Every blanket and smile counts
“Are we really children? I am supposed to be a child, but I do not feel like a child. I have hundreds of dreams and hopes but I did not see one of them come true,” says 11 year-old Lama. She lives with her family in Rafah - a city in southern Gaza that saw a lot of heavy shelling and destruction last August. They’ve survived the latest war, and now with the help of World Vision’s Child Friendly Spaces, Lama and many children like her are now beginning to recover and regain hope for a better future.
Lama is one of the thousands of children who lived through the latest war in Gaza this past summer. Although only 11, this was Lama’s third experience of war and probably the most difficult. As far back as Lama could remember, life has always been difficult for her family. She lives with her parents, grandmother and six siblings in a small house, and even before the war the family struggled to make ends meet. The last thing they needed was the destruction that happened last August.
“Nothing is harder for a mother than seeing her child’s tears of fear. Yet she can do nothing to help. My children faced death every day during the 51 day conflict… and my hug was not enough to protect them” said Lama’s mum.
Lama’s home was not destroyed during the war, but their neighbourhood was heavily bombarded. Two people were passing down the road on a motorcycle outside Lama’s home when they were hit by a bomb. After each bombardment, the bodies of victims were scattered all over the neighbourhood in a horrific scene that the family could see by simply looking out of their windows.
Finally Lama’s family decided to seek refuge at her aunt’s home. “We felt death pursuing us. Fear and helplessness were the main things we felt,” Lama’s grandmother recalls.
Her aunt’s home was extremely crowded as the extended family sheltered there for weeks, and it was difficult to find a place to sleep. “I felt like we lived in a crowded prison. We couldn't leave the house to play with our friends. I slept next to three other children on the same couch and we were covered with one small blanket… I felt cold and scared,” Lama remembers.
When the ceasefire finally stuck, Lama’s family returned to their home, but life didn't get any easier. The family finances, always fragile, took another hit – Lama’s father used to be a construction worker but the rubble that litters neighbourhoods now makes it difficult to find work.
After the war, World Vision helped Lama’s family address some of their most pressing needs. Lama received a school bag, a school uniform and some stationary, and her family was provided with a cooking stove, a washing machine, an electric heater and a blanket for each member of the family. These modest gifts have had a huge impact on the lives of Lama and her siblings. A small measure of warmth and stability has been brought to their lives and rekindled their hopes for a better tomorrow.
“My family and I are very happy and grateful for the help provided by World Vision… this makes our life much easier and our struggles less.” Lama smiles.
Aside from basic necessities, Lama has also been going to one of our Child Friendly Spaces, where children receive psycho-social support and help processing everything that they have experienced. Among Lama’s favourite activities at the CFS are painting and dancing, especially traditional Dabka dance. The centre gives Lama someplace where she can be a child again – a safe space to run, play, laugh, learn and feel safe and loved.
Like many children in Gaza after the latest conflict, Lama was in urgent need of a warm bed and a reason to keep smiling. Thanks to our supporters World Vision has been able to reach Lama and many other children, but until there is a real change in the harsh reality that the people of Gaza live in, there will always be a need for relief and emergency assistance. Until that change comes, every blanket and smile counts.