Sole Survivors, Soul Revivers
I am Samir Salama, an English teacher, instructor, and tutor from Gaza, Palestine. Dedicated to empowering students through interactive language learning, I have been a proud volunteer with the HandsUpProject since 2015, using storytelling and drama to connect Palestinian youth with global audiences.
The room was framed in a deafening silence. A handful of young faces sat motionless, staring blankly at the door and the faded whiteboard mounted ahead. When I stepped inside, the echo of my footsteps broke the quiet, instantly drawing every pair of eyes in the room.
Engaging young learners in storytelling and drama is rarely simple, but here in Gaza, it carries a weight unlike anywhere else. When you are teaching children who have lost both of their parents to war, standard pedagogy is never enough. You cannot just be an educator; you have to step into the shoes of a caregiver, a counselor, an entertainer, and—above all—a father.
Having volunteered with the Hands Up Project since 2015, I knew that what felt like an impossible mission could, with time and empathy, become a path to healing. These brave young survivors had lost almost everything: their parents, their homes, their safest childhood memories, and the simple comfort of feeling secure. Beyond that, they had lost the joy of learning itself, worn down by circumstances no child should ever have to endure.
Living through these same harsh realities alongside them gave me a clear perspective on what they needed. I designed sessions aimed at bridging the gap between their pain and a renewed sense of hope. Through the Stories Alive initiative, we used theater games and narrative arts to transform our classroom into a sanctuary. Bit by bit, children who once sat as silent watchers began stepping up as active communicators. Passive, hesitant learners gradually became proactive storytellers, taking ownership of their own voices.
These drama sessions were never just about reading, writing, or learning English vocabulary. They were a lifeline for mental growth and emotional recovery. Watching a child move from isolated silence to standing tall, collaborating with peers, leading a performance, and expressing themselves with confidence shows the profound impact of this work.
Through the power of story, these young survivors in Gaza are reclaiming their agency and healing their spirits. They remind us that even amidst the deepest ruins, the human soul retains an extraordinary capacity to revive, create, and inspire. Their resilience is a quiet promise that light can always be rebuilt from within.