In the heart of Gaza City, among tents pitched at Palestine Stadium, hundreds of children gather each day for class. Their schools have been destroyed or turned into shelters, their teachers killed, and their classrooms reduced to rubble. But against all odds, learning continues.

The Great Minds of Gaza initiative has established eight makeshift schools across the Strip, serving 4,000 students. The stadium site alone hosts 1,000 children, taught core subjects under the guidance of the Ministry of Education. For many of these students, the trauma of war is compounded by personal loss, most have lost one or both parents.

“Every child is a psychological case,” said founder Ahmed Abu Rizq. Teachers provide emotional care alongside lessons, using play and drama therapy to ease the trauma. But the challenges are immense: bombed schools, banned stationery, and constant displacement. “Students often move several times during one term,” Abu Rizq explained.

Since October, over 16,600 students and more than 900 educators have been killed in Gaza and the West Bank. Infrastructure has been devastated, with over 350 schools damaged or destroyed. Even makeshift classrooms are not safe, four have been bombed, and two students killed in airstrikes this past month alone.

“We’re risking our lives just to study,” said Salma, a seventh-grader. Her plea to the world was simple: “We just want clean water, electricity, food, and safety. We want a normal life.”