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272004 One Family in GazaMonday, October 29, 2012
: 3:24 PM - 3:46 PM
Just months after the Israeli assault that killed 1,390 Palestinians, I visited the Gaza Strip. Among dozens of painful stories that she heard, one family stood out. I spent several days with Kamal and Wafaa Awajah, playing with their children, sleeping with them in the tent they have occupied since their home was destroyed, and filming their story. Wafaa described the destruction of their home and the execution of their nine-year old son, Ibrahim. “For months, we circled the spot (where Ibrahim was killed) with rocks,” Wafaa said. “When anyone removed the rocks, my ten-year old son got upset and placed more.” Her small children scrambled and played on the rubble of their destroyed home.
Kamal talked about his struggle to help his children heal from the trauma. “What you can't remove is fear,” Kamal said. “From the children, from their eyes, behavior, emotions. You can remove hunger from a child when you feed him…but how to remove fear? The memories of fear are engraved in their blood.” Wafaa and Kamal struggle to help their traumatized children feel safe, secure, and reclaim their shattered childhoods.
Learning Areas:
Social and behavioral sciencesLearning Objectives: Keywords: Child/Adolescent Mental Health, Mental Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a documentary filmmaker, author, and human rights activist. I shot, directed, edited and produced this submitted film. I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.
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