A displaced child traces hope and classes at Tal Al-Hawa school

Fatima Sami Sabbah is a pretty, quiet girl with a delicate, shining smile that reflects her pursuit of reclaiming a peaceful life. While being a displaced student in a colorful Safe Learning Space (SLS), she misses her school—the actual building, classes, and facilities.

Along with her peers, 11-year-old Fatima has been studying at SLS located in the “Return” camp in Al-Zawayda, west of Gaza’s middle area. As part of the project “Youth Networks Collaborating Towards Enhanced Well-being and Mental Health for Children and Adolescents.” implemented by the Social Developmental Forum (SDF) in partnership with UNICEF, 12 SLSs were established all over the Gaza Strip to maintain educational prospects for the displaced students.

This is Fatima’s third day in the SLS, studying with her displaced classmates. She is in the fifth grade, attending lessons in a combined class for fourth and fifth graders that aim to foster children’s integration into education.

Recalling her teachers in her “previous school”. Fatima says: “The atmosphere is insightful, different, and special; Miss Sondos teaches us English, Miss Maha teaches math, and Mr. Kanaan teaches Arabic. I miss my school; Tal Al-Hawa Elementary School A & B”.

Like hundreds of other schools in Gaza, it is a United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) school, that has been reduced to rubble. Bordered by the Netzarim military checkpoint dividing the northern and southern Gaza Valley, the school’s location has become one of the most dangerous areas in Gaza.

School is not only about education; it’s about having a normal life after over 365 days of war. Instead of having school mornings, students have had bombings, replacing the sound of alarm clocks and mothers’ morning calls with explosions and bombs.

Reflecting on her dedication, Fatima shared that she was ranked the third in her class and was an active member of the Discipline Committee; “I came here to continue my education because I deeply miss learning,” she says. However, she looks around at her transformed learning environment— instead of a real classroom, a tent filled with posters and educational tools. Likewise, she lives in a poor white makeshift tent, not in a proper home.

Perceiving her vision for the future, She had such a unique perspective: “I want to learn and to develop my skills. I want to pursue my education and never stop for any reason. I want to study abroad because education outside Gaza is better. When I finish, I want to come back to help my country.” she says.

SDF teachers at the SLSs strive to provide a supportive learning environment that reconnects children with their schools and maintains their mental health and well-being. Students, guided by their teachers, have decorated the SLSs with English phrases, math equations, Arabic letters, and quotes from poems. This contribution made the SLS’s atmosphere more educational and supportive.