Imagine the blue skies that you always looked up to while going about your daily life as a child are suddenly darkened and filled with military planes making thunderous sounds as they fly over your homeland. Sadly, this is the reality for 7-year-old Nana of Gaza. She is directly affected by a war that she had nothing to do with just like millions of other residents in Gaza. Her aunt’s house and her grandfather’s house have been destroyed as a result of this war. Nana explains her future plans beginning with the phrase “if we stay alive” meaning that even though she is a child, she understands the severity of the war going on and that her life is always in danger.

Although the war in Gaza has brought a lot of negativity and hardships into Nana’s life, she uses drawing as an outlet. After waves of bombing, Nana drew a picture of her and a house with clear blue skies with only a few clouds in the background. Her drawing is very heartwarming to see that even in a time of crisis when it feels like her normal life was taken away from her, she still has hope that things will get better. Many in Gaza are unsure if they will even survive the war with the constant bombing going on but Nana’s drawing gives them hope that they may be able to go back their normal lives one day.

Sources:

https://www.savethechildren.org/us/charity-stories/child-story-from-gaza