Today, I Sell Chips, but Tomorrow, I Will Be a Doctor

The Israeli occupation transformed me from a distinguished university student to a salesperson, selling chips in a small stall. Every day, I wake up early in the morning to help my mother prepare chips and sweets. Then, I put them on a tray and go to the school yard. I sit there all day until I sell everything we prepared. The cold was biting in the winter, and now the sun’s heat is intense, but I am determined to help my family and save some money for them.

I used to live with my family in Wadi Gaza village, also known as Juhar Al-Dik village, northeast of the central governorate of Gaza. My father obtained an apartment in Tika Towers from the Ministry of Social Development several years ago. This was our home until we evacuated to an UNRWA school in Nuseirat camp on the first day of the war, where we have been living for more than seven months.

All of us who lived in Tika Towers are from the poorer segments of Gaza. The Palestinian government granted us residential apartments overseen by Turkey several years ago. None of us owned houses; we lived in small rooms or rented apartments. For over seven years, we had been living in our own apartments east of the Juhar Al-Dik area.

I lived half of my life in rented apartments and the other half in our apartment in Tika Towers. The apartment we obtained from the government was small, but we loved it. It was the first home we lived in securely, without my father having to pay for our housing. Our home symbolized everything beautiful in our lives.

During the first days of Israel’s war, my family, the residents of Tika Towers, and the residents of Juhar Al-Dik moved to UNRWA shelters, as we lived very close to the eastern border of the Gaza Strip. The occupation targeted the area with dozens of rockets, forcing us to flee in search of safety.

We spent the first month of the war in shelters. We returned home during the first truce at the end of last November to check on our house in Juhar Al-Dik. We found great destruction in the area, and after the truce, which lasted for seven days, the occupation bombed Tika Towers, Hamad Towers, and Kuwaiti Towers. The occupation destroyed all residential towers in the Juhar Al-Dik area, depriving thousands of families of housing.

All of these families, including mine, did not own a house before obtaining residential apartments in the Juhar Al-Dik area. Now, thousands of families have returned to their original suffering. The occupation has destroyed their homes and apartments, taking away the greatest joy in our lives.

The occupation also bombed the school-turned-shelter we lived in twice during the war, killing and injuring many displaced people. The first time, I was playing volleyball in the school yard and narrowly escaped the bombing. Many were injured. The second time, a few days ago, I was selling food at my small stall, and only God saved me. But even the school-turned-shelter we evacuated to is being bombed by the occupation. We don’t feel safe here either.

I am very afraid of the bombings and the sound of the rockets. When I hear the bombing, I grab the chip tray and run into my mother’s classroom. We live in a classroom with ten other families. My sister and I sleep on one mattress. We don’t have food every day, and finding water is very difficult. We cook by lighting fires, and my father spends all day searching for firewood to prepare meals. I earn very little from selling, but it helps us in these difficult days. Our lives have been painful and harsh since the first day of the Israeli war on Gaza.

I am a student at Wafa Al Amer School in the area of Juhar Al-Dik. I study in the second preparatory grade. I am one of the best students, thank God. I receive certificates of appreciation at the end of each year for my excellence in all subjects, and I am honoured by the school administration for my high grades.

Before the war, my father, who is 41 years old, worked as a craftsman in tiling. Work was not always available in Gaza due to the difficult financial circumstances of the people because of the 17-year Israeli blockade imposed on the Strip. The blockade began four years before my birth. My family suffered financially because of the blockade, and now they suffer even more due to the war.

My father made sure to provide me with all the school supplies and necessities I would need. I study in a school affiliated with the Palestinian government, not an UNRWA school, due to the distance between my residential area and UNRWA schools. My parents always encouraged me to study and strive to excel in all subjects. I studied hard to bring them the happiness they desire.

My school, Wafa Al Amer, was not spared from the Israeli occupation’s bombing. The occupation aircraft bombed the school and destroyed it. The occupation not only destroyed our homes, but also bombed the school where I had memories of my first steps in education. The occupation deprived us of housing and our right to education. I loved my school very much, and I loved my teachers and classmates. I have beautiful memories there because I was well known for my academic distinction. But the occupation destroyed everything that brought us joy.

Since I was young, I have dreamed of becoming a skilled doctor. I have worked hard in my studies since the first grade to achieve this ambition. I wanted to have a high and distinguished GPA for when I reach the stage of general secondary education. I want my GPA to qualify me for a scholarship to study medicine, as my father’s circumstances do not allow him to afford the university fees. This is why I study and strive to achieve this dream. This is my primary goal in life.

But the occupation bombed my school and destroyed it. I have been living in a shelter since the beginning of the war. Today, everyone sees me as a chip and homemade sweets seller at the shelter. People do not know that I am one of the highest-achieving students in my studies and that I have big ambitions, which I will achieve soon.

Today, people see the 14-year-old girl, Aseel, as a chip seller in the shelter, but tomorrow they will see Dr. Aseel, who refused to surrender, challenged all obstacles, continued studying, worked hard, and achieved her dream. Today we are displaced, but tomorrow the war will stop, and we will return to rebuild our homes. I will continue studying until I achieve my dream.

I am happy that I can help my family with their expenses during this war. My parents dedicated their lives to me and my siblings. Today, I stand by them and help them overcome these circumstances. Soon, I will be able to achieve my dream and theirs, and they will all be proud of me. This war will not be able to kill my dreams or prevent me from achieving them.

My little sister, Rital, helps me sell every day. Rital dreams of becoming an engineer and rebuilding what the occupation destroyed during this war. My dream is to become a doctor and help my people with their medical needs, as the occupation has killed and injured tens of thousands during this war.

I’ve lost many relatives and know many who were wounded during the war. I’ve lost all the members of my aunt’s family. I’ve lost many of my classmates. The occupation has separated me from my classmates, relatives, and neighbours. I hope the war ends, we return to Juhar Al-Dik soon, and that our house is rebuilt quickly. I am ready to live in a tent to continue my education, even at a school made of tents. I am ready to do anything to achieve my dream and make my parents and family proud of me. The war now stands between me and achieving my dreams. I hope it ends soon so we can return to diligence and hard work to achieve our goals in life.