"Childhood Yearnings in Gaza: A Peek into a Nine-Year-Old Girl's Day"
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In the heart of Gaza, where the ongoing conflict has been raging for nearly two years, nine-year-old Lama, known as Lolo, dreams of a normal childhood. She wishes for birthdays, holidays, and the simple joy of going to school, just like children everywhere else. But her dreams are far from reality.
Lama's statements were shared with Palestinian writer Plestia Alaqad, painting a vivid picture of the harsh realities faced by children like her. More than 90% of Gaza’s educational facilities have been destroyed or rendered inoperable, forcing over 650,000 children out of school since late 2023.
Lama, who should be in grade five, is one of the many children whose education has been severely disrupted. The destruction of schools and universities in Gaza is systematic and massive, with many educators and students losing their lives in military operations. This educational collapse, recognised internationally as "scholasticide," indicates a deliberate undermining of Palestinian education and cultural identity.
Lama's daily routine is far from the normality of a school day. She spends her days trying to secure basic necessities such as food, water, and firewood due to extreme shortages and a near-total blockade that has pushed Gaza to the brink of famine. Many children, like Lama, live in crowded shelters or tent camps with families displaced by war.
The psychological, social, and developmental consequences of prolonged school closure are severe. Schools not only provide education but also routine, safety, and normalcy that children desperately need. Attempts at alternative education opportunities have been minimal and interrupted by ongoing hostilities.
Lama misses the routine of attending school, particularly her favourite subject, maths. She wonders about the safety of her teacher, Noor, who made learning fun. Before the war, Lama had a best friend named Ellien, but she hasn't seen her since the conflict began. Lama misses them both dearly.
Even though Lama has been studying online in grades one and two due to Covid, the lack of a physical school and the instability of her current life make learning a challenge. She misses the simple pleasures of eating pizza, candy, and croissants, which her home used to provide before the war.
Lama is counting the days for the war to finish, but until then, she continues to live a life marked by trauma, survival challenges, and the absence of formal education. Her story reflects the broader critical humanitarian crisis faced by Gaza's children two years into the conflict.
- The ongoing conflict in Israel and Palestine, particularly in Gaza, has resulted in general news about war and conflicts dominating the world.
- Lama, a nine-year-old girl living in Gaza, dreams of returning to education-and-self-development, a part of the world that has been disrupted by the devastation caused by the ongoing conflict.
- Despite the devastation of educational facilities in Gaza, politics and international recognition of the educational crisis as "scholasticide" highlight the deliberate undermining of Palestinian education and cultural identity.
- Online education has become a minimal source of learning for children like Lama, who are missing out on essential social interaction and a normal school environment.
- The absence of formal education, combined with the harsh realities of war-and-conflicts, has created severe psychological, social, and developmental consequences for children in Gaza like Lama, whose story is a tragic example of the critical humanitarian crisis faced by them.
