by Rand Sayej
featured art Richard Marshall
October 2023
What Gives Me Hope
On the day that the youngest victim in Gaza was 3 hours old, I was asked what gives me hope
I laughed; I really thought she was joking
Up until that day, six of my friends have lost their homes
A hospital was bombed
Two of my friends sent me a farewell text
I had a meltdown about socks
I felt guilty about showering, and eating
I had an average of 3 hours of sleep per night
Thirty eight babies were murdered due to electricity outage in Gaza caused by a bombing
Three schools in Jenin were surrounded by the IDF who hold captive
over 1000 student and 100 faculty members.
And she dares to ask me what gives me hope
Oh that made me angry
Oh so angry
Nevertheless, I was a speaker in a live webinar, representing Palestine
I take the sharpest deepest breath, I light a cigarette
And say
“on the 7th of October Palestinians in the west bank raided the supermarkets stacking up on food, expecting blockades of roads, limitation of movement and a state of war.
Israeli settlers ran to the airports and went back to where they came from”
Silence swallowed the room
I continued
“this is to show the individual and collective resilience you experience when your home is at stake, when you are a part of your land and your land is a part of you”
I said it with a smile
About the Author
Rand Sayej is a 26-year-old Palestinian. She is the youngest of four children; she finished her undergraduate studies at Bir Zeit University, Ramallah, Palestine. During her university years, Rand grew interested in the humanitarian structure and the Palestinian cause from a humanitarian point of view. Through volunteering and networking, Rand received many pieces of training in crisis management and emergency navigation, as well as humanitarian structure, signature, and localization, allowing her to employ her knowledge in her career and as a volunteer with many local and international humanitarian organizations. Her art and writings bear witness to a lived human experience through pen and brush. She is captivated by sunsets and Palestinian beauty.
