My name is Abdullah Abu Warda. I am a student, a writer, and an aspiring journalist from Gaza.
When people hear the word ‘Gaza’, they often think of war, destruction, and statistics. They hear numbers: how many were killed, how many were displaced, and how many homes were destroyed. But behind every number is a human story.
Before the war, I was building my future.
In 2022, I graduated from high school with a score of 98.1%, one of the highest grades in my area. I was proud of my achievement and determined to continue my education. I enrolled at university to study English Language and Translation, while nurturing a growing passion for journalism and storytelling. I also began writing articles for Al-Quds newspaper, believing that journalism could help people understand each other beyond politics and headlines.
Life in Gaza is never easy
Life in Gaza was never easy, but it was life. I attended classes, spent time with friends and family, and worked hard toward my ambitions. Like many young people, I dreamed of building a meaningful career and contributing something positive to the world.
Then everything changed.
After the war began in October 2023, my family and I were forced to flee our home. Like hundreds of thousands of others, we experienced repeated displacement. We moved from one place to another in search of safety, carrying only what we could manage.
During the war, our home was damaged. When we were finally able to return after months of displacement, we found devastation everywhere. Much of our neighbourhood had been reduced to rubble. The house that had held so many memories was no longer the home we had known. Streets from my childhood had disappeared, and familiar landmarks were gone.
The war interrupted every aspect of life. Electricity became scarce. Internet access was unreliable. Water and basic necessities were difficult to obtain. Yet despite these conditions, I refused to abandon my education.
Whenever I could find electricity and an internet connection, I attended online classes and completed assignments. Studying became an act of hope. It was my way of refusing to let war decide my future.
Writing also became more important than ever. As an aspiring journalist, I felt a responsibility to tell the stories that existed behind the statistics. Too often, people in Gaza appear only as numbers in news reports. But we are students, teachers, doctors, engineers, artists, and writers. We have dreams, talents, ambitions, and lives that deserve to be understood.
I often say: “We are not just headlines.”
Those words have become a personal motto for me because they reflect what I want readers to understand. Behind every headline is a human being with fears, hopes, and aspirations.
One of my greatest ambitions is to become a professional journalist. Recently, I received an offer to study Journalism at Goldsmiths, University of London. For me, this opportunity represents much more than a university place. It is a chance to continue my education, develop my skills, and tell stories that might otherwise go unheard.
However, the financial obstacles are significant. To help make this opportunity possible, friends and supporters have launched a fundraising campaign to assist me in covering the costs associated with pursuing my studies in the UK.
Every contribution brings me one step closer to that goal.
Young people in Gaza deserve their chance
This campaign is not simply about helping one student attend university. It is about investing in education, journalism, and the belief that young people from Gaza deserve the chance to build a future beyond war.
My story is only one among thousands.
There are countless young people in Gaza whose dreams have been interrupted but not extinguished. I hope that by sharing my experience, readers will see not only the hardships we face, but also the determination that continues to carry us forward.
Because behind every headline is a human being.
And we are not just headlines.
Abdullah’s fundraising campaign: https://chuffed.org/project/saving-abdullahs-goldsmith-dream
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