“I Once Dreamed of Becoming a Doctor—Now My Only Dream Is to Stay Alive,” Says Gaza Schoolgirl Sarah Kanan

“I Once Dreamed of Becoming a Doctor—Now My Only Dream Is to Stay Alive,” Says Gaza Schoolgirl Sarah Kanan

[Gaza Strip, July 21, 2025] — Just two years ago, Sarah Kanan was a bright school student preparing for her final exams, with dreams of becoming a doctor. Today, at just 18 years old, she is living in a sweltering tent in the Gaza Strip and says, “Now my only dream is to survive,” according to an Associated Press report.

Sarah belongs to a generation that has been virtually cut off from the education system since childhood. Following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent Israeli military response, every school in Gaza has been transformed into overcrowded shelters. Education across the territory came to a halt. Children not only lost access to schooling, but also opportunities for social development.

Dreams Shattered, Future Uncertain

In early 2024, Sarah’s family home was destroyed in an airstrike. She searched through the rubble, hoping to find her schoolbooks—but found nothing.
“My dream was to study medicine,” Sarah said. “I’ve forgotten that dream now. All I think about is staying alive.”

650,000 Children Out of School

According to UNICEF, more than 650,000 children have been denied education since the war began. Nearly 40,000 students were unable to sit for their graduation exams—marking the first time such an absence has occurred in Gaza’s history.

About 90% of Gaza’s schools are now non-operational and require extensive reconstruction. UNICEF states that massive repair efforts will be needed to reopen them.

A Generation Growing Up in Famine, Fear, and Uncertainty

Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that over 57,000 Palestinians—more than half of them women and children—have been killed in Israeli air and ground operations. These figures are broadly accepted by the United Nations and other international organizations.

Most families in Gaza are now struggling to obtain food, water, and fuel. Even school-aged children are helping their families secure basic necessities. Due to the prolonged blockade, the region stands at the brink of famine.

Short-Term Learning Spaces Amid a Struggle to Survive

UNICEF and local authorities had jointly established hundreds of emergency learning centers, providing education to about 173,000 children in 600 temporary learning spaces during a six-week ceasefire in January and February. However, nearly half of those centers closed when bombing resumed in March.

“It’s not just a loss of education; this war has left children in a deeply traumatic state,” said UNICEF spokesperson Rosalía Bolen. “They’re suffering from constant fear, depression, anxiety, and psychological trauma.”

University student Ola Shaban said, “My university has been destroyed. I tried to study online, but there’s no electricity, no internet, and we’ve had to flee our home repeatedly. I can’t live like this anymore. I’ve lost two years of my life.”

Sarah Kanan’s father, Ibrahim, a local journalist, said:
“We did everything we could to support our daughter’s dreams. But this war has taken everything from us.”
“Dreams, hopes—everything is buried under the rubble.”