Telling Gaza's Story Through My Camera

My name is Aya. I am 21 years old, and I am from Gaza. I am a journalism student who has always dreamed of telling stories, including my own.

The war has made everything harder. I dream of completing my bachelor's degree, and I have never stopped trying, even when continuing my education has felt almost impossible.

Alongside my studies, I help support my family. I carry this responsibility with me every day, often feeling as though I am fighting for both my future and theirs. My health has also become part of my journey, adding another challenge to an already difficult reality.

I picked up a camera because I wanted to do something with my hands and my eyes rather than simply wait. Photography gave me a way to express myself, document the world around me, and pursue a future I could build for myself and my family. I dream of turning this passion into a career and a source of income.

Through my lens, I document what life in Gaza looks like: ruined buildings, streets scarred by strikes, a pot resting over a fire, and smoke rising into the sky. These are not images I can separate from my everyday reality. I do not blur these realities or look away from them. I choose to protect my own face, but I want the world to see the place where I live and the reality its people face every day.

For me, photography is more than a way to record destruction. It is a way to bear witness. Every image holds a part of the world around me, a reality that can be difficult to explain in words alone. I want people to see what exists beyond the headlines and to understand the lives behind the images they encounter.

I am sharing my story because I want people to see beyond the news about Gaza. Behind the headlines are young people with dreams, unfinished degrees, families to support, and talents they are determined to develop. We are not defined solely by the circumstances we have been forced to endure. We are students, photographers, family members, and people trying to build meaningful futures.

I am one of those young people. Despite everything that stands in my way, I am still trying to complete my education, develop my photography, and create a future for myself and my family. I do not know exactly what that future will look like, but I know that I want to keep telling stories.

Through my camera, I hope to show the world not only what has happened to Gaza, but also the people who continue to live, dream, and persevere here.