Gaza – AFor two and a half years of the extermination war, the children of the Gaza Strip faced harsh conditions and difficult loss, but they did not give up on their dreams, but rather held on to them as a window towards a safer and more dignified life.
This was revealed by a coronation ceremony for talented and creative people within a competition launched by “The Dr. Suad Al-Sabah Award for the Gazan Child, named after the Kuwaiti poet Suad Al-Sabah, was held the day before yesterday, Wednesday, in Gaza City, with the participation of about 400 creative children and their mothers.
The ceremony was a celebration of the creative Gazan child in multiple fields, challenging the reality of destruction, searching for the beauty that lies within him, and expressing himself with words, sound, and color, as in children’s performances.
Talents that defy annihilation
Participation in the competition is open to children between 6 and 14 years old. On November 29, 2025, in front of various forms of creativity, from poetry, stories, and thoughts, to recitation, singing, chanting, and recitation of the Qur’an, all the way to drawing and public speaking, so that the concert constitutes a comprehensive platform for every talent looking for an opportunity to appear.
Participation was based on a simple mechanism based on sending a short video in which the child introduces himself and displays his talent, before the application period closes on April 15, and ends with honoring. 10 creative mothers and 160 creative boys and girls, in addition to announcing the results of the competition, which came after the evaluation of a specialized jury.
The ceremony began with verses from the Holy Qur’an for the blind child, Amr Abu Jarbou, who memorized parts of it and received its recitation, which added a special atmosphere that reflected the strength of will and challenge among children and that disability does not stand in the way of creativity.
Audio story
The students, Nour, Souad, and Salam Al-Barsh, who are sisters, excelled when they presented a work in the voice-over category, in which they crafted a vibrant human story from the reality of war, whose details carried sincere pain and a steadfast spirit.
The story dealt with the story of a little girl whose life suddenly changed after her father was injured during the war and lost his ability to move. She found herself facing a new reality that was heavier than her young age. When the school principal asked her to accompany her father, the child stood helpless between her desire to continue education and her father’s inability to attend, embodying in that moment the harsh conditions that besiege childhood and restrict her dreams.
But the narration did not stop at the limits of pain, but rather went on to reveal an inner strength beating in the heart of the child, who turned her sadness into determination, and adhered to her right to learn despite all the obstacles.
The sisters succeeded in conveying the story with an influential voice and sincere performance, making the listener experience its details with all their pain and hope.
Vocalist and preacher
The student Baraa Abu Shanab, who won first place in the chanting category, was in the middle of the Praise and Chanting Ensemble, singing with his mellow voice a captivating song, the words of which flowed like a living pulse throughout the place, and the voices of the band members behind him blended into an impressive harmony, and they chanted the verses with great feeling, amidst remarkable public interaction.
Through poetry, Maria Hanoun, Batoul Al-Batniji, Ahmed Al-Basiouni and Hatem Abu Musa had a remarkable presence, as they wove from their words paintings that pulsed with love for the homeland and overflowing with the spirit of freedom, evoking Jerusalem as a living symbol in memory and conscience.
As for the child Majd al-Din al-Sharif, who won first place in the oratory category, he stood on the podium in front of a large crowd, delivering a sermon entitled “And give good tidings to those who are patient,” in which he demonstrated a remarkable ability to deliver, as his words were characterized by eloquence, confidence, and depth of meaning, and reflected an early awareness beyond his years.
In the drawing category, students Aseel Al-Habil and Jana Shehadeh presented remarkable artistic works that reflected a deep sense of creativity and turned painting into a space to express reality, including its pain and hope.
Capabilities
In side conversations with Al Jazeera Net, a number of children revealed that willpower and determination, and the energies and abilities they store for excellence and creativity, were the primary motivation behind their participation in this event.
They explained that this experience was not just an opportunity to showcase talent, but rather a real space for self-discovery, enhancing self-confidence, and an outlet to express their feelings and experiences.
In this regard, the participating child, Maria Hanoun, pointed out that “the children’s creativity represents a message to the world that they love life and cling to their dreams despite the difficulties,” stressing their right to a “safe and normal childhood.”
Creative stock
Basma Al-Masry (Hanoun), the mother of the child Maria, who won first place in the speech category, saw that her child represents part of a system of children in Gaza who possess a large creative reserve, which she sought to discover and develop.
She explained – to Al Jazeera Net – that this reserve only appears through real opportunities and safe spaces that allow children to express themselves, stressing that the talent that Maria possesses is a reflection of the latent energies of many children, which only needs someone to discover them, embrace them, and direct them towards their correct path.
As for the ceremony’s supervisor, poet Alaa Al-Qatrawi, she told Al Jazeera Net that the competition and the award were launched from a deep belief in the ability of children to transform their suffering into creative energy, and from the need to provide a safe space that embraces their voices.
She added, “The judging process adopted clear criteria that took into account the age group and the privacy of the experience, and focused on originality, the ability to express, and the human impact,” noting that the sorting was done transparently to ensure equal opportunities among the participants.
