we are not numbers

emerging writers from Palestine tell their stories and advocate for their human rights

Ghada Al-Haddad

    Ghada is a graduate in English language and literature from the Islamic University of Gaza. In 2015, she was selected by the U.S. consulate to travel to Georgetown University in Washington, DC, for a leadership program for 42 days. She describes the experience as “the best thing that has ever happened in her life.” However, she faced many cultural barriers. Some people mispronounced her name, turning it from Ghada into Ghana. Others thought she was from Pakistan, not Palestine. She says, “Whenever I write for We Are Not Numbers, I find myself reflecting on the first day my feet hit American soil, and how uninformed many people are of our cause. That’s when I promised myself that our stories and narratives must be heard.”

    my work

    In the media, Gaza is portrayed as ruined buildings, poverty-stricken villages and depressed, traumatized people. But Gaza also has another side—one that is joyful, thoughtful and wild.
    Despite the ongoing closure, medical student Marj Al-Zohoor has never lost hope or canceled her plans to continue her studies in Egypt.
    Despite the ongoing closure, medical student Marj Al-Zohoor has never lost hope or canceled her plans to continue her studies in Egypt.
    My parents' stories planted the first seeds of a dream in my mind, to visit Jerusalem! Like a modern-day Cinderella, I achieved that dream, for a day.