“Children must learn, even in the heart of the fire, that there are basic needs. Children currently carry the burdens of fetching water, sitting in a tent, fleeing bombardments, enduring sudden displacement, and facing constant instability. All of this can strip the children of their value system, which is the most important thing we possess and keeps us rooted in our land. After more than a year of destruction amidst the silence of the world.”
This is how Hiba Abed, We Love Reading Ambassador in Gaza, described the situation. Hiba started holding reading sessions for children in Gaza, which she described as spiritual nourishment for them, teaching them from the depths of destruction that the war is fought within their minds and instilling in them a commitment to values, no matter the challenges they face.
Hiba learned about the program as a biology teacher who had attended several sessions led by prof. Rana Dajani, the program’s founder, discussing biology and the role of We Love Reading as an intervention that impacts communities on many levels, as proven by research and studies. Despite being unable to fully access the online training due to Gaza’s exclusion from many services, including internet access, and despite the lack of stories and basic living necessities, Hiba used tent fabric to establish a learning center for children. She downloaded a few children’s stories available on the We Love Reading website to read to them.
Hiba was profoundly influenced by the philosophy of We Love Reading and its importance at all times and in all places for instilling values in children, releasing emotional anger, and changing children’s behavior. She shares: “Children in Gaza are born without access to basic needs, but we cannot abandon our beliefs as well. The meanings of things have changed for children; rain, which once brought joy, has become a source of anxiety and fear of flooding. That is just one of the simplest examples.”
Like the rest of Gaza’s residents, Hiba endures all forms of genocide. She says: “We are its generation, its witnesses, and its victims. There isn’t a single family that hasn’t suffered loss; some have lost every member of their family and all their possessions, leaving them alone to endure grief and pain. But we remain connected to our land, values, and morals. Despite all this destruction, we sought to follow the light, take responsibility, initiate positive change, and save what can be saved even if the home is a tent and the era is one of war.”
Hiba chose to pursue the light amidst the war through read aloud sessions, nurturing her passion for reading, and engaging children. Sometimes it allows them to escape destruction with their imagination; other times, it deepens their understanding of life, identity, and their role on earth. According to Hiba, this strengthens their core values and reshapes their moral framework.