Finding way from Gaza to Norway
I was born a Palestinian refugee in Syria, and I spent my entire life moving from one country to another. I always dreamt of going “home” to Palestine – to meet my relatives.
In 1995 I had just gotten married and a peace agreement between Egypt Palestine and Israel had been signed. My family moved to Gaza, but I had to stay in Egypt. I was 19 and all alone. I lost my first child, and life became unbearable. I decided to flee to Gaza in 1996.
In Gaza I got a new life. I had a job in the public sector; I completed my education, got married and had two wonderful kids. Looking back I had a relatively good life in Gaza. In December 2006 my sister’s two three children were killed walking to school. In a conflict between Fatah and Hamas the three kids walking to school – aged 8, 6 and 3 – were surrounded by 21 men on their way to school and shot in the head, without mercy.
A year later in 2008 when my daughter got chronically ill and needed good medical care – which was impossible with the Palestinian health care system and the Israeli embargo, I realized that I needed to leave Gaza for good; I couldn’t bear the thought of losing my daughter. I had to flee alone with my two kids, as my husband refused to leave Gaza.
I came to Norway at the end of 2009, and my daughter received the medical treatment she needed. I was alone with two children, and no income and an uncertain future. It was difficult for us to learn Norwegian – it took some time, but we speak it fluently now. I remember spending every waking moment trying to learn Norwegian. Learning a new language is not easy – and I felt very overwhelmed. I got depressed in the beginning – I felt like I made no progress. But I was very intent on getting a stable, good job, and I knew that my future and my children’s future depended on it!
In 2013, three years after I fled Palestine, I had started my new job as a refugee consultant in a Norwegian municipality! My kids have been well-integrated in school and participate in multiple after-school activities. For me it is a big, personal victory. I have a wonderful family, and an amazing husband.
