Reflections from Gaza

4 June 2009

Clarissa Balan, Executive Secretary, Advocacy and Programmes, for the World Alliance of YMCAs, reflects on a visit to Gaza YMCA in April 2009, to see their ongoing humanitarian work with young people, which Y Care International has helped to fund.

Everyone who lives in Gaza has a story to tell: whether it’s the loss of a loved one, the destruction of a home, factory or agricultural land, the loss of a livelihood, the ‘adventure’ of crossing the border into Egypt to attend a son’s wedding or seek essential medical care. The first time I tried to enter Gaza, a family was sleeping at the parking lot outside the checkpoint. They had been there for four days awaiting permission to enter Gaza where they live – it turns out they had exceeded the number of days they were allowed out of the Strip!

Visiting Gaza, it is hard not to be appalled and moved by what one sees. There is destruction everywhere: once houses or residential buildings, schools, factories and public institutions now just a pile of rubble. It is hard not to be moved to anger at the continued blockade, which prevents people from forgetting and gathering the broken pieces of their lives so that they can start again. Instead, one has to continue to contend with the trauma of the past because with the blockade, nothing enters and nothing goes out of the borders; neither machinery to clear out the debris nor construction materials to enable rebuilding.

And yet people still struggle on with their lives: there is freshly tilled land beside temporary shelters, weddings are still held every Friday, children are going to school, Muslim prayers are uttered from loudspeakers – all the signs of ordinary life are there although the situation is anything but ordinary.

Gaza has a population of 1.5 million, 45% of which are children and young people aged 15 and under. According to Save the Children, during the conflict around 500,000 people - including 280,000 children - were forced flee from their homes and whole neighborhoods were destroyed. Tents were put up to serve as temporary shelters, most of them lacking basic amenities such as water and electricity. It is estimated that at least 100,000 people are still displaced, including tens of thousands of children. 

The impact of the blockade has been severe as only humanitarian items have been allowed in and virtually no exports permitted since 2007, causing paralysis of the Gazan economy. Fuel shortages and a lack of spare parts have had a knock-on effect on sewage treatment, waste collection, water supplies and medical facilities. In human terms, the blockade has resulted in a deterioration of living conditions for the majority of the population. Children have been particularly vulnerable, with most of them suffering from malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies.
 
Gaza YMCAs emergency response, December 2008-January 2009
During the Israeli military operations, Gaza YMCA focused its emergency work on the distribution of blankets and mattresses, cleaning products, clothes and hygiene kits to displaced families who found shelter in UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) schools. Meals were also provided to these families. At the same time, the YMCA organized arts and sports activities for the children. After the conflict, this work continued for a week in the UNRWA schools. During this time, a total of 2,500 children took part in the psychosocial programmes and 7,000 people benefited from the meals distributed in 'gathering points' across the Gaza Strip. In addition, Gaza YMCA worked with four other organisations to build temporary shelters for 18 families and distributed over 300 water tanks.

Ongoing Humanitarian Work, March – September 2009

A major component of Gaza YMCA’s humanitarian work is focused on addressing the trauma that the children of Gaza were subjected to during the three weeks of conflict through the implementation of psychosocial programmes. There are four centres where the YMCA conducts its psychosocial programmes. These centres are based in colourful tents and serve around 2,000 children aged between 7 and 16 years and employ 35 animators. It is envisaged that these programmes will continue to run until September 2009. The programme is divided into five topics, including health and hygiene, environment, social studies, art and theatre, as well as recreation and sports. Psychosocial activities are integrated in these topics. Most - if not all - of the participants live in difficult circumstances as a result of the war: their houses and livelihoods have been destroyed, some have lost family members, a few have been orphaned and most come from poor families whose parents are agricultural workers.

YMCA animators who work with the children in the centres have noted the impact of the military operations on children, such as increased aggressiveness and hostility, fear, forgetfulness and a decreased interest in socializing with friends and other children. These observations were confirmed in a survey undertaken by Care International immediately after the conflict. The findings reported that 95% of the households surveyed reported a high level of fear among children, with more than half of all children suffering from bed-wetting, general weakness, nervousness, increased aggressiveness, sleeplessness, nightmares, and headaches or stomach aches.

Heba Elattar, a mother of three young children, is an animator at one of the centres. When asked what she found rewarding in her work, she replied that it was knowing that she is able to ease the psychological burden that the children were carrying as a result of the war. The behavioural changes that have been observed in them such as improved social skills, less aggression and better hygiene all indicate that the programme is having a positive impact. She summed up the effect of the programme on children in one word: happiness, as seen from the children’s smiles, the self-confidence they exude in their artwork or while engaged in sports, and their ability to communicate and express their feelings.
 
Heba herself has suffered as a result of the conflict: her house and everything in it have been destroyed, her father’s livestock, which consisted of 15,000 poultry, have all died, while her uncle’s food processing plant was destroyed. To date, they have not received any help from any public or private organization and neither are they hopeful that they will be able to get their livelihood back. However, she said, what is worse is the constant fear and worry she feels for her children and family in the event of another military attack. She has a bag of clothes ready anytime they are forced to leave and seek shelter elsewhere.

The future
As I met Issa Saba, the General Secretary of the YMCA, he expressed the YMCA’s appreciation for the support received from YMCAs and sympathizers in many parts of the world during this time. The solidarity from the YMCA movement was a great source of strength at a time when it was hard to see beyond their pain, suffering and loss. 

One of the realizations of the YMCA’s work with children and young people is the fact that poverty plays an influential role in their ability to participate in the programme, as well as their capacity to adopt to the changes in their lives as a result of the conflict. In the course of their work, the YMCA noted that most of the parents of the participants in the psychosocial programmes are either unemployed or have had their livelihoods destroyed. Depending on funds being available, the YMCA would like to be able to offer concrete support for the poorest children and their families in their centres in the short term and be able to assist in the restoration of their livelihoods in the longer term.

Concluding remarks
In Gaza, one quickly realizes that there are very few places where anyone, regardless of age or religion, can come and feel welcome and secure. In this sense, the YMCA is like an oasis. It is the converging point for the city’s social and cultural life - a place where children can celebrate their birthday and do what children are supposed to do, a sanctuary for people in need of quiet or connection with others and a space where young people can hang out with their friends. But the YMCA is also more than that: it is an organization that believes that young people are the key to Gaza's future and has been able to effectively translate this belief into programmes and activities that enable young people to fulfill their potential and to grow in terms of knowledge, skills and self-esteem. Most of all, the YMCA is an organization that gives young people hope and when there is hope, a future with peace and justice enters the realm of the possible.