Since October 2023, much of the world's attention has been focused on the destruction in Gaza. This conversation is about something we hear much less about: rebuilding.
Meet Tala and Farah Mousa, two teenage sisters from Gaza and winners of The Earth Prize Middle East, one of the world's leading environmental competitions for teenagers. Their project, Build Hope is recycling the enormous volumes of rubble left behind by destroyed buildings and transforming it into reusable bricks to help rebuild their communities. The idea began with a Year 9 textbook in Tala's school bag. Today, it has the potential to give communities beyond Gaza, the tools to rebuild using what's already around them. It's an idea that has the potential to reduce waste, lower rebuilding costs and support reconstruction in disaster and war zones around the world.
Podcast Image credit: Ali Awad
In this episode:
Displacement and disruption - life as a teenager in Gaza
The inspiration behind their award-winning project
Their vision for helping communities beyond Gaza
Why rebuilding deserves as much attention as destruction
Timestamps:
00:35 What we know about Gaza and the Middle East Region
04:18 Introducing Tala and Farah Mousa
05:14 What they want us to know about their community
05:58 The inspiration behind Build Hope
08:12 A family and community project
09:21 The problem with rubble
09:54 Why its important for people in Gaza to have the tools to rebuild themselves
10:53 Midpoint Reflections
12:36 The next step for Build Hope
13:17 What Tala and Farah have learned about themselves
13:53 What hope means to these sisters
15:49 Gaza 10 years from now
16:37 Tala and Farah's message for young people around the world
18:54 Final reflections
Support Build Hope:
Contact amy@fixthenews.com for more information
About The Earth Prize
The Earth Prize is one of the world's largest environmental competitions for teenagers, supporting young innovators developing practical solutions to the planet's biggest challenges.
About Fix The News:
Fix The News is a solutions-focused media platform sharing stories from the frontlines of progress - exploring what’s working in the world and the people making it happen.
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Production credits:
Hosted by Angus Hervey and Amy Davoren-Rose
Produced by Fix The News
Audio production: Anthony Badolato, Hear That!
This episode was produced in Australia on the lands of the Gadigal, Wurundjeri and Woi Wurrung peoples.
