I Was Born | Gaza Shabab

I Was Born | Gaza Shabab (Gaza Youth), June 2009

Youth make up more than half of the population in Gaza: 56 % of the 1.5m residents are under the age of 18. With the ongoing Israeli blockade most young people are unemployed and unable to leave the densely populated, tiny (40km x 10km) coastal strip of land.

According to the Gaza Mental Health Foundation the impact of violence on young people in the Gaza Strip has resulted in a disturbing percentage of children and youth who are suffering from mental health problems. Two-thirds of children suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; and many youth have become angry, violent and suffer from depression and anxiety.

Israel intensified the blockade and closed the borders when Hamas, which is considered a terrorist organisation, democratically won the elections and took control of government in 2006.

With little job opportunities even for those who can afford to study, many young people dream of leaving; however many others would never leave, even if they could.

These images were taken whilst walking the streets of Gaza City with friends and translators Ahmad and Majed, who have since left Gaza to study Abroad. We simply stopped people on the street and asked if they wanted to say something to those outside of Gaza; if anyone was listening to them. Other people invited us in for coffee and sweets and sometimes meals. This is what they said.

Abdullah, 13

Abdullah, 13

I hope for my dreams to come true in Gaza; to play football in other countries
Ahmad Amsareye, 22, Fatah Soldier

Ahmad Amsareye, 22, Fatah Soldier

I was born in Jordan, we lived in Libya as refugees; we came to Gaza in 1994. My father is from a village near to Gaza City. My grandfather always spoke about Palestine to us and I always imagined his story when I thought about the homeland, but when I cam here it wasn't the same; I saw the occupation with new eyes. I joined the Fatah military when I was 16, I knew I had to fight; to protect my homeland and people. I haven't been able to work since 2007 because of Hamas taking control in Gaza. All the people who used to work for Fatah now can't work. We still receive payments but can't work. I feel useless. When I was a soldier I felt useful. I stay home most of the time and use the internet; it helps me meet people outside of Gaza, it helps me be free. Normally I have just one or two hours of thought-freedom when I am not thinking about the bad situation, but then I think about the siege again, the occupation. I hope to live a quiet peaceful life, to be like all the young people in the world. I often think about mental health here; how can I live a life inside my mind inside the occupation? When my mental health improves I will go back to university. Islam teaches us we must always have hope, we must always have optimism. I have optimism and I am thinking about getting a wife, because when you have a wife you don't just think about yourself anymore, I think that would make a change.
Ayman Mghames, Palestinian Rapperz

Ayman Mghames, Palestinian Rapperz

The first thing is that we’re facing a lot of problems here; we have a horrible situation here in Gaza and Palestine… I have a horrible situation from the recent war, because I lost my home and lost my dad, so now my voice is going somewhere else. Before the recent war I was thinking about going out, living my life, getting out there, but now after the recent war, everything has changed, I belong to this place more and more each day, and I don’t want to go out, even if all the borders open, I’m not gonna to leave, I’m gonna stay, I’m gonna say what I think, I’m gonna say what I see, I’m gonna keep rapping, I’m gonna fight the fuckin’ Israeli army, I’m gonna do anything just to express my feelings, just to express anything. I think if I leave Gaza I’m not going to give my people the same powerful lyrics as I would if I stay here, because I would be separate from the people, separate from what is happening, I’m not going to feel the lyrics the same way. It’s not about leaving Gaza anyway, it’s about freedom.
Khaled Harara, Black Unit Band

Khaled Harara, Black Unit Band

I have been rapping for five years; we are the second generation of hip-hop artists in Palestine. We sing hip-hop here in Gaza because we believe it is a way to protect ourselves from the war and the occupation, because we believe the words and the lyrics and are stronger than all the bullets and the guns and the shells. We can fight if we want to but we choose and we want the peaceful way. We love all the people around the world, but we hate the governments who work against the people. We also know that there are a lot of good people inside Israel who want peace with us. We don’t just sing about the occupation, we sing about problems inside Palestine; like the civil war [between Hamas and Fatah], we sing about love, about ourselves, poor people, we are the sound, the voice of people here. So we try to talk about all the problems that exist here in Gaza, because most people can’t talk about it, because, as you know, it is a hard situation here inside; Hamas here, Fatah in the West Bank, so we find it is the best way to fight, fight by words.
Mahil Aeylan, 23, Black-Belt

Mahil Aeylan, 23, Black-Belt

I have been doing Karate for 12 years, on and off. I was training for the Gaza Olympics. I started doing Karate because there was no other sport you could keep doing on and off and my brothers encouraged me to keep going. It was the only thing I could do as a girl in an enclosed space. I graduated last year but I can't find work. Daily life is difficult. It's the psychological impact which is the worst. You can't be free as a girl outside. It feels like I am alive and not alive at the same time. I want all of us to have our land back and be free like you.
Mohammed, 18, Student and Cigarette Vendor

Mohammed, 18, Student and Cigarette Vendor

I want everyone to reach a solution. I want to be able to continue study outside of here. Things are difficult here. Everything that is happening here, like the killing, the wars, it makes it hard to move. I have a message to the Arab leaders; support us, stay behind us, like other people stand behind Israel. We need our freedom.
Nasralla, Street Vendor,15

Nasralla, Street Vendor,15

Open the borders. I wish there were more job opportunities because it would be better for my mother; I just help her here on the street. Life is sometimes good and sometimes bad. A main hope for me is that the refugees can return to their homes. I wish I could tell people to get united.
Ola Sorani, 20, Student

Ola Sorani, 20, Student

My parents are originally from Gaza. My grandfather is from Jerusalem (Al-Quds). I've grown up in a good financial situation; my father is a dentist (he can give you a good service if you need it, I swear). I volunteer a lot of my time, because I see how other people live- very poorly- and I want to help. My normal day consists of university classes, chatting, Hebrew classes, volunteering- I'm always busy. People think we're all terrorists, people think we're living in the 15th century or something – that we're all poor and helpless; but it's not true. All of these things impact on our lives and there aren’t many opportunities for us. Palestinian culture is who we are. I love everything about it. The culture always remains in us no matter how many people live outside or how much time we spend inside.
Rahaf, 20, Student, PFLP Member

Rahaf, 20, Student, PFLP Member

I was born in Damascus, Syria. My father was born in Khan Younis, Gaza, and my mother was born in Damascus. In 1986 my father went to Lebanon and then to Syria. I grew up in a refugee camp in Syria and have spent all my childhood and youth in refugee camps. I moved to Gaza when I was 16. I have no ID, no information, no Palestinian ID. As if we are still living as refugees. There was always the dream about the land, to come back to the land. My father would talk about the return of rights (for refugees), he wanted to see his family; he left when he was 16 and didn't see them for 40 years, he was living in exile. I thought it would be beautiful in Gaza, but when I came here, I couldn't have imagined it would be like this. I started getting involved in politics about two years ago with the PFLP (Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine) – I wanted to improve my own life, and other women's lives around me. Women don't have rights in politics, but the PFLP gives them a voice and a vote. I think the main problems for youth in Gaza are the mental health issues and how to deal with psychological problems. There is no psychological support for youth in Gaza, only for children. Many youth have mental health problems in Gaza, but it's always hidden, they can't talk to anyone. We can be united in Gaza and change the problems in society, but we have to start with the mind in society and then we can change from there. The beautiful thing about the youth here in Gaza is that they always have hope. A lot of people have lost hope, but I am optimistic because with all the problems here I still have a beautiful life.
Sami and Moaad, 16

Sami and Moaad, 16

I would like to go outside of Gaza, to have a vacation… maybe to Turkey. Life in Gaza is easy and hard, good and bad, but things are getting harder, day by day, because of Hamas. They're closing things down and making things difficult. I hope that we get our land back and that the situation gets better, like before 2000.
Omran, 16, Student, Basketball Player

Omran, 16, Student, Basketball Player

I have been playing basketball for five years. During the holidays we train 6 days a week, 3 days basket, 3 days running. We used to play games in the West Bank too, but since the borders have been closed we can't. Since 2005 I haven't played there. I hope I can play for the NBA one day. I always watch it.
Rose, 21, Writer/Poet, Student

Rose, 21, Writer/Poet, Student

I write because it's an outlet, something to get all of this out. I was born in Saudi Arabia, grew up there and came here eleven years ago. I would leave if I could, but I would come back. Gaza is very different from the outside world. I only gained friends like two years ago, since joining Tamar Institute, and the writing program here. Then I started to look at things in a different way. After the war I looked around and realised we have a lot of strength here, so who would be here if we all left?