we are not numbers
emerging writers from Palestine tell their stories and advocate for their human rights
A young baker delivers moments of joy and connection to the besieged people of Gaza.
Ma’amoul cookies from Roaa’s Rawnaq bakery. Photo: Roaa Shaheen
Twenty-two-year-old Roaa Shaheen opened a bakery, Rawnaq, in a worn-out tent with a single stove in August 2025. It’s located in a displacement camp in Khan Younis, where Roaa lives. There, she and her mother make only one type of pastry, ma’amoul, a short-bread cookie filled with dates or nuts, scented with rose or orange blossom water, and delicately molded into the shape of the sun. In the Middle East, ma’amoul is a treasured delicacy, traditionally eaten on special occasions and holidays like Eid Al-Fitr, the holy celebration at the end of Ramadan.
Rawnaq, the bakery’s name, means beauty and happiness in Arabic. Roaa wants her ma’amoul to bring moments of joy to her customers as they withstand the harsh conditions of living in Gaza.
I came across Roaa by chance through social media and was captivated by the elegant ma’amoul she makes amidst these difficult circumstances, so I contacted her. Roaa told me that, with limited resources and in challenging conditions, she and her mother bake their ma’amoul with great care. Their customers and friends say it’s delicious and recommend it to others. They work hard to add special touches, such as customized packaging, and go out of their way to provide exceptional service to their customers.
Running a bakery wasn’t what Roaa planned to do with her life. She wanted, and still wants, to pursue a career in medical laboratory sciences, but had to drop out of Al-Aqsa University before she could finish her degree. The cost of living in Gaza is exorbitant. Says Roaa, “The whole idea behind the project was to help my family through these difficult circumstances.”
Roaa faces many hurdles operating her business. Because Israel won’t allow enough basic goods into the country, there are shortages and high costs of supplies, like gas for her stove, products for baking, and fuel for transportation.
On top of this, weather conditions can be severe. Most buildings have been destroyed, leaving Gaza completely exposed to the elements. As a result, millions of people have been forced to live and work in flimsy tents and temporary shelters. In the winter, Roaa’s tent is damp and very cold, and in the summer it’s sweltering. And the wind can be harsh.
Says Roaa, “I won’t lie to you. It has never been easy at all. Many of my orders are canceled because of the situation. During strong winds, we simply can’t operate the oven.” And there’s a near-total absence of transportation in Gaza. Frequently, streets are flooded with rain and filled with mud and piles of rubble from bombed buildings, making it difficult for customers to pick up their orders or for Roaa to deliver them.
If that weren’t enough, there are weather events that exceed the normally rough conditions. On the evening of March 26, 2026 — six days before the celebration of Eid Al-Fitr — Gaza experienced one of the worst sandstorms in its history. Despite Roaa’s efforts to secure her tent, it was uprooted from the ground and trays of ma’amoul flew away. Her bags of flour were filled with sand, and her oven’s flame was extinguished. Eid Al-Fitr is the busiest time of the year for bakeries. To her dismay, Roaa had to cancel or delay orders.
That day, despite the odds, one batch of ma’amoul survived the storm. Roaa still had to find a way to get it to her customer. With her usual determination, she found a delivery worker willing to brave the roads and weather to transport the ma’amoul to its destination. He successfully reached the customer.
Roaa hates disappointing her customers. And the loss of business results in financial hardship for her family. She has, however, found smart solutions to address her problems. “I start planning a day ahead,” she explains. “Customers send me their orders in advance, and if the timing works and the weather is good, then okay, I make them. If not, I don’t take the risk, because the losses are simply too great.”
To address the pick-up and delivery challenges, Roaa has set up two pickup points in different parts of Khan Younis. For orders a distance away, or from outside Khan Younis, she coordinates with delivery workers — like the one who withstood the March sandstorm — who are willing to travel long distances under the risk of bombardment and through checkpoints and bad roads.
I’m eager to order ma’amoul from Roaa myself, but I haven’t had a chance yet as the bombing hasn’t stopped. Rawnaq is a bit far from me, but when I order I will message her and it will be delivered to my house.
A message written by Roaa to Ayat’s sister on her behalf. Photo: Roaa Shaheen
One customer, Ayat, describes her experience with the bakery. She wanted to send her sister, who lives in the north of Gaza, a ma’amoul from Rawnaq, which is in the south. Ayat says, “I had no idea how to get something delicious to my sister. But Rawnaq made it so much easier for me. Their treatment was incredibly kind, the quality was excellent, and most beautiful of all was how they helped me send a message of love to my sister.”
On Ayat’s behalf, Roaa wrote the following message to accompany the ma’amoul:
“Checkpoints may stop bodies and prevent embraces, but they cannot stop love and longing. Despite the war and the circumstances, I am with you and I love you. Wishing you health and happiness.”
