we are not numbers

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

Rahaf Abuzarifa

    Rahaf Abuzarifa is the social media coordinator at We Are Not Numbers and a computer science student at Al-Azhar University in Gaza. Her educational journey was abruptly halted in 2023 when her university was bombed during the ongoing war in Gaza.

    “I consider writing an art form that helps us explore self-expression,” she asserts. “Writing is a versatile tool for self-expression, sharing information, communicating with friends, academic endeavors, professional work, and beyond. I aspire to refine my writing skills to effectively convey stories and ideas.”

    Rahaf also works as a freelance writer and designer. In 2022, she served as the vice director of the Hult Prize OnCampus program at her university. In 2023, she worked at Mashareq Cooperation in project management and sales.

    Current as of June 2024

    Rahaf Abuzarifa.

    my work

    One family’s devastating loss started on the second day of the war, followed by death after death.
    Mahmoud Jamal Abuzarifa was the pillar of support not only for his immediate family but for many others.
    On Oct. 9, Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip reached my rural haven of Abasson and unleashed its relentless fury.
    A college student and her family navigate displacement, scarcity, and the systematic destruction of Gaza.
    For Palestine, gaze upon destiny’s tree / This testimony is about all of you, not only me…
    Hopeless feelings of war… / But always, Alhamdulillah.
    How can you study when bombs are falling around you, or care about exams when others are dying?
    The joy of a 2014 reunion with relatives in Gaza was tempered by the terror of bombing and Israel's border incursion.
    When we moved from Saudi Arabia to Gaza, people here doubted we had the academic preparation to pass the Tawjihi.