Farming, cooking and reels: Three years on, making a life in Gaza’s debris

On July 10, 2025, 19-year-old Yazan Shamlhk and his family had just minutes to flee their home in Gaza’s Sheikh Ijlin before it was completely obliterated.

They left barefoot. Just 30 metres away, they watched as the airstrike hit, sending heavy stones raining down around them.

Forced to trade their permanent home for a temporary tent, Yazan — a first-year nursing student at Al-Aqsa University — now shoulders the responsibility of supporting his family of six.

As the eldest of four siblings, he also faces a daunting $10,000 graduation fee — $2,000 a year — which he currently cannot afford. His younger siblings cannot study at all.

Despite the three-year destruction that killed more than 74,000 fellow Gazans, Yazan has turned to digital platforms to document his daily life, mainly farming and cooking, building a community of more than 1,00,000 followers on Facebook. 

“Farming was already part of our family life. The war did not make us farmers, but it made farming even more important for us,” Yazan said in a conversation with Daily Waadaa.

Turning to farming as fields lie in ruins

For generations, agriculture has been central to life in Gaza, providing both food and livelihoods. The war, however, has devastated farmland and the infrastructure needed to cultivate it.

A Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) assessment found that by July 2025, 98.5% of Gaza’s cropland had been damaged, rendered inaccessible, or both.

For Yazan, farming offers a connection to the life his family once knew.

Before October 7, 2023, they had a home, 0.62 acres of land and a routine built around study, work and farming, led by his father.

“Now we are living in a tent, and we are farming beside it. It is very different from our old life. We try to create a small space where we can grow food and feel a little bit of normal life,” Yazan said.

The family grows eggplants, potatoes, mint, basil, radishes, peppers and other seasonal vegetables in the limited space available to them. They save seeds, reuse soil and containers, and carefully ration water.

“Before the war, we had more land, more space and better access to water and farming materials. Today, everything is much harder. We have very limited space, water and resources,” he said.

“Now, water is limited, prices are very high, and the situation around us is unstable. But we keep trying because every plant gives us a little hope.”

The struggle reflects the wider collapse of Gaza’s agricultural sector. Before the war, agriculture accounted for about 10% of Gaza’s economy, according to the FAO.

Against all odds, however, Yazan’s small garden means more than food.

“It is a strange feeling. You wake up and see destruction, but then you touch the soil and see something growing. For a moment, it reminds you that life can still continue,” he said.

Farming also keeps alive memories of the home and land the family lost.

“It teaches us that even when everything looks destroyed, something can still grow from the soil.”

Donations from strangers, a ban from social media giants

Yazan began recording his farming activities in late 2025 to show people outside Gaza what everyday life looked like beyond the news.

“I wanted to share our real daily life with people around the world. I wanted people to see our life beyond what the media shows — beyond the destruction,” he said.

Because farming was already part of his routine, filming it came naturally.

“At first, I did not know if people would be interested.”

The videos gradually reached audiences around the world. As views and messages grew, people began asking how they could help Yazan and his family.

“The support grew because people felt connected with our story,” he said.

The family has raised around $4,000 through the donation link on his page, helping cover food, shelter and other basic needs.

But Yazan says he cannot earn additional income through Facebook monetisation.

“We are banned. So monetisation from social media doesn’t happen.”

For Yazan, however, social media remains primarily a means of telling his story and seeking support.

Turning everyday farming into a window on Gaza

Like Yazan, many young people and adults across the war-torn territory have turned to social media not only to document survival, but also to show how ordinary life and hope persist amid the destruction.

As his audience grew, Yazan’s videos became a window into everyday life behind the headlines.

“Some say that our videos remind them that behind the news there are real people trying to live. Those messages mean a lot to me,” he said.

The videos are not only about raising money. They are also about showing that life continues alongside destruction.

“I hope they understand that Gaza is not only about destruction and war,” he said. “There are also families, farmers, students, children, food, land, memories and people who want to live a normal life.”

Yazan’s wish for the future is simple: better access to water, seeds and cropland, and a life without fear.

“If I could choose one image to represent our life, I would choose a vegetable growing from the soil. It may look simple, but for me it represents life, survival and hope.”

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