In Deir al-Balah, nine-year-old Ratib Abu Qleq still holds on to a simple dream.
He wants to play and run again. Living in a shelter inside a school, Ratib tries to reclaim a part of his childhood despite losing his mother and younger brother and suffering an injury that led to the amputation of his right leg.
Ratib was on a short family visit to Khan Younis with his mother and younger brother, Hamid, when a nearby vehicle was targeted.
In a single moment, he lost his mother and brother and suffered severe injuries that changed his life forever. He was later taken with his sister and brother to Deir al-Balah, where they now live under the care of their uncle and grandmother. Their father remains abroad for work.
.jpeg)
Despite everything he has been through, Ratib has not stopped trying to play.
He watches his friends run and tries to find his own way to stand and walk alongside them. Getting a prosthetic leg is not easy in Gaza, so he made a simple artificial leg from a plastic tube. It helps him stand and take hesitant steps.
.jpeg)
Ratib’s uncle says one of the most painful moments was when Ratib asked about his missing leg.
When he was told that it had been buried with his mother, he simply replied, “I’ll go to the grave and get my leg back.”
.jpeg)
Ratib loved playing football before his life changed. Today, he still dreams of running again and getting a prosthetic leg that could help him regain part of his childhood. He also has a bigger dream. He wants to grow up to become an engineer and help rebuild what the war has destroyed.
.jpeg)
