Gaza teacher brings education to displaced children amidst devastation

In the aftermath of a devastating conflict in Gaza, English teacher Tareq al-Ennabi emerges as a beacon of resilience, setting up a makeshift classroom for displaced children in the south of the Gaza Strip.

Two months ago, a historic attack by Hamas fighters on Israel escalated tensions, resulting in 240 hostages and the loss of 1,200 lives, predominantly civilians, according to Israeli officials.

As the conflict unfolded, schools in Gaza transformed into shelters or stood abandoned. Tareq al-Ennabi, 25, forced to leave his United Nations-run school in Gaza City besieged by Israeli tanks, has now found an alternative way to continue teaching.

In the courtyard of a local school repurposed as a makeshift camp, he educates around 40 boys and girls of all ages, using slates and chalk funded by small donations.

The once bustling classrooms now house families seeking refuge, highlighting the dire conditions faced by those displaced.

Undeterred, Ennabi teaches outdoors, providing lessons to children deprived of a formal education due to the ravages of war.

Wearing a grey sweater and jeans, with a neatly-trimmed black beard, Ennabi monitors his young pupils’ efforts as they learn to write “I love Palestine” in both Arabic and English.

Among them is Layan, a 10-year-old girl, who, despite the challenges, expresses her aspirations to become an English teacher when she grows older.

For Ennabi, teaching English during these challenging times is an act of defiance. He not only aims to bring back smiles to children’s faces but also empowers them to be heard globally by teaching them English.

While currently teaching alone, he envisions rallying more volunteers to expand this educational initiative.

In Gaza, where poverty and unemployment rates are staggering, education becomes a casualty of repeated conflicts and a prolonged Israeli blockade.

The current war, as reported by the Hamas government, has partially destroyed 266 schools, rendering 67 completely unusable.

In this landscape of adversity, Ennabi’s commitment to providing education against all odds stands as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.