Stronger than words

Gaza, before the Israeli attacks of July 2014, had a total population of 1.8 million. Included in that number are 15,000 deaf people across the whole of the Gaza Strip. In this film we meet many strong personalities from this vibrant community, as they live their daily lives and strive to succeed as hearing people do.

Aya is a 10-year-old girl who loves to be at school among her deaf friends, but feels trapped at home with her hearing family.

“I feel trapped at home. I can’t speak … No one in my family speaks sign language … ” she says. “But at school I’m happy with other deaf children and I fit in well. I love Dabke dance and rap music.”

“Hearing people think that deaf people are weak. But it’s not true. Deaf people and hearing people are equal,” says Hashem Ghazal, the craftwork supervisor at the Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children in Gaza.

“Here, each deaf person looks after themselves. I’m proud of what we do here,” he says about the centre that provides education, speech therapy and employment training for the deaf.  “We’re like hearing people. In fact we have greater gifts in planning and conception. I’ve noticed that deaf people have a special talent for art, sewing, ideas and creativity.”

To mark the International Week of the Deaf, Al Jazeera World presents this special film on the inspirational story of Gaza’s deaf community. We also hear from those who survived the July 2014 offensive – some who lost homes, work-places, relatives and friends – and find out how their lives have changed since then.

Al Jazeera World   can be seen each week at the following times GMT: Tuesday: 2000; Wednesday: 1200; Thursday: 0100; Friday: 0600; Saturday: 2000; Sunday: 1200; Monday: 0100; Tuesday: 0600.  Click here   for more   Al Jazeera World  .