UNRWA World Children's Day 2022: Ghazal, the Child Inventor

“I guess from a very young age I was keen to help others,” says Ghazal Mustafa Al Jamal, a 14-year-old girl living in Beit Surik, in the occupied West Bank. This sense of empathy pushed her to join a competition introduced by her teacher, Fida Qatawi.

“The advantage of Ghazal’s invention is that it is simple and can be installed on any window," said Fida. Designed to detect gas leakages, the window opens when the gas sensor installed inside it detects a gas leakage. The invention compensates for the lack of sensors in Palestine refugee households.

The white colour of the garment covering the victims of gas leaks caused her great concern as a child. “I felt sad and wanted to help in any way I could,” said Ghazal. She believes whether you are a child or an adult, age should not stop anyone from helping and contributing to their community. This World Chidren's Day, we celebrate children like Ghazal, who embrace the challenges in their communities and find solutions to better their environment.

Her community-oriented mindset was nurtured by the situation faced by her community. This year has been the most violent for Palestinians since 2006. On a daily basis, she learns to adapt within a context of scarce resources, poor health conditions, and limited economic opportunity. However, her special day-to-day life made her who she is; an empathetic, creative, and diligent member of her community. 

Ghazal's invention won third place for the high school category in the ‘Made in Palestine Internet of Things’ competition in Dubai. UNRWA is proud to serve Ghazal and the more than 540,000 Palestine refugee UNRWA students.

To watch UNRWA World Children's Day 2022: Ghazal, the Child Inventor video, please click here.