RAFIF ESLEEM

Gaza-Women living in IDP camps in western Gaza look for ways to hold on to life despite the devastating effects of war. Women, whose houses were destroyed by Israel’s attacks, make great efforts to rebuild their lives, planting plants, vegetables and colored flowers in pots, and decorating them with stones.

 She planted basil, mint and roses

Rahifa Shahin, a displaced woman in Gaza, decided to plant plants and flowers around her tent in order to create a space, where people can sit, chat and find psychological support.

Rahifa Shahin loves the color green. Although she set up her tent on the ruins of a residential building, she never gives up coloring her environment by planting basil, mint and roses around her tent.

“I want to contribute to the preservation of the environmental heritage in the Gaza Strip,” she told NuJINHA. “I could bring several plastic pots and some items from my destroyed house. I washed them all and started using them again. I used some of them as pots.”

Rahifa Shahin also decorated her tent. “I have divided the tent into three sections: a kitchen, a bedroom, and a separate space for my little daughter. This tent has become my home now. I have rebuilt a life here amid the war and destruction. Creating such a space for myself is the only way for me to endure the ongoing Israeli airstrikes.”

When people see her tent, they feel happy because “They can get away from the heavy atmosphere of death and destruction. This tent proves that there is beauty, stories and laughter amid war. As women, we must resist even in tents.”

‘We do our best to preserve our values’

“All women of Gaza have a strong connection with nature,” said Naima Sahweil, another displaced woman living in a tent. Naima Shaweil has planted vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, mint and basil around her due to high prices of vegetables. “However, we face water outages. Due to the ongoing water outages, I cannot water my vegetables. As Palestinian women, we do our best to preserve our values everywhere, even in tents.”