An unfamiliar experience: a story of unity and love

By Hajar Masoud, World Vision Monitoring and Evaluation officer in Gaza.

“Even in my dreams, I would have never imagined that one day, as a Muslim, I will pray in a church,” said Mohmoud, a 27-year-old father and one of the people who left their homes in the Shajaiys area in Gaza who now finds refuge in an Orthodox church in Gaza city. “It has been an unfamiliar experience for everyone in this peaceful place. This is the true meaning of unity, love and family. This is Gaza,” he adds.  

“Even in my dreams, I would have never imagined that one day, as a Muslim, I will pray in a church,” said Mohmoud.

On the night of July 20, 2014, artillery bombs fell on the very crowded Shajaiya area, in the eastern part of Gaza city. At least 75 people were killed. Thousands of others left their homes in fear and panic, looking for shelter.

“If there is a chance to erase a day from my memory, I will, with no doubt, choose that day,” says Amal, a 35-year-old mother, with tears in her eyes. “On the [that] night, every second there was an artillery bomb attacking a building, a home, a mosque in Shajaiya. One of these bombs destroyed part of my home but we were so scared to leave because we knew that we would be killed for sure. So, we waited, and waited. I felt that the minutes were decades until the light of the sun appeared the next day, and we all gathered and started running, carrying my children. Thousands of people were running with us, no one knew where to go. We just wanted to leave as fast as we could,” she recalls.  

After a long breath, Amal continues: “My family ran as part of a group and one of the men said that we have to go to the Church, as they will for sure allow us to enter and will provide support. So, we went. It was the first time in my life to enter a church. Despite it being a strange place for me, the welcome we received made me feel safe for the first time in more than 10 days.”

“They knocked on our doors, and we opened with love,” says Archbishop Alexios.

Around 600 people are sheltering in the Saint Porphyrios Orthodox Church in Gaza City; most of them are women and children. With the help of other nearby families and humanitarian organizations, the church provides shelter, food, water, supplies, and medicine for the sheltered families. “These people lost their homes and are looking for safety,” says Archbishop Alexios. “They knocked on our doors, and we opened with love,” he added.

Hundreds of people found a safe shelter in the church. “I worked my whole life to build my home,” says Ramadan, a 34-year-old father. “I prefer to die in it rather than leave it. But, the screams and cries of my children left no choice but to leave. I did not think much before taking the decision to go to the church, as I know a lot of Christians and they have always been kind and supportive,” he adds.

His neighbour, Eid, 43, joins him, adding: “shelter and food are not everything, the respect we had is more valuable. In Ramadan, our fasting period, no one ate or drank in front of us; they respected our fasting and our feelings. Even the Christian neighbours of the Church cooked for us our meals. They never left us. We felt that we are within our family. We felt safe,” he adds. 

“God is love, and this love has no limits. It is love for your family, your children, your neighbours and love for every one in need,” says Archbishop Alexios.

“God is love, and this love has no limits. It is love for your family, your children, your neighbours and love for every one in need,” says Archbishop Alexios.

World Vision continues its work to support people in Gaza during these difficult times. As of August 14, 2014: 2,287 food parcels and 1,142 hygiene kits have been distributed to displaced families hosted in shelters, including the church. A total of 17 child friendly spaces have been opened and are providing psychosocial support for hundreds of children across Gaza.

World Vision Jerusalem-West Bank-Gaza continues to work through its programmes to impact the lives of over 200,000 children in its 117 communities. World Vision works throughout the occupied Palestinian territory, seeking to improve the livelihoods of families and children and ensure that all children are cared for, protected and participating towards a brighter future.