Gaza orphans to overcome difficult reality for brighter future
Gaza orphans to overcome difficult reality for brighter future
13:45, November 06, 2009 
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Ten years after his parents passed away, Mahmoud Eid, a Palestinian orphan, has been struggling to make a living for himself and his five brothers and sisters in the blockaded Gaza Strip.
The 21-year-old Eid, a short and slim student at al-Aqsa University in the city, who takes care of his five brothers and sisters, said he had been trying to turn dark moments of his life into brighter ones in hopes of a normal life that doesn't have any social problems.
"All I'm looking for is to end the homeless life that we have lived after my father and mother died. I simply want to change this reality and reunite the family in one house since my brothers and sisters have lived in Gaza orphans house when they were kids," Eid told Xinhua.
Eid is eager to find a job right after he graduates from college next year in order to bring his family from al-Amal Orphans House and live together with dignity. "I hope I can do this and overcome all the difficulties we face," said Eid.
"To live ten years without parents and a house is not easy for me as the eldest boy in the family. I shoulder a heavy responsibility in front of the hard life to find a secure shelter and a good living condition," said Eid.
Eid said that they had lived over the past 10 years at al-Amal Orphans House, with other orphan children "that some of them even didn't know their parents and others came from streets."
Gaza-based rights groups said there were 5,200 Palestinian orphans living in Gaza under a tight Israeli blockade which caused a high percentage of poverty and unemployment there.
The rights groups define an orphan as someone who is less than 18 years old and has either lost his both parents and his father who in Arab and Moslem communities is the only breadwinner for a family.
"These hard days taught me how to shoulder the responsibility to struggle against the challenges of life especially in an area like the Gaza Strip. I have tried and will never give up trying to live one day a normal life in our own house," said Eid.
After Eid turned 18 years old and finished high school, he and his younger brother left al-Amal Orphans House, the only orphans house in the Gaza Strip, and went to live at their uncle's house. However, he said the sad question for him was that his other four sisters and brothers still live at the orphans' house.
The Gaza Strip needs more orphans care centers or houses such as Al-Amal Orphans House, which was established 60 years ago by several Gaza men of charity and received aids from Gaza society as well as from Arab and foreign countries.
Mahmoud Eid said he could never forget the years he lived at the al-Amal house, especially his friends and the pictures he painted there, adding that his food, clothing and second-hand toys were all donated by charity organizations or individuals.
"The condition at the orphans' house was hard for those who lost their parents. But that didn't break our determination to tide over difficulties, and now I am excellent in college," said Eid.
He added that those who were in charge of the house "treated us well. They were trying to meet our needs and care for us like parents".
"I owe the orphans' house a lot. I believe that when I graduate, find a job and take my other four brothers and sisters to live in one house, I will keep in contact with the orphans' house and when I become financially able I will also send donations to help other orphans," said Eid.
"They usually leave the house about 18, after high school, but the house keeps financing their further education," said al-Atawna, a supervisor at al-Amal Orphans House.
For instance, Eid came to stay at the house when he was eight years old and stayed at house for 10 years. Then he left there three years ago as he jointed the faculty of arts in university because he wanted to become a painter.
The difficult life of Mahmoud Eid reflects the life of hundreds of orphans that most of them are still in need for a better care and also have the will to start a brighter future.
According to official figures, 1,500 children became orphans in the Gaza Strip after the destructive war there last winter.
Ahmed al-Kurd, minister of social welfare in Hamas-ruled government said the living conditions of orphans "are difficult," adding that his ministry had adopted thousands of orphans, "but the ministry is facing difficulties to give them all what they need due to the Israeli siege."
Source: Xinhua
The 21-year-old Eid, a short and slim student at al-Aqsa University in the city, who takes care of his five brothers and sisters, said he had been trying to turn dark moments of his life into brighter ones in hopes of a normal life that doesn't have any social problems.
"All I'm looking for is to end the homeless life that we have lived after my father and mother died. I simply want to change this reality and reunite the family in one house since my brothers and sisters have lived in Gaza orphans house when they were kids," Eid told Xinhua.
Eid is eager to find a job right after he graduates from college next year in order to bring his family from al-Amal Orphans House and live together with dignity. "I hope I can do this and overcome all the difficulties we face," said Eid.
"To live ten years without parents and a house is not easy for me as the eldest boy in the family. I shoulder a heavy responsibility in front of the hard life to find a secure shelter and a good living condition," said Eid.
Eid said that they had lived over the past 10 years at al-Amal Orphans House, with other orphan children "that some of them even didn't know their parents and others came from streets."
Gaza-based rights groups said there were 5,200 Palestinian orphans living in Gaza under a tight Israeli blockade which caused a high percentage of poverty and unemployment there.
The rights groups define an orphan as someone who is less than 18 years old and has either lost his both parents and his father who in Arab and Moslem communities is the only breadwinner for a family.
"These hard days taught me how to shoulder the responsibility to struggle against the challenges of life especially in an area like the Gaza Strip. I have tried and will never give up trying to live one day a normal life in our own house," said Eid.
After Eid turned 18 years old and finished high school, he and his younger brother left al-Amal Orphans House, the only orphans house in the Gaza Strip, and went to live at their uncle's house. However, he said the sad question for him was that his other four sisters and brothers still live at the orphans' house.
The Gaza Strip needs more orphans care centers or houses such as Al-Amal Orphans House, which was established 60 years ago by several Gaza men of charity and received aids from Gaza society as well as from Arab and foreign countries.
Mahmoud Eid said he could never forget the years he lived at the al-Amal house, especially his friends and the pictures he painted there, adding that his food, clothing and second-hand toys were all donated by charity organizations or individuals.
"The condition at the orphans' house was hard for those who lost their parents. But that didn't break our determination to tide over difficulties, and now I am excellent in college," said Eid.
He added that those who were in charge of the house "treated us well. They were trying to meet our needs and care for us like parents".
"I owe the orphans' house a lot. I believe that when I graduate, find a job and take my other four brothers and sisters to live in one house, I will keep in contact with the orphans' house and when I become financially able I will also send donations to help other orphans," said Eid.
"They usually leave the house about 18, after high school, but the house keeps financing their further education," said al-Atawna, a supervisor at al-Amal Orphans House.
For instance, Eid came to stay at the house when he was eight years old and stayed at house for 10 years. Then he left there three years ago as he jointed the faculty of arts in university because he wanted to become a painter.
The difficult life of Mahmoud Eid reflects the life of hundreds of orphans that most of them are still in need for a better care and also have the will to start a brighter future.
According to official figures, 1,500 children became orphans in the Gaza Strip after the destructive war there last winter.
Ahmed al-Kurd, minister of social welfare in Hamas-ruled government said the living conditions of orphans "are difficult," adding that his ministry had adopted thousands of orphans, "but the ministry is facing difficulties to give them all what they need due to the Israeli siege."
Source: Xinhua
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