The Little Farmer
Images by Aaed Abusweilem (Ahmed's father)
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict began in 1948, with the partitioning of Palestinian land to create the state of Israel. Not satisfied with the larger portion of land granted to them by the United Nations partition, Israeli organisations forced thousands of Palestinians off their land, out of their homes and villages, and into nearby countries and refugee camps in the Gaza Strip. This systematic ethnic cleansing of Palestinians sadly continues to this day.
Since then, Israel has been involved in around fifteen violent wars in the Gaza Strip. This has gone on to include Israel using Palestine as a weapons laboratory for the most diabolical and unimaginable weapons. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced many millions of people and has its roots in the initial colonial act carried out more than a century ago.
The most recent escalation began on October 7, 2023, when the Palestinian terrorist organisation Hamas and other armed groups indiscriminately fired rockets into southern Israel and carried out deliberate mass killings and hostage-taking there. In the wake of this horrific attack, Israel has unleashed hell and destruction on Palestinians in Gaza brazenly, continuously and with total impunity; this has continued for over a year. Israel's attack on the people of Palestine has escalated into what Amnesty International and other human rights authorities have now declared to be a genocide. Israel has repeatedly violated the Genocide Convention, deliberately killing, physically and mentally harming and displacing Palestinians in Gaza, creating conditions of life calculated to destroy and dehumanise them, including annihilation, displacement, deprivation of crucial aid and starvation as a weapon of war.
The world has watched on in horror as our collective consciousness has been eroded by the extreme attack on our shared humanity. We have witnessed the devastating effects of the war on children and families and the severe trauma, displacement, and loss they have suffered. Gaza is currently the most dangerous place in the world to be a child.
Over the past year, more than 14,100 children have been killed in Gaza, with many more injured and missing, on top of this the health system has been decimated. Conditions to provide humanitarian assistance to children in Gaza are not only not being met but continue to get worse. Children's mental health in Gaza is being pushed beyond breaking point after relentless bombardment. They have suffered unimaginable psychological harm from the violence and serious physical injuries, including the loss of body parts and the loss of families, homes and schools. Everyone in Gaza is now at risk of famine and facing crisis levels of food insecurity or worse.
Children have a special status under international law in conflict and must be protected, yet:
• Nearly all children in Gaza are at imminent risk of famine.
• A total absence of education in Gaza leaves 625,000 children out of school.
• Over 1 million children in Gaza require mental health support.
• 5,500 babies, or 180 per day, will be born in the next 30 days.
• More than 600,000 children are now trapped with nowhere else to flee.
The majority of Gaza's displaced population, more than 1.3 million people, including more than 610,000 children, have been crammed into an area of just 24 square miles, less than a fifth of the total land mass of Gaza. There is nowhere left to flee as Israeli attacks on already one of the most densely populated areas in the world intensify.
Overcrowding in shelters, a near-total collapse of basic sanitation and health facilities, a lack of medicine and medical supplies, the rising number of unburied bodies, and a scarcity of clean water are creating the perfect storm for major disease outbreaks and preventable illnesses to start also taking the lives of children.
Save the Children says:
“We are running out of words to describe what children and families in Gaza are going through as well as the tools to respond in any adequate way. The scale of death and destruction is astronomical.”
The International Criminal Court and numerous Human Rights organisations have stated that Israeli authorities are responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
There are far too many atrocities happening across the world right now. Far too many children are experiencing horrors that no child should ever have to. We continue to feel at a loss at the state of humanity on both a micro and macro level, but we find solace in nature and gardening. There are many gardens and gardeners that have and continue to inspire us. There is no doubt that the most profound inspiration for us this past year has been Ahmed the Little Farmer, so it is only fitting that our first Journal entry is about him.
Eight-year-old Ahmed Aaed managed to grow a garden in Gaza filled with fruits and vegetables despite facing displacement, bombings, and difficulty accessing water. Ahmed radiates the best qualities a human can have. Palestinians are known for their farming as both an act of resistance and an act to sustain their existence. Traditionally, Palestinian farmers would plant olive trees with wheat, barley, beans, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, and garlic. They would have fig trees, grapes, and almonds in the same field. They always plant diverse crops with regenerative practices where they care for their land and plants with a lot of love, just like Ahmed does. Our heartfelt thanks to Ahmed the Little Farmer for continuing to plant seeds of hope for us all.
“Because of the war, my family and I had to move to a tent in southern Gaza.”
Who are you?
I’m Ahmed; I’m eight years old and live in the Shatea camp in Gaza. Because of the war, my family and I had to move to a tent in southern Gaza.
Where is your patch?
My little garden is next to our tent. At first, it was next to our tent in Rafah, but after the warnings, we had to move again. I couldn’t leave my garden, so I brought it with us. Now it’s next to our tent in al-Nussayrat.
What do you grow?
First, I planted corn, tomatoes, and onions in Rafah. When we had to move to al-Nussayrat, I brought the plants with me. Unfortunately, they didn’t survive because there wasn’t enough water and it was so hot. But I didn’t give up. I planted them again, and now I have corn, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, spinach, onions, potatoes, beans, and lentils. I want to plant more.
“Seeing a seed grow inspires me. I’m inspired by stories of people who keep going and that we can still have hope, even when things are really tough.”
What inspires you?
My family. When I see them eat the food I grew, even in hard times, it makes me happy. Seeing a seed grow inspires me. I’m inspired by stories of people who keep going and that we can still have hope, even when things are really tough.
“Every seed I plant, I plant with a new hope, feeling like I am reclaiming a part of my life that the war has taken from me.”
How did you end up in the garden?
In the midst of famine and war, farming became our only means of providing food for our family. I would escape the fear and the sound of the bombing by immersing myself in my farm, finding solace in the land where I could find peace and tranquillity. Every seed I plant, I plant with a new hope, feeling like I am reclaiming a part of my life that the war has taken from me.
“Don’t give up! Even the smallest seed, if cared for, can grow into something amazing.”
Top gardening tips?
Be patient and keep trying. Water your plants carefully, and be ready for whatever the weather brings. Learn from every season, and learn from your mistakes. Don’t give up! Even the smallest seed, if cared for, can grow into something amazing.
A tried and true recipe to share?
Palestinian tomato stew. When my tomato plant grew big, I picked the tomatoes and gave them to my Mum. I also picked the basil and peppers from my garden. First, slice the tomatoes into thick pieces and put them in a pan with olive oil. Add basil, peppers, and chopped garlic, and cook until they’re tender. It’s ready to eat!
A quote to leave us with?
“A little step from a little child, with you, can definitely make a big difference”. Ahmed’s parents have said that this expresses that Ahmed started his garden to help fight hunger, and he knows he’s just one person, but we need to keep trying.
“Ahmed started his garden to help fight hunger, and he knows he’s just one person, but we need to keep trying.”
Since we interviewed Ahmed last year, a ceasefire agreement was reached between Israel and Hamas at the end of January 2025, which saw Palestinians return to their homes, or what was left of their homes, to begin rebuilding their lives on their homeland. Gaza has almost been completely destroyed. Infrastructure such as sewage, water and electricity are all heavily damaged and will take a long time to repair.
The Israel Defence Force almost immediately breached the ceasefire agreement at the end of January, and unfortunately, Israel has a history of breaking ceasefire agreements. On the whole, the ceasefire agreement halted fighting between Israel and Hamas for almost two months. The ceasefire laid out a path for permanently ending the war and saw the release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The ceasefire included eight rounds of hostage-and-prisoner exchanges between Israel and Hamas. However, towards the end of March 2025, Israel has now begun an intense wave of air strikes.
Ahmed and his family are one of the Palestinian families who returned to what was left of their home and homeland, hoping to rebuild their lives. In the long term, Ahmed and his family still hope to dig a well and buy a solar energy system from the funds raised from kind donations. In the short term, they hope to continue to grow food to eat, with food and water still in short supply in Gaza. If you can, please donate to Ahmed and his family as they try to not only survive but also rebuild their lives and garden.
