Rebuilding safety and childhoods in Gaza: Kareem’s story

This is the story of Kareem.

Kareem is seven years old. He loves football and enjoys mathematics, but like many children in Gaza, his early years have been shaped by unimaginable loss.

He lives in Deir Al Balah with his mother and six siblings - four girls and two boys. In October 2023, Kareem’s father was killed in a tragic accident at an overcrowded aid distribution point while trying to secure food for the family. Shortly after, their home was destroyed in an airstrike, forcing them to seek shelter in a school.

These events had a profound impact on Kareem. He developed intense fear and struggled with separation, often unable to be apart from his sister. His emotional well-being deteriorated, and his connection to education became increasingly fragile. His mother recalls: “After everything he went through, Kareem refused to go anywhere unfamiliar. First, he lost his father, then his home. He felt as though his whole world had collapsed. He cried constantly and would not leave my side or his sister’s. Even when we tried to enroll him in another learning space, he completely refused.”

Kareem’s mother came across the Reconnecting to Education project, run by our partner in Gaza through a social media post. Hoping to support her son’s recovery, she enrolled him in the programme.

“When I saw the announcement about the project on social media, I felt hopeful for the first time in a long while,” she says. “Kareem was in a very fragile emotional state. I just wanted to see him smile again.”

When Kareem first joined, he refused to participate in activities. He cried frequently and would not stay in the center unless his older sister was present. A psychologist began working closely with him through structured psychosocial support sessions tailored to his age and emotional condition. Using play therapy, drawing, and “Team Up” group sessions, the team helped him gradually express his grief, fear, and anger in safe and supportive ways.

TeamUp is an inclusive movement and play-based psychosocial support approach delivered through structured group sessions for children. Sessions include games, body awareness and sport and movement-based activities to help children regulate emotions, release tension, and build resilience. Developed based on evidence and continual learning from what works War Child, UNICEF Netherlands and Save the Children Netherlands Team Up.

Through a combination of remedial education, psychosocial support, and structured group activities, Kareem began to reconnect with both learning and his peers. The provision of eyeglasses also significantly improved his ability to engage in class, addressing challenges linked to his visual impairment.

His teacher, Amal Ghanem, shares: “Kareem now joins activities with much more confidence. He is better able to express his feelings compared to when he first arrived.”

By integrating psychosocial care with education, the project is helping children overcome trauma, rebuild routines, and re-establish a sense of normalcy. It creates a safe environment where children can learn, play, and begin to process their experiences.

Kareem dreams of becoming a traffic policeman. His goal is deeply personal - he wants to prevent accidents, inspired by the loss of his father.

Karem says, “I like coming to the center to play and learn. When I grow up, I want to be a traffic policeman so I can organise cars and stop accidents, so no one dies like my father did.”

Kareem’s story is a powerful reminder that, even after profound loss and trauma, children can begin to heal when they are surrounded by care, stability, and sustained psychological and educational support.