A voice from Gaza : Aya
Hello everyone,
Here is Aya’s introduction, Aya is a student from Gaza who dreams of reaching her goal and is continuing towards it !
Here is her testimony
My name is Aya, and since I was a little girl, I dreamed of becoming a successful person. I always wanted to study English because I loved the language and admired the kindness and empathy many foreigners showed toward us. Their support and humanity made me want to communicate with them and understand their world, so learning English became my biggest passion.
Life in Gaza was beautiful and peaceful. Your loved ones and relatives were around you, and you felt safe among them, between the walls of your home and its garden. I was only 16 years old when the war broke out. I was very hardworking in my studies and completed 12 levels. Unfortunately, my graduation ceremony was on the same Saturday when the war started, and I was not able to take my certificate that proves my ability to speak English.
Life in Gaza used to be quiet and safe, surrounded by all our loved ones. But one day, everything changed. A war broke out. I don’t want to get into political matters, but I did not feel at ease on the 7th of October. Deep inside, I felt that something was coming, that a war might change everything.
But life was not easy. During the war, my father lost his job, and suddenly my family had no source of income. Everything became difficult, especially the dream of going to university. The tuition fees were too expensive, and for a moment, I felt hopeless and thought my dream would disappear.
We had a big and beautiful house, and we were forced to leave it without our clothes or anything, only a sleeping mattress. We had to leave on the first day because our area was dangerous.
Now we are living on the roof of a building consisting of two rooms and one bathroom. The room I am living in now is made of strong nylon, which makes it very hot in summer and very cold in winter.
However, I refused to give up. I believed that dreams are worth fighting for, no matter how hard life becomes. So, I created a fundraising campaign to help me pay my university fees and continue studying the major I have loved since childhood.
I created this link to help me pay my university fees, transportation, and book costs. It really helped me, and now I am about to finish my first year at university thanks to my friends and loved ones here.
My story is not only about hardship; it is about hope, determination, and believing that even in the darkest times, we can still hold on to our dreams and keep moving forward.
I entrust you with everything and my love, and I hope you do not leave me and that I can become a translator for news channels in the future so I can deliver the truth to you.
And indeed, on the 9th of October, the situation escalated in Rafah, where we lived in an eastern area. It became dangerous, and we were forced to leave and move to Al-Jneina neighborhood in the middle of Rafah. At that time, no one could go back to the eastern areas.
After three months, the people of the neighborhood gathered themselves and we returned to our homes. After that, on the night of 27/12, they bombed my uncle’s house, which was next to ours. That night, my cousin was martyred 💔.
Afterwards, we moved again to live in Al-Jneina. Then Rafah was evacuated, and we were displaced without taking anything because of the dangerous situation and continuous bombing. We couldn’t carry anything—we survived only with our lives.
We stayed in the central area, in Al-Zawaida, for a year. Then news came of a temporary ceasefire, and we returned to Rafah with hearts full of hope and love. We spent some of the most beautiful days of my life there.
And then, once again, we were displaced, with no return to our home.
Question and Answer
Hello Aya, and thank you for agreeing to answer these few questions so we can get to know you better.
This “interview” will be divided into 4 sections: Life in Rafah before, the turning point, the present, and a conclusion.
Life in Gaza
How would you describe life in Gaza before you were forced to leave, for people who have never been there? I finished my secondary school studies during the war with an average of 95.3, and this was my biggest achievement—reaching this grade despite the war, displacement, and famine.
What is your educational and professional background? My main focus in my studies was translation and the English language.
Do you still have any family? Are you still in touch with them? Yes, I am living with my family, and I am in constant contact with them.
The turning point
The trigger was the targeting of our relative’s house and the martyrdom of his son, as he lived in the same neighborhood. We gathered a few clothes in school bags and our bedding, and we waited in the street for hours to find a car that could take us to a safer place, while there were almost explosions every half hour.
The concrete present
How many dollar week and what does that allow you to buy? I might get fifty, maybe less per week, and there are weeks with nothing.
Do your have internet access for their studies? I have internet access, and that’s the only good thing here. Internet cards are available, and we buy a card for ten hours of internet access each time.
Is there mutual aid, and how is it organized? We receive a food parcel from the World Food Programme maybe every two months. It contains a kilogram of sugar, a kilogram of rice, four bottles of oil, and some canned good
Conclusion
If you could speak to everyone, what would you say to them? I would like to thank them all for helping me collect donations and register for my first semester. I hope they will help me finish my university studies, and I want them to know that I feel a lot of gratitude and love for them.