Thousands of children in Gaza have been using art, poems, and stories to share their hopes for the future.
More than 11,000 children took part in a project called “The Gaza We Want,” organised by UNICEF, the United Nations agency that supports children.
Expressing their hopes
The children, aged 5 to 18, were invited to imagine what they would like Gaza to be like in the future.
They shared their ideas through:
- drawings and paintings
- poems and short stories
- letters and surveys
- murals and small models made from recycled materials
Beautiful Gaza
Name: Jana
We love Gaza deeply,
We love it without fear.
We envision it as a big home
Where children can laugh freely.
We want Gaza to have
Colourful schools,
New notebooks,
And toys in the playgrounds.
We dream of a blue sea
Where we can play safely,
And a sun that shines every day
Without the sounds of war.
We want Gaza
To sleep peacefully at night
And wake up to hope
And blossoming dreams.
Gaza, our city,
We will protect it with love,
Build it with knowledge,
And make it a place of laughter and peace.
Grade 4
Life after conflict
Gaza has experienced more than two years of conflict, and many homes and buildings have been damaged or destroyed. Because of this, many families now live in temporary shelters or tents.
Through their artwork and writing, many children said they hope for simple but important things in the future.
What the children hope for
Many children said they dream about:
- living in safe homes
- going back to school
- playing with friends
- living in peace without war
Gaza that I dream of
Lama, age 13
is not a tent buffeted* by the wind
nor a counter for bloodshed
ticking day and night
I dream of it as dawn
opening its windows to a peaceful sea
as a fisherman
returning with nets full of fish
not riddled with shrapnel*
I dream of it
Writing down the homework
not martyrs’* names
counting the stars in the sky
not warplanes
I dream of it as a mother
waiting for her children to come home from school
not from under the rubble
baking bread
that smells of thyme
not smoke
The Gaza I dream of
is a city that resembles life
walking barefoot on the sand
laughing
unsubmissive* to the world.
Art that tells a story
UNICEF says these drawings and poems are more than just art. They help the world understand what children living through conflict are experiencing and what they hope for in the future.
Even after difficult times, many children in Gaza continue to dream of peace, safety, and a chance to live a normal childhood.
Photo Credits: UNICEF
