Farah Shehadeh (Farah in Arabic means joy)

I am a 12 years old girl living in Rashidieyeh camp with my grandparents. The school year ended and I was waiting anxiously for my result that was very good which made me happy. Activities at BAS started, I always look forward for those activities during which foreign volunteers come and we all have fun and learn new things about each other. At the ninth day while we were enjoying our time, we heard the sound of a strong explosion and we all looked afraid but continued the day. On the way home I heard that Israel has bombarded Kasmieyeh Bridge which made me so scared because this bridge is very close to our camp. The next day we started seeing on the TV the destruction and the bodies of killed children and women. I was so frightened, but my grandfather said that we have to stay in the room that he built under the ground during the previous was, we cleaned the room and put some mattresses there and we spent most of the time there by the candle light after the electric power was cut off . I was thinking that maybe Israel was afraid from the children because half of those killed were children in Houla, Qana, alQaa, Marwaheen and other places, I was waiting for my turn to come and was extremely frightened when our camp was hit and our neighbor's house was completely burnt. Food supplies were decreasing every day and became very expensive. When Israel said that the war will continue for two months I was terrified, although it stayed for 34 days but for me it was like 34 years. I was happy when cease fire was declared, but I never dared to go outside the camp because there was great anxiety about the unexploded cluster bombs that spread in the area and from the camp a man and his son were victims of those bombs, which caused more fear. In addition I was not able to go to the beach again, our camp is along the sea shore and I used to go everyday there and play with my friends, now the sea is highly polluted and we are deprived form everything beautiful in this world. I feel like a bird inside a cage with no freedom or joy in life. Israel has destroyed and killed indiscriminately children, women and old people. I wish for once that people would live in peace together and I always ask myself what is the crime of those innocent children killed in Qana, since I saw the massacre I became haunted my fear and sometimes I see them in my dreams. I used to love life but now I feel sad because Israel target us and I always wonder when my turn will come I’m still worried and have no trust in anything I only want to say to the whole world protect the small children what is their crime to be killed or become disabled.