With an invalid father and a family to feed behind the blockade, 16-year-old Madeleine Kulab has learnt to brave dangerous waters. Catrina Stewart reports
The Independent
"....She has little choice. Her father is suffering from a form of palsy that has ended his fishing days. Her mother earns a meagre wage from textile work leaving the family dependent on UN food handouts. Her family needs the few kilograms of fish the children catch. "I was taught by my Dad when I was just a kid," says Madeleine. "He has depended on me since I was 13." It's a heavy responsibility for a young girl, but a necessary one. Since Israel imposed its land and sea blockade on Gaza three years ago to weaken Hamas, families have struggled to make ends meet.
The siege, largely economic in nature, has decimated Gaza's agricultural and manufacturing industries, at one time both major employers, and has prevented Palestinians from leaving the strip to find work in Israel. Unemployment stands at over 40 per cent, and more than 80 per cent of Gaza's 1.5 million inhabitants depend on food aid.
The situation has thrust Madeleine, whose dream is to be a fashion designer, into a role entirely dominated by men. She has not thrown off tradition entirely – even for fishing and diving, she dons a headscarf and modest smock that covers most of her trousers....."
The Independent
"....She has little choice. Her father is suffering from a form of palsy that has ended his fishing days. Her mother earns a meagre wage from textile work leaving the family dependent on UN food handouts. Her family needs the few kilograms of fish the children catch. "I was taught by my Dad when I was just a kid," says Madeleine. "He has depended on me since I was 13." It's a heavy responsibility for a young girl, but a necessary one. Since Israel imposed its land and sea blockade on Gaza three years ago to weaken Hamas, families have struggled to make ends meet.
The siege, largely economic in nature, has decimated Gaza's agricultural and manufacturing industries, at one time both major employers, and has prevented Palestinians from leaving the strip to find work in Israel. Unemployment stands at over 40 per cent, and more than 80 per cent of Gaza's 1.5 million inhabitants depend on food aid.
The situation has thrust Madeleine, whose dream is to be a fashion designer, into a role entirely dominated by men. She has not thrown off tradition entirely – even for fishing and diving, she dons a headscarf and modest smock that covers most of her trousers....."
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