Gaza/Nawa Network - Palestine:
After an exhaustive search for 3 solar power generation panels, Mohammad Yassin the displaced person from the Gaza strip, he managed to start his small business in front of his tents door.
He says to 'Nawa',"I paid all the money I had and started my project by charging lighting batteries and laptops for the displaced people around me. I believe the returns are good and could help in living necessities"
The project provides Mohammed with between 30 and 40 shekels daily. he adds "which is a good amount given the difficult reality we are living under war and extermination."
Amid power outages since the Israeli occupation state declared war on the Gaza Strip on October 7th, Gaza residents with solar panels have begun using them for small-scale projects, such as charging mobile phones and laptops, cooling water, and even making ice cream with available ingredients, often incorporating artificial flavors and colors.
As evacuation, orders continue from one area to another south of Wadi Gaza, solar panels have become one of the most crucial items that citizens are keen to bring with them, along with tents, clothing, and family members.
Jehan Abu Shmaleh describes her two solar panels as "the capital she has," as she lives in the Mawasi area of Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip.
The story began when Jehan—who holds a master's degree in diplomacy and international relations—found herself alone in facing the harshness of life after the Israeli occupation detained her husband last March during the siege of Hamad City to the northwest of the southern city. The family then displaced to the Mawasi area, which the occupation claims, is within "safe zones".
Jehan suddenly found herself responsible for her three children. She says, "Leaving the house is very difficult, especially with my husband being detained. I really had to act and try to find a source of income to support my children."
In the Mawasi tents, the most urgent need for the displaced was sources of power for charging phones and lighting batteries, due to the complete power outage since the outbreak of the Israeli war on October 7th of last year.
Jehan provided a solar power device and the necessary accessories, despite the doubled financial cost during the war, and the solar panels have become the family's main source of income. "People come from the tents to charge their phones and personal computers for a small fee," she says
With these small amounts, Jehan managed to provide for her family's food and drink, and buy the daily necessities for her children, who ask her every day, "When will the war end?" without her having an answer.
Jehan tells us that the heavy use of the batteries over the past months caused them to malfunction repeatedly, which forced her to stop charging, switch to another means of earning a living by purchasing an energy-efficient refrigerator to cool water, and sell it as ice to the displaced people, given the high temperatures inside and outside the tents.
The woman, who holds advanced degrees, does not feel any embarrassment about this shift in her lifestyle. "I am without a provider, and I have to manage the family's affairs. The war has turned our lives upside down and has disrupted our lives and future," she adds
Palestine relies 100% on the occupying state for its fossil fuel needs and about 87% of its electricity imports, according to estimates from the specialized energy platform.
In his tent in the Mawasi area of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, a displaced young man established a laundry service, where he washes the displaced people's clothes for a modest fee. This provides for his family and helps him cope with the hardships of displacement and meet daily needs.
Said Al-Attar, the owner of the laundry that relies on a solar panel, says,"This war is not the first time we have been displaced; we have been displaced in several previous wars. Each time, we brought our tools with us. This time, we brought the washing machine."
He added, "The displaced people's clothes get very dirty due to the living conditions in the tents and the streets, and they can never be cleaned properly by hand. That’s why the displaced people started bringing their clothes to my tent for me to wash them."
Repeatedly, the washing machine started malfunctioning due to frequent use, which led the young man to charge the displaced people for the laundry and turn the idea into a real business.
He says,"3 shekels for washing, and 5 shekels for washing and drying. This pricing is very good and saves women the effort and trouble of washing children's clothes, which are often dirty with mud and sand from the area."
