just about the humanitarian crisis unfolding, with 80% of the population living on less than 2 USD per day and 45% unemployed, or the desperately needed medical supplies not being allowed in. It is about the basic human rights and freedoms that Israel and Egypt, in a sense as well, are denying Gazans. They can’t get in, they can’t get out. Mail can’t get in or out. A tunnel economy has unfolded as the only means of real survival, thus destroying Gaza’s actual economy. This. This is siege. It is the slow, methodical closing off of an entire population from the world….a slow choking of the life out of the 1.7 million people living here.

Last night, we experienced a complete and utter siege as our last whisper to the world was cut…we lost internet, mobile phones, and international land lines. The cause is still unknown, as the Israelis have continued to deny, but it is being speculated that an Israeli bulldozer digging on the border hit a communications line, severing Gaza’s ties to the world for over 15 hours. At first we thought nothing of it. Must have been some sort of small glitch and it would be back on soon. But hours later, when I finally went to bed last night, windows cracked in case of bombing, and a flashlight next to the bed since we’d been running on a generator with no electricity for almost 24 hours, I was nervous. I live alone and could no longer reach anyone…even inside Gaza. I truly and deeply felt like a prisoner.

Worst case scenarios have now been the topic of discussion on Twitter all day as we all try to figure out what happened. Israel wanted a media blackout during the last war so that the world wouldn’t know what they were doing…much like Syria right now….but people were still able to get word out with communications open. Was this a test run to finally shut us up? Close us off completely? Not even a whimper of despair could be heard now. If they struck, it could be a massacre, and the world wouldn’t know until it was too late. The internet and mobile phones are our lifeline. The only way the world knows Gaza is still alive. The only way we can still shout that the world must pay attention. If that is cut for any length of time, there is no telling what could happen. That was the fear gripping Gaza as we went to sleep last night.

In an email home this morning, I compared the relationship between Israel and Gaza to a case of domestic violence. That may seem like an extreme, but I don’t know how else to explain this to the outside world. Gaza is the battered wife and Israel, the abusive husband. You go to sleep every single night wondering when they will strike again and how hard. Wondering if you will wake up alive the next day. Wondering if something is going to piss Israel off enough to wake you up from your slumber and drunkenly beat you down with all their might. We just sit here and take it, and take it, and take it, and every now and then, someone musters a bit of strength and fires a rocket** back trying to say “enough!” Then we’re beaten down even harder. There is no winning here. I wonder sometimes if this truly is going to end like many instances of domestic violence when the husband will finally go over the edge and kill his wife. Will Israel finally lose its cool enough to choke the last breath out of Gaza? Was last night the test run? It seems like just a matter of time….

**Please note that I do not support violence in any form. I understand why the rockets are being fired, but do not condone them nor do I feel they are a useful form of resistance, particularly due to the fact that they are completely unguided and do not usually hit military targets.

Palestine’s Future in the Hands of the Youth: A Spotlight on Camps Breakerz

2011-08-09T05:18:00.000-07:00

In most places in the world, it is important for people, particularly the youth, to have an outlet…a chance to escape reality for a bit…to do something they love and that they are passionate about. In a place like the Gaza Strip, where there has been an Israeli imposed siege since 2006, and which has been under constant assault since, this is even more important. The economic situation is incredibly difficult with 80% living on less than 2 USD per day and 45% of the 1.7 million people unemployed. As if this were not enough, people are literally trapped, unable to travel in and out of this coastal enclave that is just twice the size of Washington, DC, for medical treatment, work, education, or even a simple vacation.

It was under these circumstances that the guys of Camps Breakerz came together and found their escape through break dancing. The group was founded in 2004 by Ahmed Ismail, also known as Pipeboy, and Mohammed Al Ghraiz, or Funk, who had both come back to Gaza after studying in Saudi Arabia together. They are the first of their kind in Gaza and have learned almost all of their moves via Youtube and the internet, making their skills even more remarkable. Camps Breakerz now has nine official members – or “bboys of Palestine” – ranging in age from 14 to 27, who perform on a regular basis, run their workshops and train the nine youth who have stuck with Camps Breakerz for training, hoping to emulate their trainers who have become like hometown heroes to them.

Camps Breakerz training space

Life in the Camps

According to UNRWA (The UN Reliefs and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees), the Gaza Strip is home to 1,167,361 refugees, with just over half of this population living within eight refugees camps scattered throughout the Strip. The members of Camps Breakerz are primarily from Nuseirat Camp in the middle of Gaza, with a few living in other camps, but all share the bond of being refugees and understanding the difficulties of life within a camp. Their name comes from this common bond they share and the fact that they were “made inside the camps” where people tend to think they are useless and trapped, but Camps Breakerz wanted to show otherwise. They wanted to “break” the stereotypes and represent Gaza in a positive way.

This messaging is also a major part of the goals of Camps Breakerz…the chance to show the world that they are more than what they are perceived to be. “We are always [seen as] violent terrorists. I hate this. Most people think the wrong way,” said Ahmed, as he explained why they want to break down the barriers of narrow-mindedness with break dancing. It is Camps Breakerz way of showing the world that they are human too and want peace just like everyone else. As one of the bboys, Ahmed Al Ghraiz, or Shaark, put it, Camps Breakerz is about “Making dance, not war.” Another member, Fahed Abu Nemer (aka Puma), followed this up saying “A lot of people think Gaza is all about war, but we show something different.”

Aside from simply trying to show their own humanity to the world, Camps Breakerz also focuses on trying to show what daily life is like for them and their fellow citizens. Their performances include pieces of drama that highlight life here. Most recently, they included imagery related to the reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah in their performances. This is part of their own outlet as well, giving them a chance to free themselves from the daily grind in Gaza. “When I dance, I feel special because there are no [other] dancers in Gaza. I forget the war. I forget everything,” said Shaark. Puma explained that dance and the support of Camps Breakerz even helped him to cope with his mother’s death. “Dance gives me life,” he said. The guys have formed a sort of fraternity…a brotherhood…that holds them all together and helps them to make it through the most difficult of times.

Inspiring the Youth of Gaza

The focus of Camps Breakerz has been almost entirely on the youth here. Inspiring them, and hoping to change their thinking so that ultimately the youth will turn to something constructive, like dance, rather than violence. They also want to instill a sense of pride in the kids they work with and perform for, and based on reactions at a recent performance at an UNRWA Summer Games Family Day, they are doing a great job. Nahed Kalaja, 12, and Hossam Jibiri, 13, who attended the performance stood in awe as Camps Breakerz did their routine, and they were eager to share their excitement about the performance, both saying they wish they could dance like that. They also said they were proud of Camps Breakerz and that watching them perform made them feel like they could hold their heads high. It is this sense of pride that is ever more important to instill in the youth in Palestine so that they do not turn to violence or lose hope for their future.

The reaction of Nahed and Hossam is what Camps Breakerz hopes to illicit from the youth here in Gaza that they are able to reach. They run workshops whenever they can, and offer free shows sometimes as well, hoping to inspire the next generation of bboys of Palestine. They have formally trained about 80 boys, ages 7 to 14, during eight workshops they have held in total thus far, and have about nine who have really stuck with it, and who they continue to train. They want to train girls too, but thus far, have not been allowed, as it is frowned upon by the conservative government and society in Gaza. The bboys blamed this more on the government’s lack of understanding about what they do than anything else, but the government here, certainly has not been their biggest fan.

Despite the cultural challenges of making sure break dancing is seen as acceptable to their community, Camps Breakerz continues to train a younger generation of break dancers who obviously deeply admire their trainers. When Suhaib and Anas, twins, age nine, and Islam, 12, three of the nine boys Camps Breakerz train on a regular basis, were asked what they wanted to be when they grew up, they all had dreams of good, solid occupations, but that was second to wanting to be a break dancer. Islam even said he wanted to be like Shaark, and be a nurse as well as a trainer. Comments like this show what a strong and positive impact Camps Breakerz has had on the youth within their community already.

“War didn’t stop us. Bboy never die”

One of the most incredible things about Camps Breakerz is their resilience. The siege, the economic challenges, life in the camps…nothing seems to be able to hold them back…including war. During Operation Cast Lead in December 2008/January 2009, these dedicated bboys danced through the bombing, explaining that they even began using the beat of the bombs falling as a beat to dance to. “That’s Gaza life,” they said with a laugh. There is so much truth to this statement, and break dancing, and the familial bond they have formed as a team, is their way of coping with “Gaza life.”

The siege has also made the dreams of Camps Breakerz much more of a challenge. When the bboys want to get out and share their message with the world, or learn more moves for their routine, they are faced with the fact that the Gaza Strip is a virtual prison due to the siege imposed by Israel and the tight border restrictions imposed by Egypt to the south. They recently got the chance to travel to Jerusalem and Jordan via the Erez border crossing with Israel, but that was only because of the intervention of the US Embassy who had them perform at the US embassy and a US Academy in Amman. Without such help, that trip would never have been possible. There have been other opportunities for the guys to venture out of Gaza and share their talent with the world, but they have been squashed by border restrictions or lack of funding. They are hoping to make their second trip out in October, this time to Italy, but are currently playing the waiting game while visas are processed. Even then, their exit is not guaranteed.

The siege also restricts movement into the Strip, particularly of goods, which has left Camps Breakerz without proper equipment to train, including mats and mirrors, things most break dancing teams outside of Gaza could easily access. They were fortunate enough to get new shirts, shoes, and a few cameras after the last Flotilla, but it is not enough to sustain them long term. They have dreams of building a proper facility for training and running workshops, since right now they squeeze into a small open room in one of their homes or struggle to find space to perform, but that will not even be remotely possible until the siege is lifted and simple building materials are allowed into Gaza, let alone the other equipment they need. The siege has also restricted power into the Strip, leaving the bboys training without electricity much of the time, and using the music off of their cell phones. This is, yet again, a testament to the dedication of Camps Breakerz to their art.

The Next Generation of Bboys

Aside from their dedication to their own training, the bboys of Camps Breakerz have committed themselves to making break dancing a part of the culture here in Gaza. They have shown off their moves at performances all over the Strip, and have been focused on getting their message out to the world in whatever ways they can, including through video conferences with Ireland, the US, France, and others, and a video shot by UNRWA for their “Peace Starts Here” Campaign. They have even managed to connect with some Israeli break dancers, bridging the divide between the two people by way of dance, although they have not been able to meet yet thanks to the siege.

The next step for Camps Breakerz is already in the works, as they have been focused on training teams in the northern, middle, and southern parts of the Gaza Strip. The hope is to spread break dancing and have teams which can compete with each other throughout Gaza. The guys want to empower their fellow citizens through break dancing so that they can positively contribute to changing the situation and share with the world, what Gaza is all about.

Camps Breakerz has also inadvertently become a type of therapy for the bboys and the youth they train. With all they face on a regular basis, and the psychological scars of war taking their toll on the population of Gaza, break dancing is a new coping mechanism. Suhaib, Anas, and Islam, three of the young boys training with Camps Breakerz, were asked about their experiences during Operation Cast Lead and what break dancing has meant to them since. All three talked about the horrors of war and how break dancing has been an escape for them…a bit of therapy. Anas spoke of watching houses being bombed while people were in them, and said that, “while dancing, I forget this.” Ismail had a similar response saying that he “forgets everything” when he’s dancing. Camps Breakerz is vital source of therapy and inspiration for these boys and the others they have been able to train. Their dancing has gone far beyond simple entertainment and enjoyment for themselves, and has now become an integral part of helping Gaza to move forward and out of the shadow of war.

The guys warming up before a training session

Ultimately, Camps Breakerz goals and aspirations are quite simple and resonate through all of the work they already do, with the potential for so much more. The bboys of Palestine want to spread their art in Gaza, inspire their community, and promote cultural exchange. “It’s a simple dream. [We want to] live in peace and stick together,” said Ahmed. Of course the guys would love to be famous break dancers or win Arabs Got Talent, but their real dreams are much nobler, and simply talking to Camps Breakerz leaves one with hope for a brighter future. Their break dancing is about something much greater than themselves: it is about inspiring the next generation of Palestinians to take pride in themselves and to change their circumstances for the better through peace and the exchange of ideas through art. If Camps Breakerz is any indication of what the next generation has in mind for Palestine, there is no doubt that things will get better. There is hope!

Next Generation of Bboys from Julia Hurley on Vimeo.

Anas, Suhaib, and Islam showing over their skills

Video of recent trip to Jordan

For more information:

Camps Breakerz Website

Visit Camps Breakerz Facebook Page
Camps Breakerz on Youtube

campsbreakerzcrew@gmail.com

The Tunnels at Rafah: Gaza's underground economy...literally....

2011-07-21T03:20:00.000-07:00

Six thousand US dollars per month. Seventy-two thousand US dollars per year. An extra comfortable salary for someone living in the United States and an absolute dream for someone from Gaza where the unemployment rate stands at approximately 45% according to the UN. This is what one tunnel owner has been able to make monthly after paying his workers - six on five hour shifts making about 100 shekel per day - and taxes to the Hamas government in Gaza. I met with *Mohammed in his lovely home in Rafah a few weeks ago and spoke to him about life as a tunnel owner.

Area around one of the tunnels we visited. Other tunnels clearly visible in the background

I could tell business was good when I walked into the front entrance of Mohammed's home and saw beautiful new marble floors and a patio set waiting for us under a translucent roof, shielding us from the hot sun in the lovely little garden. Mohammed is only 27 and began as a worker in one of the tunnels, now graduating to a tunnel owner after saving up enough money to build his own four years ago. He explained that all that was necessary to set up a tunnel was a contact on the Egyptian side, land, and money...to the tune of $300 per meter for an 800+ meter tunnel...approximately $240,000+. Mohammed’s tunnel is 2 ½ to 3 meters high (between 8 and 9 feet), and runs about 15 meters deep. You can actually walk through it standing up (although I did not get the chance to try). Truly an amazing undertaking when you consider the situation here in Gaza and what is available to these men to build the tunnels.

Entrance to one of the tunnels

The tunnel business in Gaza apparently began in 1998 and was started by someone known as the “Mouse” or the “Rat” (depending on who translates for you). The Rat originally opened his tunnel out of frustration. The Israelis controlled the border and as such, he was not able to exit and visit family in Egypt, so he built a tunnel. The tunnel quickly became a tool for trafficking drugs, weapons, etc. earning them the negative reputation they now have. The Rat has apparently made tens of millions on his tunnel, and Mohammed suggested he was worth around $20 million today. Apparently, the Rat had actually been caught by the Egyptians and was in prison for the last two years, but with the Revolution and the change in government, he was able to pay someone off to let him out…the bribe costing him $5 million. This is all, of course, speculation and rumor, in a business that is full of mystery and secrecy. We were not even allowed to visit Mohammed’s tunnel, nor was I allowed to share his name, since it could spell danger for him and his family.

Tools of the trade: the radio used to communicate with workers inside the tunnel

More tools of the trade. These tubes are used to transport gravel for building through the tunnels using a pulley system.

The tunnels are not really secret at all, however. They are out in the open – hundreds of them – covered by torn up tents and surrounded by massive mounds of dirt. With approximately 200-250 on the border, they are a bit difficult to hide, and this number is only a quarter of the original tunnels that existed prior to Cast Lead, many having been destroyed in the invasion or by strikes at other times. The reasoning behind the secrecy seemed to have more to do with what the government here makes off of the tunnels than anything else. By imposing the siege on Gaza, Israel has actually empowered Hamas and enabled them to rake in millions of dollars per month in taxes on the tunnels, and through the electricity they provide them. According to Mohammed, the government will charge $3,000 in taxes for a car and $5,000 for an SUV. With 200 cars passing through the tunnels per year, this means $600,000 to $1,000,000 per year in taxes on cars alone. Aside from cars, the tunnels provide Gaza with a great deal of its basic consumer goods, although, with the slight easing of the siege after the Flotilla incident in May of last year, the tunnels are focused less on simple consumer goods, and have now become the sole source for building materials, which Israel continues to deny to Gaza. This means that the only way Gaza is able to rebuild, two and a half years after Cast Lead, is through the tunnels.

Inside one of the tunnels...definitely not fun if you're claustrophobic

The biggest question weighing on my mind during the interview and even before was where the weapons were coming in that Israel claimed was the reasoning behind their targeting the tunnels. When I asked Mohammed about this, he said that even he does not know where those tunnels are, and they are very far from the main cluster of tunnels in Rafah, thus making the bombing of these tunnels rather pointless and a clear attack on consumer basics, not weapons. Apparently Hamas has even set up a commission to monitor the tunnels and ensure that nothing illegal, such as drugs, was coming in, thus turning this into a relatively legitimate operation; another case of Gazans making the most out of their incredibly difficult situation.

While the tunnels have managed to provide Gaza with the goods it has needed to survive through the illegal siege imposed by Israel since 2006, it has also created –quite literally – an underground economy in Gaza. With no exports at all and very, very little imports, the tunnels have been the economic lifeline for the people here, but have also left the economy in shambles. If the siege is lifted, it will surely mean an end to the tunnels, which I thought would be of concern to Mohammed, but he seemed comfortable with the idea since he knows it will ultimately save Gaza and he has been saving his money. If the day ever comes though, the people here will face the challenge of having to rebuild the economy from the ground up, and hopefully free themselves from the welfare state that Gaza has now become.

*Name changed to protect the privacy of the interviewee

Additional Pictures:

Gravel being pulled through a tunnel

Opening to one of the tunnels with a lower head clearance

One of the tunnels workers need to actually be lowered into to access

Pulley system to lower a worker into one of the tunnels

A worker being lowered into a tunnel

Home next to the tunnels, riddled with bullet and shrapnel holes

Ditch for one of the tunnels

Proof I was actually in a tunnel...it was a tad dark, and yes, I was scared!

A Family Under Attack

2011-07-17T06:56:00.000-07:00

Imagine being violently awakened by a missile strike in your backyard at 3 am. This is exactly what happened to the Zaanin family of Beit Hanoun last night as their water wheel and well were hit by a missile fired from an Israeli F16 with absolutely no warning and for no apparent reason. The wheel, well, and half of one of the family’s homes were completely destroyed. The IDF has denied the attack; however, the pictures speak for themselves and the family heard the F16s and drones overhead for an hour prior to the strike. The Zaanin family live in a cluster of homes surrounding the water wheel and well and all of the houses suffered major damage from the attack. Broken windows, smashed roofs, broken doors, and concrete dust were everywhere, even falling on us from the trees with the breeze as we spoke.

Destruction of the water wheel and parts of the Zaanin family homes

Portion of the water pump

The members of the family in the front house, which took the brunt of the impact, happened to sleep on their front patio last night due to the heat, thus saving their lives and leaving only four of them with mild to moderate injuries. Motaz (12), Murad (11), Ahmad (5), and their aunt, Muna (50), were all relieved to have escaped with their lives, although Motaz and Murad were clearly still in shock. When we arrived, their father, Taher Mohammed, was sleeping on the floor of the damaged home, exhausted from the shock of what had happened to his family last night. Family had found him screaming and crying as he tried to help his children out of the house.

Inside the front home. Luckily no one was sleeping in this room during the attack

The others injured included the Za’anin’s neighbor, Samah Kefarna (30) who lives across the street and was hit by debris, and two other members of the Za’anin family, Maroun and Samar, newlyweds of just two months. They were asleep in their room right next to the water wheel and woke when the ceiling fell on top of them. Maroun suffered minor injuries to his shoulder and head and Samar had cuts on her face and head, needing three stitches. After viewing the damage, I could hardly believe they were alive, let alone only moderately injured. Their small home attached to the main family house was destroyed.

Maroun next to the bed where he and his wife were sleeping

Maroun's wife, Samar, with a large gash on her nose

This is a refugee family with no ties to Hamas or the resistance groups and children attending the UNRWA schools and Summer Games. One of the boys even had on a Fatah t-shirt. Eleven year old Murad is a great student, according to his family, and wants to be a professional soccer player, despite a heart condition which has required two surgeries already. Murad’s twelve year old brother, Motaz was clearly still in shock after needing six stitches in his head from the debris that fell on him, but once he got a bit more comfortable, he told me he wants to be a journalist for Al Jazeera. When asked why, he said it was because they are always being targeted in this area and no one ever tells the story, so he wants to tell the world. I promised him I would tell his story and thanked him for his courage.

Motaz bandaged up

Murad

Despite what has happened, neither Murad nor Motaz had a hateful word to say when I asked them what they would like to tell people about what happened. The first time we asked the question of Motaz, he turned his head and looked down, still visibly upset by the incident; however, after he told us he wanted to be a journalist and we asked again he said “I don’t want Israel to enter my house again. I want to live in freedom and safety. I don’t want to hear drones anymore.” Murad had similar comments and said simply, “I want my freedom and I still have hope [I will get it.]”

Aunt Muna, in bed with a broken foot

This is just an average family in Gaza, doing nothing wrong, who have hopes and dreams and children with bright futures ahead of them. They could not understand why this had happened to them or what they had done to deserve it. “What? What am I supposed to say? Only God can help us. What is this little boy’s crime [referring to Murad]? What did he do to the Israelis?” Murad and Motaz’s Aunt Muna asked. Her frustration was evident, but despite her broken foot and what had happened to her, she greeted us with a smile and joked with us as well.

This is how Gaza moves forward. Despite the attacks and the siege, people are able to smile and greet their visitors warmly, even when we are coming to view the destruction Israel has just caused them. The Zaanin family is just one of many who have suffered from pointless attacks on their homes ruining their livelihood and destroying their shelter, but as usual they carry on. The resilience of the people here astounds me daily and even more so when you have seen their lives ripped apart in a moment by a missile, and they can still greet you with a smile and a cup of tea.

Full set of photos can be found here

"When we finish, we will feel like we are the best in the world!"

2011-07-15T02:23:00.000-07:00

*title quote from fifteen year old Mohammed Abu El Eish

I'm still trying to gain feeling back in my face after smiling ear to ear most of yesterday and still this morning. Watching 2,011 children dribble soccer balls for 5 minutes with all the heart and dedication they could muster to break the Guinness World Record will have that affect on a person. The scene was awe inspiring when we arrived about two hours before these incredible children were set to make history. The pitch was massive and made up of sand....a plot of grass that large here is unimaginable considering the shortage of water. It wasn't exactly clean and I definitely got a piece of barbed wire stuck in my foot once or twice while I ran around photographing, but it didn't matter. These kids were thrilled to have such an opportunity. UNRWA did an amazing job coordinating the logistics of all of this and provided every child participating with a soccer ball, which I think had the kids almost more excited than the world record itself. Ahmed Abd Al Ad, 16, of Gaza City, expressed this when I was asking what excited him the most about the day: "The most exciting thing is that after we break the record, I get to take the ball home to play with my friends and show them we did it!" Such a simple concept for most children, but a real treat for some of the children here who have not had the opportunity to receive new toys in years due to the ongoing siege and the unemployment which is hitting 45% in the Gaza Strip.

As the kids arrived, their excitement was contagious and when I ran around asking the kids how they felt, all they kept saying is "excited and happy!" and would go back to focusing on practicing their skills. They were determined to show the world they were the best, despite their circumstances. You could see that simply in their faces. The dedication, determination, and courage these children show is awe inspiring. They are facing some of the worst conditions and situations we in the West could imagine and yet they face it with a smile that is full of life...with laughter...with hope...and with a knowledge of what is going on but an understanding that they must overcome it somehow. That way yesterday was by breaking another Guinness World Record.

Just before the five minute timing of the record began, the anticipation on the field was indescribable. The kids were poised and ready to take on another challenge...this time, with potentially awesome results. As soon as the whistle sounded, the kids focused and got to work. Tears streamed down my face as I struggled to take pictures because my eyes were clouded with joy. These kids are so beyond amazing and deserve this more than anyone I could think of. Their determination and dedication to the task at hand and their excitement for what they were about to achieve could be seen as they battled the heat to tackle this record. Seemingly as soon as it began, it was over and with that, soccer balls went flying in the air and we all cheered!

I started running all over the pitch scrambling to take pictures of the excited children who were quickly crowding around me sharing their excitement. They were on top of the world once again, and they knew it. Some of the kids came up to me and wanted me to autograph their soccer balls and hats, and I quickly asked my translator to tell them that I was no one important and that they were the winners today....we high fived for a good 5 minutes after that and some still insisted I sign, so I did, and wrote "Free Palestine!" That's the least these children deserve....freedom to enjoy such a moment every day of their lives.

I'm constantly talking about how much more the people here in Gaza deserve, but this is especially true for the children here. There is no reason a child should be caught up in all of this...the siege, military strikes, war, politics....but they are and they handle it with grace and smiles. Their resilience is awe inspiring and they really are the future of Palestine. Their strength, their spirit, their love of life, their heart is what is going to free their people. They are the future and if this event is any indication of what they can achieve, I have no doubt that someday, Palestine will be free.

Some of my favorite photos:
UNRWA Kids Break ANOTHER World Record

The pitch before

This boy, Ahmed Abed Al Ad, 16, from Gaza City, insisted on singing me a song, which was SO sweet. I have a video and will post soon.

Boys breaking the World Record

Girls breaking the World Record

Excitement after

Late night bombing...normalcy?

2011-07-15T01:02:00.000-07:00

Last night, Israel bombed. They hit 2 targets in Gaza City (and elsewhere...Khan Younis, Rafah...) and one of them happened to be no more than 5 blocks away from my building. I was laying in bed, beginning to doze off and trying to ignore the sound of F16s overhead thinking they'd be hitting Eastern Gaza City as they have been lately, and then BOOM! boom! boom! I shot right up. I no longer have internet in my flat so I quickly sent an sms to my friend Mousheera asking her what was going on. For more than a few moments I could feel my brain trying to reason this out....it was nothing...just a big truck barreling down the hill or something. Then Mousheera called and confirmed my fears....they had hit blocks from her house as well and everything shook, but they were all fine. While on the phone with her, I ran to the elevator and went straight up to the roof saying to her "I'll see if there are anymore F16s in the sky." I knew I could see them and count them if they were there. The other night, we counted well over a dozen flying overhead. Nothing. Eerie quiet as usual. All I could hear was the sound of a wedding still going just north of us...the happiness of the couple and their guests must have drowned out the sound of the F16s and bombing, since one of the missiles hit just a few blocks from them as well. Life in Gaza tends to drown out the sound of possible death. That's how people here continue on with a smile and an ounce of humanity. They live, love, and keep living. I could see the smoking building and again felt denial kicking in thinking to myself "It's probably just another wedding BBQing on the beach..." Right...get real, Jules....I quickly erased the thought from my mind and remembered again where I was. I sent a few more sms off to friends checking in....all was fine. Sent another sms or two home to let my parents know that they were going to see the news, but that I was safe...nothing to worry about. Back to bed I went. This can't be normal....

The UNRWA Summer Games: A chance for kids to be kids

2011-07-14T03:04:00.000-07:00

During my time here in Gaza, I have had the pleasure of seeing the impact of UNRWA’s Summer Games just simply on the faces of the children and the bright beautiful smiles they greet you with throughout the refugee camps and at the game sites. I arrived just in time for the children’s first World Record attempt this summer on June 30^th where 3,520 Gazan children playing with 176 parachutes, more than doubled the previous record. It was an incredible site and the enthusiasm and pride these children had for what they had just accomplished was inspiring!

Boys at the Summer Games in Nuseirat Refugee Camp

Given the difficult reality on the ground here, where an Israeli imposed siege has kept Gaza choked off from the rest of the world since 2006, and the horror of Operation Cast Lead in 2008/2009 still fresh in the minds of the 1.6 million residents, the Summer Games offer a breath of desperately needed fresh air for 250,000 children and their families. They are an opportunity for the kids to spend two weeks just being kids, and help to remove them from the political disaster and humanitarian crisis that has befallen the Gaza Strip.

One of the girls thrilled by the inflatable slide at the Games in the Beach Refugee Camp

I had the chance to speak with some of the families and their children who benefitted from the Summer Games and was happy to see that overall, the Games had an amazingly positive impact on not just the children, but the families as well, even if just for a few weeks. The families here face numerous challenges with the siege and many of the kids in the Summer Games come from homes where the parents are both unemployed and struggling to provide basics for their families, so they do not even think of such simple things as a day at the beach – no more than 30-40 minutes for most families to reach.

Faria Saleh Ahmed, who lives in the Beach Refugee Camp with her husband and four children, was thankful for the Summer Games for this very reason. “They are helpful since we can’t do these things for the kids,” she said. She is unemployed and her husband, who used to work in a factory in Israel, is now selling water for no more than 20 shekels per day (less than 5 USD). She also said her children are very aware of the siege and preemptively erase their own hopes for new toys or trips when they ask and then immediately say, “Mom, we know we can’t. The border is closed.”

Faria's daughters, Jenna, 5, and Shehed, 9 in front of their three room home in the Beach Camp

Faria’s nine year old daughter, Shehed, seemed thrilled to be attending the Games and have a chance to enjoy the simple things other children take for granted, like playing on the huge inflatable slides UNRWA brought in for the game this year. Of the five families I interviewed in the Beach, Jabalya, and Nuseirat Camps, with eleven children participating in the Summer Games, all of them were thrilled by the new toys and the parents seemed overjoyed that their children were getting the chance to experience something new and something they could get excited about. Shehad also loved the English classes at the Games, and told me she wanted to be an engineer so she can “help build houses for the people.” Such big dreams for such a little girl! Faria’s mother had a much simpler dream for her children. “My only dream is safety for my kids,” a sentiment that seemed to be echoed by most of the parents I spoke with as well.

The parents were also extremely impressed by the confidence their children now seemed to exude after participating in the Summer Games. Many of these kids have been traumatized by the horrors of war and ongoing conflict, so much so that they have retreated into themselves and constantly have nightmares about what they have witnessed. Haneen Abu Zahitar of Jabalya Camp has three children participating in the Games, but her eight year old daughter, Raghad, who was incredibly shy and introverted, has blossomed this summer. “Now she is full of confidence. She wants everyone to play with her. She is really excited,” Haneen told me. “Now she’s brave. I’m happy because she needs to be able to take care of herself,” she continued. This newly instilled confidence really shined while I interviewed Amna El Negleh, 9, from the Nuseirat Refugee Camp. While I was asking her questions about the Games and school, she kept asking “Why are you interviewing me?” with a mischievous smile on her face. Her mother chimed in and said that Amna is “more difficult now” because she wants to do things on her own, at which point we all erupted in laughter. Amna’s mother, after all, clearly thought this was a good thing.

Amna and her mother outside their home in Nuseirat Camp

Despite the heat, despite the siege, and despite the haunting memories of Cast Lead and the continued attacks on the Gaza Strip, the Summer Games have been able to provide the children of Gaza an opportunity to be average kids for two weeks of their summers. They have also given their parents the chance to see joy on their children’s faces and take away the burden of not being able to provide them with that added ounce of happiness because of their circumstances. Without the Games, some of these children would have spent their summer remembering what they are not able to have because of the situation here, but now, instead, they are able to laugh, smile, and have fun. Most importantly, the Games take the pressure off the kids and give them the opportunity to make friends and build confidence which they will need to achieve the big dreams they all seemed to have set forth for themselves. The children of the Summer Games will make great leaders, doctors, and engineers someday, of that I am certain. Hopefully they will be able to look back with a smile at the treat they had in the summers of their childhood thanks to UNRWA, and will be able to provide this for their children without the challenges of the siege and politics someday.

Also found on UNRWA's website: http://unrwa.org/etemplate.php?id=1093

Gaza Love

2011-07-13T12:49:00.000-07:00

I took a break from working on a story about families of kids in the UNRWA Summer Games and went up to the roof for a bit to take in the beautiful evening here in Gaza. I was inspired to write, and this is what came out....

There are things about Gaza that absolutely amaze me sometimes. I’m constantly humbled by the willingness of people to open their homes to me and invite me in for tea and even food when they can barely feed their families. It is part of what has helped me to fall in love with this place again and with the people living here. I made friends quickly the last time I was here that have withstood the test of time after three days of knowing one another, and this time, those bonds have grown stronger. I also have made friends, this time and last, that I know will last a lifetime. There is something that bonds you together living in a place like this…even if for only a short time. It is a bond knowing that in the worst of circumstances, you would give your life for the other. It is why I feel so safe here. In the US, things can happen…muggings, car accidents, robbery, etc…but here, the things that could go wrong happen often enough but not every moment of every day and they are things that can alter, or even end one’s life….an attack…a kidnapping. The petty things just don’t happen that much. People look out for each other because they know that at any moment there could be catastrophe and the people around them will be the ones they turn to when it is life and death. There is an odd sense of a support system…a safety net. I know that the person walking down the street near me would stop to help if something were wrong. Everything here is within God’s plan…or that is how people see it. Insha’allah. Hamdulilleh. It’s beautiful.

In the moments when I consider this I can’t help but be disturbed when people say the stupid things about Gaza. About how horrible it is. How dangerous. How crazy. It’s not. It’s beautiful and the people here embrace life more than 90% of the people I know. They have been through hell and back and still greet you with a smile, a salaam, and a cup of tea. Where else can you find that? People I encounter here aren’t bitter or angry or dangerous. They’re loving and warm and open. They invite you into their homes, their lives, and want to share it with you.

I’ve written a lot about the tragedy of Gaza…the horrendous situations that have befallen many here, but even those embrace their tragedy with a smile and find happiness in life…in simply living. In their families. Their children. The air. God. Life.

I met a woman yesterday who should be miserable and asking why the world has dealt her such a hand, but instead she took life as it was and was thankful just to be there with her family. Three of her sons are sick, one so bad he is bed ridden…and she lovingly cares for all of them. The family has no money, no employment, nothing. They live in a poor neighborhood in a refugee camp and have no furniture except for a few plastic chairs and the bed the one son is confined to. Yet they welcomed me into their home with open arms and huge smiles. She and her family took life as it was and were happy to have one another and others to share it with as well.

This is what the world has forgotten. What America seems to be missing. We are so wrapped up in the material world and our jobs and status and climbing the corporate ladder…getting ahead…one upping each other…that we forget how blessed we are just to be able to open our eyes every morning, see the beautiful sun, take a deep breath, and live. This is what Gaza does every day and it is how these incredible people survive, despite living in a political nightmare. They live. Because they can. Because they have to. So why not do it believing there is a purpose and believing you should greet life with love, a smile, and a cup of sweet tea?

WHY?!

2011-07-09T09:56:00.000-07:00

This afternoon, after visiting a family that was incredibly poor and dealing with numerous health issues (I'll write about them soon), I had a candid conversation with my dear friend, Mousheera, about Palestine and the situation here. I was venting to her about how frustrating it is to watch this all unfold and to watch life deteriorate. My frustration though, stems from the fact that this should NOT be like this. The Palestinians are some of the most well educated, forward thinking people I know, not to mention some of the warmest and most welcoming.

The situation for Palestine enrages me more so than so many others around the world and I am constantly asked "Why Palestine?" My response, "why not?" When we look at Africa and some of the abject poverty facing the people there, we understand why there are problems. Lack of education, poverty, infighting amongst tribes. Yes, the West had something to do with this, but they are not problems that were directly imposed upon the people in the last 40-60 years. Palestine was and the problem continues because of the West.

This is probably the most political you are going to hear me get with this blog, but I'm enraged and infuriated by our inability to realize that the Palestinians are suffering because of us. Because of American policy. Because of Israeli policy. Because of their own political nightmares and failed leadership. As an American, for me to allow my government to restrict the freedom of a people and dehumanize them to terrorists, absolutely disgusts me. These people are not terrorists. Mousheera, my friends, the people I meet here, are not terrorists. They are wonderful people like you and me who just want a future for their families. They want freedom. They want educations and jobs and a life. They just want to live. The siege of Gaza is completely unjust and inhumane and does nothing but help to inflame the problems of extremism and a desire to fight Israel with all their might. The siege hurts the people and everyone's security as well.

As Mousheera and I were discussing this, the two of us in tears, she was telling me the things she fears. She said she was afraid to bring a child into this world, with the nonsense going on here politically and then because of her fear that her child would be killed by an Israeli bomb or that if he/she needed medical treatment they couldn't get it. She feared being married because what if her husband went to work one day and came back missing a limb because of an attack or even worse, didn't come back at all. For these thoughts to weigh on the mind of a bright, warm, beautiful 27 year old, absolutely breaks my heart. Mousheera has become like a sister to me and all she wants is her freedom. Freedom which I take for granted every single day of my life. Never have I feared marriage for these reasons or feared having a child. I'm safe and sound in my little bubble of a life in the US and this would never need to cross my mind.

I don't know what the answers are, but I know that it begins with education, with solidarity, and with understanding that these people are not to be feared. There are bad people everywhere, and Palestine is not without them, of course, but the vast majority of the people here just want what the rest of us enjoy every single day. Security. Peace. Freedom. Life.

Me and the beautiful Mousheera

"There is no life" - One Family's struggle to Survive in Maghazi Refugee Camp

2011-07-09T02:27:00.000-07:00

My time here in Gaza has been focused on trying to convey what life is like for the average people. Where I live in Gaza City is this bubble of comfort, which we often see portrayed in the media. "See, Gaza has a mall! And people live well! They have BMWs!" Yes, a tiny percentage of the population do live well....very well in fact - just wait until I write about what the tunnel owners make in a month....more than I could dream of right now. The thing is, they might have all the material luxuries they could want, but they are still under occupation, which is more than a physical presence of troops. Occupation is a state of being constantly watched, of being constantly supervised by an outside force, never quite sure when they will snap and attack or cut off something to you....like electricity. It weighs on your mind constantly and you never feel completely safe. Occupation, however, is felt most deeply by those who cannot escape it with the luxuries we can find in Gaza City, and the siege makes this occupation almost unbearable for these families.

I met the Abu Aqrab family in Maghazi Camp in central Gaza and was yet again, humbled by Palestinian hospitality. With a population of 24,000 in less than .6 square kilometers, Maghazi is crowded and poor, suffering immensely due to the siege and the unemployment rate up around 45% according to UNRWA. This lovely family warmly welcomed me into their home and presented me with tea and a huge plate of maklooba - a traditional Palestinian dish of rice, vegetables, and typically chicken, although they couldn't afford it, so it was maklooba sans chicken. This family who could barely put food on their table, just gave me a good portion of that food...this is what caused me to fall in love with Palestine in the first place. People who have next to nothing will offer you the shirt off their back if they could.

The Abu Aqrab family are living in a small two room apartment where the four children, Abdallah (11), Noor (6), Khalil (13), and Adam (3) and their parents sleep on mats on concrete floors. There was no furniture except for a desk with a computer in the bedroom and a built in cabinet where they kept most of their possessions. The father's two sisters also live with them in another room below the apartment.

The adorable Adam

Abdallah, the future engineer

Khalil, who wants to be an Arabic teacher

My wonderful friend/sister/fixer, Mousheera, with the lovely little Noor

I asked Ra'ida, the mother, what life was like for the family and she began to explain the same story I have been hearing all over Gaza....there is no work and her husband takes odd jobs where he can. She said no one is caring for them, not the US, Arabs, or even others in Palestine. The lack of hope within this family was evident. They felt abandoned and weak because there was nothing they could do to change their immediate circumstances.

Ra'ida went on to explain the impact of Operation Cast Lead and the siege, telling me that during Cast Lead, the family stayed in the house since there was no where else for them to go. They are already refugees and no where in Gaza was safe, so they felt it better to stay put. The children still have nightmares and keep talking about the invasion, panicking if they hear planes overhead. Because of the siege, Ra'ida's mother who was suffering from cancer was unable to receive treatment and died, and her own son, Adam, is having developmental issues which doctors in Gaza have not been able to properly explain. There is no hope to bring Adam outside of Gaza for treatment or to properly diagnose him because of the siege. Ra'ida's nephew is also in a similar situation as Adam, but also is not walking at 2 1/2, and again, no one has been able to properly diagnose him. The doctors here in Gaza are wonderful, but most times simply lack the equipment or expertise to handle cases such as these.

The only play area for the kids - a random alcove as you walk down the stairs in the house. They've rested a heavy metal bar on the bricks that make up the home and fashioned swings for the kids.

Ra'ida's other children are also struggling in school since Operation Cast Lead. Abdallah, in particular, was first in his class before the invasion, but now due to the trauma, his grades have dropped and he has trouble concentrating. This is an incredible shame since when I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, he quickly answered "engineer," so that he could "help to rebuild Gaza." Such a noble goal for such a young child, but quite telling of the lost childhoods of the kids here. Abdallah is able to enjoy the UNRWA Summer Games and said he loves swimming in the Sea, but this is only a short escape from the harsh realities of his life.

The room where the family sleeps

A little while into my visit with the family, the father, Ahmad, came home and joined in on the discussion. I asked him to talk to me about the siege and about life in Maghazi. His immediate response: "There is no life." He had no hope for a better future because all his life he has had nothing new or better, always just something worse. Ahmad was frustrated by the politics and said that he and his family were just average people caught in the middle. He asked Obama to be on the side of truth and to understand their reality. He is 44 years old, unemployed, and had never left Gaza. He was afraid that the same life he has faced will be his children's fate as well, and as he said this, you could see the crushing despair in his face. This man wanted so much for his family, but felt completely powerless.

The family's UNRWA flour ration

UNRWA has been able to help the Abu Aqrab family with the basics...schools, some medicines, clinics, and a bit of food, and the family said they would not be able to survive without them, but it still is not enough. Despite these circumstances, Ra'ida still has hope for her children and when I asked her what her dreams were for them she said that she simply wanted them to have a happy life without the siege and to be able to live with dignity and some stability. Such a simple request given the profoundly harsh reality surrounding them and the political disaster that brought them to this point. The Abu Aqrab family, like so many in Gaza, just want to live.

UNRWA Schools: A safe haven for the children of Gaza

2011-07-07T05:34:00.000-07:00

Visiting the UNRWA schools here in Gaza is a bit like stepping into a sanctuary amidst the poverty of the camps. They are gated safe havens for the children here and this was evident when I walked in and was greeted by smiling faces and laughter. The buildings are far from new, but are painted a bright white and UN blue and covered with cheerful murals and sayings encouraging the children to reach for the dreams. This is exactly what these kids need when the rest of their lives are dictated by the siege and conflict. The schools offer a respite from the horrendous day to day and the Summer Games which UNRWA offers as well, helps to make sure this respite does not end in June as schools let out.

Boys in the Summer Learning program

Inside a classroom in one of the boys prep schools

UNRWA schools are a place where these kids can escape and feel safe, but these schools have their share of problems, too including occasional corporal punishment, which is now being handled through UNRWA's Respect and Discipline Initiative. I heard accounts of the corporal punishment from a couple of parents I have met along my journey here in Gaza, but all of them said they blamed it on the stress and frustration of life in Gaza and the fact that the teachers may be taking out on the kids what they receive at home rather than some sort of unwritten rule of handling bad behavior. Through the Respect and Discipline Initiative, they reward the kids for things like good attendance and a neat appearance in their uniforms as well as for good behavior. Its about incentives rather than punishment and is a smart way to handle a challenging situation.

Classroom in one of the Beach Camp elementary schools

Since school is out for the summer, I was only able to speak with kids from the Summer Learning Program which is a simplified curriculum for those students who failed Arabic, Math, or both. While this was not the typical learning environment, it shed a deeper, almost more important, light on what the UNRWA schools are able to do here. These were kids that typically would slip through the cracks and may not even amount to much, but UNRWA puts a special emphasis on them and even has counselors come in to speak with them, realizing that this may not be a strictly academic issue. With the situation in Gaza getting increasingly difficult and the kids here having been through Operation Cast Lead, many of them suffer from the trauma of living here and as a result, act out in school or their marks drop significantly. UNRWA is doing what it can to help them with this and it is an incredibly important aspect of the school system here. There is also quite a bit of coordination with the parents who are kept in the loop on their children's progress and encouraged to be upfront with UNRWA about what can be done better and what they feel their children need.

Kids enjoying the Summer Games at one of the elementary schools in the Beach Camp

The most inspiring part of my time in the schools was hearing what the children wanted to be when they grew up. In the US kids will always give you the typical answers: a celebrity, a sports start, an actress, a singer, President, a doctor here and there....always the glamorous positions they see. In Gaza, I overwhelmingly heard engineers, doctors and lawyers. Even more incredible was that when asked why, it typically had to do with wanting to help people here or to help rebuild Gaza....and remember, these were the "low achievers" in the UNRWA schools providing me these answers. Even they dream big.

One of the girls enjoying the blow up water slide at the Summer Games

The schools are doing relatively well here, but could be doing much better. The siege has crippled everyone and everything and the UNRWA schools are no exception. They are incredibly overcrowded and due to the siege, it is extremely difficult to get the materials in to expand or build new schools. As a result, most of the schools operate on a double shift system which does not allow for the best learning environment for the kids since they are rushed in and out of school with no ability to enjoy extracurricular activities or additional tutoring sessions, sometimes attending school when it is dark. The few schools on a single shift system are actually doing noticeably better than the rest. This becomes an even bigger issue with frequent power cuts in Gaza. Many times this makes it difficult or impossible to study and was one of the reasons a number of the children gave for having the need for summer learning....they couldn't study because they had no electricity.

I was fortunate enough to be able to see the sites of some of the schools UNRWA has managed to get approval for, funding for, and materials in to build. It was a remarkable site and one that makes you feel a bit relieved. I had visited one of the container schools in Gaza before visiting the building site and was truly upset by what I saw. These kids were going to school in metal containers with small windows, the likes of which I've seen on dirty old trains or ships in the US transporting farm animals and other goods. In the summer it is insanely hot and in winter, too cold. This was not even remotely conducive to a good learning environment. Luckily, UNRWA has been able to coordinate to build a few of the 100 schools they need. They will have 10 hopefully operational by September and another 30 in the works. This will allow them to deal with the overcrowding issue as well as replace some of the schools that are in disrepair or that still exist in containers.

Container school in Nuseirat Camp

School being built in Nuseirat Camp

UNRWA has 40,000 children it still needs to be able to get into schools on top of the overcrowding, so the schools being built, are still not enough. They need the full 100. Two things are holding them back....Israel's siege and lack of funding. Israel must approve the building site for each school before it will allow UNRWA to bring the materials it needs into Gaza to build and many times they come up with ridiculous excuses not to allow this to happen. They have also approved a few schools for which UNRWA does not yet have the funding, so even though they are allowed to bring the materials in, they are not able to purchase them.

School being built in Nuseirat Camp

This is where the international community needs to step in. Not only should countries, individuals, businesses, etc be contributing to UNRWA so that it can build the schools, but all should be calling on an end to the illegal siege of Gaza which is slowly crippling the population here and making it nearly impossible for the children to achieve the high goals they have set for themselves. Where is the justice when children are not able to get the great education they so rightfully deserve? The longer we stand silent, the more the children of Gaza suffer and the more bleak their futures look.

Boy in the container school in Nuseirat Camp

To do more, visit www.afu-adoptaschool.org

"You're from America. You can help..."

2011-07-05T13:15:00.000-07:00

Never before have I ever wished those words were more true. The heartbreak and devastation I witnessed in Jabaliya in northern Gaza yesterday was almost too much to bear. This is where we went to visit Faiza Mahmood El Loh and her seven children who are currently living in a bombed out home where 20 people share what is left two and a half years after Operation Cast Lead.

The home of Faiza Mahmood El-Loh and 19 other members of her family including her 7 children

Pulling up to the home, we saw children in tattered clothing, faces smeared with dirt, running around with bright beautiful smiles, a school to the right, and then, the shell of a home. As soon as the driver stopped the car, I cupped my hand over my mouth and said "my God." I couldn't believe what I was seeing in front of me until a few of the kids poured out one of the shell holes in the side of the house. This was the family we were about to meet and I knew I was going to hear yet another horror story of the invasion and of the inability to rebuild due to the siege. I braced myself and hopped out of the car with a big smile and a "salaam alayikum" as I greeted Faiza and her children.

I stared at the home for a few moments and took photos of the kids scrambling, climbing up the ruins of their home as if it were a playground before I asked Faiza what happened. I hesitated because I knew what I was about to hear and I knew I needed to let the imagine sink in a bit before I tried to absorb the reality of the story as well. After a few moments and a few exchanges with Faiza's lively little ones, we asked her to tell us what happened.

Faiza's son and daughter (also named Julia) climbing up the side of what is left of the house

The kids played in the bombed out dining room

Faiza proceeded to explain that she didn't understand what she did to deserve this and that her husband and her were not political at all. Her husband even worked in Israel before. She said that now her house is destroyed along with her life and that she has nothing now. She asked what her kids had done to deserve this and said that in the cold and the heat of Gaza she is suffering. Suffering from everything. "I am less than 0," were her exact words. That phrase cut through my heart like a knife. This poor woman with what obviously was a beautiful home at one point and lovely children, was now left feeling worthless.

Faiza with the burden of her life showing in her eyes...surrounded by her beautiful, smiling children

Once Faiza vented some of her frustration she told us that during Operation Cast Lead, the Israelis were flying over her home and the area with F16s and helicopters.First they began bombing the Gaza public school next to her house and then they were warned they had five minutes to evacuate or they would be destroyed along with their home, so they fled. It was a flight which was forced by way of bullets being fired at them as they began their six hour journey on foot to Shifa Hospital in the middle of Gaza City (a 30 minute car ride under normal circumstances).

Their home now sits in virtual ruin and anywhere else, it would have been demolished and deemed unsafe to live in, but the family has no where else to go. Recently, the government in Gaza gave the family notice to vacate the home, as they were finally going to demolish it, but only gave them enough money to construct the foundation of a new home next to it. Because of the siege, there is no work for Faiza or her husband, and thus no income to come up with the money to finish a new house. She now just waits to see what will happen next, frustrated by the siege, and trying to care for her children who she said are suffering the psychological effects of the trauma of the invasion....trouble in school, trouble sleeping, etc.

I asked her about her hopes and dreams for her children and she said she simply wants them to have a happy life, with a good home, and that they no longer need to deal with what they are facing now. So simple, yet seemingly huge dreams for Faiza who is facing a bleak future because of the siege. When I asked her for her thoughts on it she simply said "Just look at my house and see. Look at us. We have nothing and there is no work. No life."

Other members of Faiza's family hanging off what is left of the third floor

At this point she turned to me and her frustration let out again...."You're from America. You can help. I can't take it anymore. My children are living like this. I don't know what to say anymore..."

Faiza with three of her children and her little niece (bottom right)

How do you respond to that? I was left absolutely speechless and my heart broke for this family. One of the things I've been reflecting on while being in Gaza is my reason for supporting the Palestinians and in this moment, it became VERY clear. I'm from America and I can help. Maybe I can't build Faiza a new home or erase the horror of Cast Lead from the minds of her children or get her husband work, but I can be vocal and make sure that America and the world knows that this is what it is supporting. This situation is man made and does not have to be like this. The siege, the military support for Israel....this is what it leaves in its wake....broken hearts, hopeless futures, traumatized children, and homes of rubble that are the only playgrounds for children under siege.

Faiza's nephew (holding the truck we gave him) is around 2 and now may never speak again. He was playing in the home and tripped on some of the rubble, falling and splitting his tongue. He needed 12 stitches and because of the nature of the injury, has not spoken since and may not be able to regain the ability. The aftermath of a bombed out home being a child's only playground.

Palestine's Future in the Hands of the Youth: A Spotlight on the Soora Youth Group

2011-07-03T14:19:00.000-07:00

Youth activism in Gaza has become a powerful force for change and sheds light on a future that once looked bleak for the residents of this besieged coastal enclave. There are a number of groups coming together and one in particular, Gaza Youth Breaks Out (GYBO), has gained quite a bit of notoriety for its brilliant manifesto, venting anger, calling for change, and taking charge of their future. I had the pleasure of meeting some of its leaders and will hopefully have more on them soon.

One of the other groups I was able to meet a few of the leaders of and interview, was the Soora Youth Group. I sat down with Muayad Meshal and Noha Nassar to talk about the group, its goals, and what it has been able to achieve so far. I was honestly, incredibly impressed. The group was brought together on the first anniversary of Operation Cast Lead with the vision of giving the youth of Gaza a common goal and helping them to create positive change within the society. The name Soora means "the image" in Arabic and was chosen, keeping in mind that an image explains what happens in a particular moment, and Soora is what the leaders of the group hope will become the "image" of the Palestinian people and what they strive for.

Muayad and Noha explained to me that Operation Cast Lead destroyed the spirit of the youth of Gaza. They stopped thinking about developing the country, and more on the anger and destruction left in the wake of the invasion. Soora was created to counter this feeling by helping the youth realize they could take charge of their own destiny by empowering themselves first and foremost, and then focusing on the greater community so that there can be a real future for Palestine. Noha described this idea saying that "If we stay human, we can [re]build." Soora's political vision is focused on human rights and international law with the hope of improving the situation for Palestine through peaceful means, instilling this in the youth, and moving forward with development. Muayad said that he wants the world to understand that the Palestinians simply want to live as human beings and to have the rights they deserve and have been granted through the UN and Geneva Conventions.

Soora aims to focus on volunteer work within the community to strengthen it from within. They began with a few volunteers and ran a workshop to start the group. Networking via Facebook and social media, almost two years later, there are 70 committed volunteers - half boys and half girls - who focus on four departments within the organization: media, social work, public relations, and "friends" of Soora (those who come to events and support, but cannot commit as volunteers). Everyone gives what they can to fund the group, and it has thus far been able to survive on small contributions from members, but this will not sustain the organization long term. I spoke with Muayad and Noha about what Soora will need to move ahead including such simple things as a website in Arabic and English. This is where the siege is holding them back and making it more difficult for them to move forward. With unemployment at 45% in the Gaza Strip, asking for local donations of more than they already have to run basic programs is almost impossible. Soora is yet another group that will need international support to keep moving ahead until the siege is lifted and the economy of Gaza recovers.

Despite this obstacle, because of dedicated volunteers, Soora has been able to achieve great things in Gaza so far. They've been holding peaceful demonstrations in Gaza calling for unity of the political factions in Palestine and also supporting numerous community events through their partnerships with other organizations, particularly for children - most recently serving as witnesses to the World Record event held during the UNRWA Summer Games. The group hopes to give children a real childhood despite the difficulties they face within their everyday lives. They want to remove children from the politics and ensure that they are supported in a positive way. Soora is also in the process of starting new initiatives through a partnership with the Ruwaad Youth Project, which is funded by USAID and supported by AMIDEAST, focusing on their goal of inspiring the youth of Gaza to take charge of their future. They want to encourage students to finish school both inside and outside of Gaza and use their skills to support development at home, as well as show the outside world the beauty of Gaza and improve its image through videos and other media that can be disseminated online. Soora hopes to remind the youth of Gaza of their identity through such projects while also encouraging further investment and development in Gaza.

The final initiative Soora hopes to kick start soon is a big brother/sister program for orphans within the Gaza Strip. The goal is to inspire these children to also get active like those within the group and continue their relationship with the volunteers so that they have a positive role model within their lives. This will in turn draw them into the future of Palestine as well, instead of leaving them on the fringes as development moves forward. Soora sees the orphans as one more part of the future of Palestine.

None of this, of course, is going to be possible without proper funding and will be more of a challenge as the siege of Gaza continues. When I asked Muayad and Noha about the biggest hurdles they faced, money was the first because without the funds, they are limited in the scope of their work, and the second was the political division within Palestinian society. Soora hopes to bridge that with the focus on development and by starting with the youth. They are hoping the international community will support such efforts and realize that they want peace as much as anyone else because it is the only way development will take hold.

We closed our conversation talking about the upcoming UN vote on a Palestinian state and both Muayad and Noha were concerned. If the US vetoes the resolution they said that it will disappoint Palestinians to a point where they may once again turn to violence out of despair and desperation, thus undermining the efforts of the Soora Youth Group and others who have focused on nonviolence and community development. "It is not just a veto, but cuts off hope," Muayad said. It is this hope that has been keeping Palestine alive and which has given life to youth activism here in Gaza. To cut off that hope would be a dangerous step backward and would put a damper on the future and the goals of Soora and other youth groups gaining ground here to say the least. The future of Palestine would no longer be in the hands of the strong, educated, and dedicated youth, but in the hands of desperate people who feel as though the world has ignored them. Let us just hope that Soora and those with the same goals are the ones whose voices are heard and prevail.

UNRWA Kids Break Another World Record

2011-07-03T04:44:00.000-07:00

One of the most wonderful aspects of being in Gaza is how appreciated the simple things are and how much one child's smile can light up your entire day. There is so much pain and suffering and hardship here, yet, as I always talk about, there is also so much hope and life despite all of this. On Thursday I got to watch 3520 hopeful smiles on the faces of the beautiful children of Gaza as they broke the Guinness World Record for the biggest parachute game. For those of us watching, it was absolutely inspirational and sent a message to the world that the children of Gaza will not give up on reaching for their dreams despite the siege. These children can do anything!

Some of the boys before breaking the record

Girls after breaking the record....thrilled!

Driving to the event in Khan Younis we passed by some of the buses taking the children to the event and I saw the first signs of excitement in the kids. They were hanging out the windows waving to us and cheering. It literally brought tears to my eyes to see how happy such a simple activity could make these incredible kids. As we drove the rest of the way to the stadium, I reflected on what I was doing here in Gaza and the fundraising I had been working on back home for the UNRWA Adopt a School Campaign. I'm here not only to bring out the stories of hardship and pain and suffering brought about by the siege and occupation of Gaza, but also to bring out the stories like this. These children are the future of Gaza and of Palestine and to be able to help them have the chance to have a reason to be so excited and smile is an honor. To me, these kids deserve the world.

This little boy cracked me up because he came up and tugged on my shirt and begged me to take a picture. This was the pose he gave me. Very proud of his accomplishment!

Once we arrived at the stadium in Khan Younis, the site was overwhelming. Thousands of kids were pouring in, jumping around, waving, and laughing....smiles across their faces. It was gorgeous, and another moment of unexpected beauty and joy in Gaza. I spent an hour or so taking dozens of pictures and having hundreds of kids asking me my name and where I was from, and then finally, it was time to watch them break the world record. I couldn't help but cry tears of joy for the children as they achieved an incredible feat.

The video below from UNRWA speaks more to the event than I ever could, so enjoy!

The boys after breaking the record

Unexpected Beauty

2011-07-01T01:57:00.000-07:00

One of the things I always try to drive home to people is how amazingly beautiful Palestine is and how hopeful the people truly are for a better future. A lot of this seemed to have died in Gaza with Operation Cast Lead, but now, two years on, there are cracks of it through the wall of despair again. Things are improving slightly in Gaza. There are less bombed out buildings, because they have managed to remove the rubble - at least in "posh" Gaza City - but that leaves large empty lots where nothing is being rebuilt since there are still little to no building supplies coming in. I have seen a few new coffee shops and such, but this is only for the richest of the rich in Gaza, and certainly not for the 80% of the population living below the poverty line (less than 2 USD per day).

The Gaza Port at sunset

I encountered my first real blackout in our building yesterday and listened to the roar of generators on the street as we walked in Remal on Tuesday, as shops tried to stay open despite having no power. Though my shower was only cold when the electricity was out this time, instead of constantly like last time, all of the tap water is still salinated. Little reminders that superficial improvements don't mean a better life for the 1.6 million people living here.

Generators along the street in Remal, Gaza City. Insanely loud and sadly necessary with blackouts a common occurrence in Gaza.

On Wednesday, however, I found yet another thing to love in Gaza despite the hardship surrounding you....gorgeous land. My friend Mousheera took us out to this area in Southeastern Gaza that was breathtaking. It is mostly farmland and covered in fields and green and palm trees. By far, one of the most peaceful and serene places I have seen here so far.

Tomato field

Fields in Southeastern Gaza

The sad part is that even this can be marred by the occupation. As we were taking pictures of the fields, getting closer and closer to the no man's land between Gaza and Israel, some of the farmers passing on the road came down yelling at us to back up. They said we were getting too close, despite still being hundreds of yards away. According to the farmers, the Israelis could see us, and since our cameras were aimed at the buffer zone, they might shoot....and that has happened before. Their biggest fear was not that they would shoot just us, but that they would continue shooting, or begin shelling the area. No good reason, no warning given. That is occupation.

The brown grassy area is the "no man's land" and the border is actually behind the tree line, but there is a small watchtower on the Gaza side which everyone thinks has Israeli soldiers in it, since no one can get close enough to look (watchtower in upper right corner)

Bombed out house near the fields and border

Another gorgeous sunset over Gaza

The Resilient Fishermen of Gaza

2011-06-28T15:16:00.000-07:00

While wandering down to the Port of Gaza and onto the beach next to it, we passed by some of the fishermen relaxing before they began working tonight. They were quick to say hello and invited us in for tea, so of course we joined them. I had read quite a bit about the fishermen of Gaza, but had not had the opportunity last time I was here, to actually sit and chat with any of them. They're truly a remarkable bunch of people. What they deal with daily, just to try to feed their families is something most Americans could never even begin to imagine.

We sat with Khamis Abu Sadiq and Ahmad Tulba and their sons who were out of school for the summer and working with their fathers to learn about fishing so that they can help to support their families. Both Khamis and Ahmad were born in Gaza but their roots can be traced back to Jaffa, where their families were expelled from in 1948. They now live in the Beach Refugee Camp and have 12 children each to take care of.

Ahmad Tulba, 60

Khamis Abu Sadiq in front of his boat under repair

Khamis has a degree in Arabic from the Islamic University in Gaza, but it could never be put to use there so he turned to fishing to support his family. His youngest, Hussein, 13, sat with us and listened as we talked about life in Gaza, particularly for fishermen. Khamis explained that he has two boats, one of which is currently being repaired, and is costing him 30,000 shekel (about $7500) to do - an absolutely astronomical amount of money for many in the Gaza Strip. Despite this, he said that he has trouble supporting his family, as do most fishermen, because when all is said and done, after money for gas (thousands of shekels per day) and paying the workers on the boat, each only make about 20 shekels per day, the equivalent of about $5.

Khamis Abu Sadiq

The most distressing thing to me about this horrendous living is the reason why it is this way. Gaza sits on the beautiful Mediterranean Sea, plentiful of fish, yet due to the Israeli siege, and Gazan's inability to go out further than 3 km from shore to fish, the supply closer to shore is being depleted, leaving the fishermen with no real options. The Israeli gunboats sit at the 3 km line, spaced about 1 km apart, and are even visible from shore. If a fisherman so much as dares to come close to that, they are shot at immediately, typically without any sort of warning. To make matters even worse, Ahmad told us that even though the fishermen are supposed to be allowed out to this 3 km line, many times, the Israelis will encroach on their allowed fishing area and shoot at them for fun or humiliate them by forcing them to strip naked and jump into the water in the middle of winter (which is cold in Gaza!) He further explained that many times, the Israeli gun boats will approach, and shoot the fishermen with high power hoses, pushing them into the water, and then shooting at them. This happens almost daily.

The railing of an old boat which has large bullet holes dotting it from one of the Israeli attacks

Amazingly enough, despite this horrendous reality, Ahmad, who has trouble feeding his 12 children (the youngest, Ehab, is only 10), told me that he just wished Israel would let the Gazan people live as they do. He said he just wants them to stop punishing the women and children and end the siege. There was not a violent word uttered about retaliation or anything. He just wanted it to stop. His frustration was apparent as he told us that before the siege, he was able to take care of his family and manage because he could go far enough out in the Sea in order to catch what was necessary. Now, he and his family sometimes don't have enough food to go around and rely on the UN to supply them with food, which still isn't enough. They can't afford water or electricity, and are struggling, to say the least. All of this was different before the siege, which began in 2006, and was fully enforced in 2008.

Ehab, 10

The one question that I asked of both men was what they hoped for in the future for themselves and their families. Both Khamis and Ahmad had similar responses....to be able to live, take care of their families, have peace, and to see the siege lifted so that they can once again put food on the table. Such simple ideas, which we take very much for granted. With that in mind, when my friends and I were invited for lunch tomorrow by Ahmad and Khamis, I was absolutely humbled. These men, who have so little, wanted to share their livelihoods with us so that they could tell us more stories about their lives and about life in Gaza. This is Palestinian hospitality as I've always known it, and is exactly why their stories need to get out and reach people far and wide.

The boys - Mohammed, Hussein, and Ehab in Khamis' boat

The siege of Gaza MUST be lifted.

P.S. With all the talk of the Flotilla, the most interesting part of our conversation on that was that Ahmad and Khamis would both prefer the hundreds of activists participating to come to Gaza and escort them and the other fishermen past the 3 km line and truly break the siege. So....there is your invitation. Come through Rafah and help these men and their families in an effective way. The millions raised for the boats could be better spent on the boats in Gaza, and by putting international escorts on them.

A border crossing so hellish that prison feels more free...

2011-06-28T11:46:00.000-07:00

I'm not even sure how to begin this blog entry. The border crossing at Rafah yesterday was an absolute nightmare and that doesn't even come close to describing it, to be very honest. There was one text in particular that I sent yesterday to a friend who was helping us through the border that really summed up how I felt. He is from Gaza and has to deal with this every single time he goes home. The text read: "I JUST got it [my stamp]. I'm waiting to go to the Gaza side now. They can't turn me back here right? I'm so sorry this is life for you. This is hell :(" It was hell. The yelling, the tears, the pushing, the guards sitting smoking cigarettes and reading the newspaper while families baked in the hot desert sun. It was like a scene from a movie, only this is real life for the Palestinians of Gaza and their families desperate to see them. There is no doubt in my mind that Gaza was a prison and still is a prison. The Rafah border between Egypt and Gaza is NOT open. I don't care what anyone says. That was not open.

The Egyptian military 50 yards from Rafah Gate

After sleeping very little the night before, we had a driver pick us up at 5 am to head for the border, and arrived at around 10. The first 5 minutes there are overwhelming. You're dropped about 50 yards from the gate and are immediately surrounded by Egyptian porters trying to take your bags, charging you 40 LE (about $6) for the 50 yard journey, but once they have your bags they demand money, even if you didn't ask them to take them in the first place. They do this to everyone since we were the only true foreigners at the border besides three others whom I met after crossing. We did end up caving and paying, and then proceeded to be harassed for more money to go through other portions of the crossing. This is where my Arabic came in handy and I kindly told them to get lost.

Once you're up to the gate, it's a waiting game. Everyone "lines" up (i.e. they form a mob and push their way to the tiny opening in the gate) and piles their 400 pieces of luggage in the middle of the large gate to be passed through once they get in. The first attempt here was met with a "you don't have the proper coordination," at which point I went to someone higher in rank, and began demanding that I had all I needed and I should be let through. This man called through to the actual crossing and was told I wasn't in the system, so I wouldn't be allowed to go. This just made me more persistent, and thanks to Osama, a Palestinian man from North Carolina, and his translating, we finally explained that I had the security clearance in my visa, and our passports were taken for processing. While I was doing this, dozens of other people were doing the exact same thing as their families sat baking in the sun or trying to seek some shelter in the shade.

The cafe next to the Rafah Gate where some were able to seek some shade

The crowd at the gate was NOTHING compared to what was in store for us inside.

Osama's story in particular struck me. There were a few Palestinian-American families there trying to cross, including Osama's. His wife, Alma, is from Gaza and her entirely family is still here, but she hadn't seen them in years due to the difficulties of getting in and out of Gaza and the siege. They were there with their 5 beautiful children who had never even met their grandparents. Alma had a Palestinian ID card, but Osama did not, and both are American citizens. The Egyptians, in a disgusting display of sexism, would not allow Osama to enter with his family because only his wife had an ID card, despite the fact that another Palestinian American we met was allowed to enter with his family because he had an ID card and his wife did not. Because of this, Osama made the decision to stay behind and try to get in later while Jessica, Emmet, and I helped Alma and the children through the border. Alma was amazing though and managed the chaos with grace and ease despite having to carry 2 children and handle the luggage.

Alma's adorable little boy after he fell asleep in her arms while waiting for the bus to cross to the Gaza side. She finally got a break and I ended up carrying him for a bit as he slept to help out.

Within a few hours of meeting Osama and Alma, after a ton of persistence, we finally were allowed to walk through the gate and on to the arrival hall which was packed to capacity with hundreds trying to cross. I left Emmet and Jess with the luggage and went to handle getting the exit cards, special stamps, and then to hand in our passports. People were pushing and shoving each other to do this and there was absolutely no order. Everyone was just concerned they would not be allowed to enter or would be turned back at this point, so there was this panicked feeling as we all pushed our way to the counter. Again, the Egyptians just didn't seem to care, or were too overwhelmed and frustrated to be bothered, so there was absolutely no order or system to any of this....you just hoped they came back with your passport cleared by security and stamped it.

We waited for 2 hours for our passports to finally be stamped and once they were, I literally jumped for joy and ran to our luggage. As we hauled our things to the other end of the hall, we were stopped and our passports checked again. The Palestinian American man behind us was asked for a bribe to get through the border, and then we were all forced to pay an exit tax of 105 LE (about $17) after spending money to get our luggage through or being asked for a bribe. At this point, I was furious and I made sure the jerks knew it. I had to pass my money off to one guy who handed it to another who gave me a ticket which I had to hand to someone else 2 feet away who tore it to show I paid. It was ridiculous! Next we got to drop 15 LE (less than $5) on a 50 yard bus ride over the border and pay another person to put our stuff on the bus. Insanity.

After all of this, we finally crossed into Gaza around 8 pm....10 hours after getting to the border. I was completely exhausted and literally about to collapse from the weight of the luggage and stress. The Egyptian side of the border was such hell and such a money pit that I crossed the into Gaza thinking "I'm FREE!" I immediately realized how insane that sounded when I remembered that Gaza is the largest open air prison in the world, but the weight that lifted once I got in and the hospitality with which I'm always received here makes it one of the most wonderful places in the world too.