Upon my arrival back to the Gaza Strip, the power supply was cut off. The generator providing an electricity alternative is disturbing the sleepless nights of the civilian population of Gaza. The children are especially affected. I live at Nuserate Refugee camp which is centrally located on the Gaza Strip and is home for over 66% of the civilian population, mostly women and children. The darkness covering the camp is very terrifying as if the camp is transformed into as a ghost town. In 2010, I managed to leave the Gaza Strip to join my master studies in Spain and here I am back at the end of 2012, where Gazans are still suffering the very same dramatic problems of inhumane living conditions ie no electricity.
Reem, my youngest sister, was joyfully clamping when the light of our living room suddenly came, I could tell from her eyes. Life in the 6-year illegally blocked Gaza Strip continually endures the system of injustice caused by the Israeli occupation. Having teatime and family discussion after 3 years of absence was something I was missed with all my heart, but the candlelight was surrounding us. I went up to check my old room where I spent my childhood. From the window of my room, I could see a big gaping hole on the empty landscape. I counted one hole, two, three, and there are more than 6 big holes around my house in Gaza. The big hole was from the very recent brutal Israeli aggression on Gaza where 164 Palestinians were killed and over 1100 injured, mostly women and children. Speaking quietly to myself, this is such injustice, injustice and more injustice. Probably it seems to be less intense to my family who adapt their lives within this system of injustice, but to me, it has been very challenging to even consider this system of injustice once again. Difficulty yes, but no more injustice. The suffering is just too severe.
Waking up at 7 o’clock in the morning when the weather is very cold, I slept in my old bed up on the second floor of our house in Gaza. The extreme cold breeze entered my room through the broken windows. Due to the heavy bombardments around our house in Gaza, most of windows were either fractured or cracked. Most Gazan nights are sleepless and dark.
My sisters are having final semester exams either at universities or at schools. The weather is freezing; doors are open to receive sunlight to enable my 16-year-old sister to study for her exams. Her little body was wrapped up in heavy warm clothing and a scarf to give a little heat to continue studying for her exams. I wanted to learn how she manages to study and achieve high marks at university.
“It is about creating a new system of adaptation to allow us to continue our mission in life, even under such horrific and unjust circumstances”.
It is all about psychology, “When you are cold, you are more productive” and this is how Gazan students continue to struggle for education and achieve good result. “When I feel cold cross my body, I breathe. It keeps me awake.”
