Still Waiting for School

Jumana Al-Bitar… Still Waiting for Her School

Jumana, 10, was supposed to be in third grade. But war and displacement kept her out of school.

Jumana and her family were displaced from Al-Tuffah in eastern Gaza to a camp in Al-Rimal, in central Gaza City. There, she could not find a nearby, safe school to attend. During the war, she also lost her father, while her two brothers were injured in a strike on a school they had sought shelter in in Deir Al-Balah.

After being out of school for so long, Jumana had not learned even the letters well and needed to start from the beginning. But financial difficulties and the distance to learning spaces made that difficult.

She spends her time helping her family, playing with children in the camp, drawing, and memorizing the Quran with her friends. Still, she keeps asking her mother to let her go to school and learn.

One day, Jumana dreams of becoming a doctor.

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