The Shifting Dreams (2025)
(Consent was obtained from both the Palestinian families and Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs before publishing.)
Nestled in the southern outskirts of Qatar’s capital, Doha, lies a compound that houses around 700 Palestinian children — each carrying dreams shaped by loss, hope, and resilience.
Dreams are often our hopes and aspirations, the imagination of our future. It is the innocent vision that can give us comfort and direction. For Palestinian children who have lived through the devastation of war in Gaza, however, dreams have transformed. The realities of war have diminished their hopes for their own future, altered by the cruelty of the violence. The war has not only torn apart families and destroyed their homes, many of the children are severely injured or are now amputees. They now dream of reuniting with loved ones, going back to their homeland, recovering from their injuries and be able to walk again. They dream of a safe and peaceful future.
Some of them dream of rebuilding Gaza, hoping for a future where their destroyed schools and houses can be restored. Some wish to travel, to see a world untouched by war. A few long for the simplest of things, to pick strawberries from a garden nearby their destroyed home or drive around in Gaza and to see their families and friends again.
Many now wish to become engineers , doctors and journalists – roles that bear the responsibilities of healing, rebuilding, revealing the truth and protect others from suffering. Their vision of their future is now shaped by necessity and a desire to repair what has been broken.
Their dreams now stand as both a reflection of their pain and a testament to their resilience. Each dream is a quiet act of defiance against the forces that sought to take away their aspirations to their childhood and their future. However, they continue to dream, not just for themselves, but also for their people.
Maryam Ahmed FarajAllah, 7. Both through IVF after her parents struggled for ten years to conceive, Maryam is always considered a precious gift to her family. She once dreamed of becoming an obstetrician to bring new lives into world. After experiencing the devastation of the war, she now aspires to be a pediatrician, hoping to save young lives and spare children the pain she has endured.
The al-Hatow brothers — Asham, 14 (left), and Ibrahim, 10 (right). Asham originally dreamed of becoming a civil engineer, inspired by his father, who drove a truck used in street construction. His dream has shifted now. He hopes to own a gas station like his uncle, where his family once took shelter. Asham also wishes to buy two motorbikes and ride to the beach in Gaza. Ibrahim once dreamed of becoming a businessman like his grandfather, who ran a metal and aluminium business. Like his brother, he now dreamed of own a gas station and one day returning to Gaza and visit the gas station called “Faris” once stood there.
Nosaiba Mahmoud, 8. Nosaiba’s dream once was to visit a newly built strawberry garden in her neighbourhood and pick strawberries there. She also aspired to become a teacher. Today, her dreams have shifted —she longs for an iPhone to call her friends in Gaza, wishes for her parents to be reunited, and hopes to eat shawarma and other Palestinian foods back home.
Rushi Abu al-Ross, 16. Rushi holds the same dream before and after the war —to become an architect, inspired by an older sister who is also an architect. He wants to design homes for others, but now he also dreams of rebuilding a house for his own family, as theirs was destroyed in an airstrike.
Hasma al-Acqp, 12. Before the war, Hasma dreamed of being a photographer. She loves capturing every moment of her life in Gaza, especially its nature beauty, because photos help her to preserve her precious memory. She aspired to become a journalist now, believing it is important in telling people’s stories and the truth to the world.
Haya al-Barai, 16. Haya once dreamed of becoming a journalist to share the stories of Gaza and raise the awareness about how the Israelis treat the people in Gaza during the war. After the war left her paraplegic, her greatest dream now is simply to walk again.
Omar Mohamed Aref Dabbour, 15. Omar dreamed of becoming a programmer before the war, and he still holds on to that dream. He hopes to continue his studies in Gaza. He carries two more dreams too: to see Gaza restored to how it was before the war, and to buy a car so he can drive freely around the city.
The al-Agha sisters — Sara, 17; Lama, 15; Leen, 9 (from left). All three sisters dream of rebuilding Gaza and making it as beautiful as Doha. Before the war, Lama dreamed of opening a restaurant in Gaza, as she excels at cooking noodles and baking cakes. Sara once felt she had no particular dream because her life in Gaza was happy and carefree. Now, she wishes to travel the world after the war, especially to Paris to see the Eiffel Tower. Leen has held the same dream before and after the war: to become a doctor and save lives.
Mohammad Alaa Abdelal Qarmout, 16. In Gaza, Mohammad studied at an agricultural school and lived happily with his parents, three brothers, and two sisters in Jabalia. He dreamed of becoming a veterinarian because of his love for animals. His backyard was full of birds, cats, and chickens. Although the war claimed the lives of his entire family, he still holds on to his dream. He still hold on the dream to return to Gaza one day to buy a house, and build a farm filled with animals, even if he has to live alone.
Amina Ghanem, 14. Before the war, Amina dreamed of teaching others to dance Dabkeh, the traditional Palestinian group dance she practiced daily after school. Today, she wishes to become a journalist to tell the stories of her homeland and highlight the suffering of her people. Above all, she hopes to reunite with her mother and brother in the West Bank, from whom she has been separated for five years.