Rebuilding Lives: Your Support Brings Us Hope

I am Hadeel Al-Gharbawi, a journalist and community activist. Today, I started setting up an educational tent affiliated with Al-Jawad Educational Camp in Deir Al-Balah Governorate to educate marginalized displaced children

On a warm autumn morning, the air was cool, but the hope in Hadeel Al-Gharbawi’s heart felt warmer than the sun itself. Hadeel, the prominent journalist and community activist, had chosen to start her day differently. It was not just an ordinary day, but the beginning of a new journey where she had committed herself to bringing hope to children who had lost everything in the midst of war and displacement.

For years, Hadeel had witnessed the suffering of children in refugee camps through her work in media and humanitarian fields. They lived under harsh conditions, and their dreams of education faded day by day under the weight of the ongoing crises. But today, that dream was getting closer to becoming a reality.

Hadeel decided to take a bold step. She began working on establishing an “Educational Tent” in the Al-Jawad Educational Camp, located in the Dier Al-Balah Governorate. The camp housed thousands of displaced people who had fled conflict zones, and often, the children there faced great difficulty accessing basic education due to a lack of schools, teachers, and proper facilities.

The beginning of this project was a simple idea, but it was a big dream for those children: an “Educational Tent”, a safe space where children could learn, play, and experience moments of hope. With a team of volunteer teachers and collective efforts to provide learning materials, the tent began to take shape.

On the first day of the project, the sky was overcast, but Hadeel’s heart was bright. She began organizing the space, setting up small classrooms. The tent was decorated with educational posters and bright colors, and she promised the children that they would not be mere victims of war, but that they would have a bright future. In those moments, she felt that the change she had always dreamed of was beginning to take place.

The children entered the tent with curious and hopeful eyes, taking their first steps toward new knowledge. Hadeel stood in the corner, observing, while her heart beat strongly. Every laugh, every question, every smile from the children reminded her that this project was not just a place for learning, but a safe haven filled with the potential for change and renewed hope.

As the days passed, the tent began to transform into a center of light. It was not only because of the education it provided, but also because it became a hub for social activities, where everyone in the camp, both young and old, worked together to build an environment that fostered cooperation and solidarity. Workshops for girls were organized, sports activities were held, and discussions were arranged for the children about how to face the challenges they were going through.

Hadeel was not alone in this project. Many volunteers offered their help with love, working alongside her to collect donations for educational supplies, organize cultural trips for the children, and provide psychological support for those who had suffered from the horrors of war.

Gradually, the tent began to turn into a new space of hope, where the families in the camp realized that education was the most powerful tool they had to confront life’s challenges. The children of “Al-Jawad Tent” became more optimistic and proud of themselves, especially as they acquired new skills and knowledge that helped them build a different future.

At the end of each day, Hadeel would stand at the door of the tent, watching the children head back to their homes, a faint smile on her face. She knew that what she was offering was not just education, but a beam of light in a dark path, and a new seed of hope she had planted in the hearts of these children.

Over time, “Al-Jawad Tent” became an example for others throughout the region, a symbol of individual and community efforts to build the future despite immense challenges.