Farah Hameed

Home: A Place of Belonging, Longing, and Safety

My name is Farah Hameed. I’m 23 years old, from Gaza.

In my final year of high school (Tawjihi), I dreamed of becoming a pharmacist and scoring above 90%. But reality hit hard,I scored only 55% and failed in three subjects. I felt completely defeated, lost all motivation, and decided not to continue.

But my mother wouldn’t let me give up. She pushed me to retake the exams.

I tried again and scored 63%, but failed in one subject. I was devastated. I didn’t feel like myself anymore.

I gave it one last try and finally passed, with a 65%.

But by then, my dream of studying pharmacy was gone. I had no passion for university or for any new path.

My mother chose a major for me, Multimedia Technology. I started university in a field I didn’t like, and for the first year and part of the second, I couldn’t connect with it at all.

One night, something shifted inside me. I made a decision, to stop resisting, to accept my reality, and to do my best.

I started learning graphic design, and slowly became a freelance designer, working with a few companies.

Then I picked up photography, video editing, paid ads, content writing…

Eventually, I became skilled in everything related to social media management.

Before the War

I managed to build two full teams, one for advertising and one for programming. In March 2023, I officially launched my small company, “Pro Media”. Over time, our projects grew in scale. We started attracting clients from abroad, and my company began expanding day by day.

Then the war began…

In October 2023, the war broke out and destroyed everything. My entire business came to a halt, it depended heavily on constant electricity and the internet. One of my team members was killed. All work with clients stopped.

I had dreamed of expanding the company, securing funding, opening a real office… but the occupation had other plans.

Then, during a rare moment when electricity and internet were available, I decided, despite the danger, to start working again.

I managed to work with two organizations, but I survived death more than six times due to the bombing of internet hubs or nearby areas.

I was displaced more than 12 times.

Work became extremely risky, but I kept going. I moved from place to place just to find internet and electricity so I could do my job.

The challenges I faced:

• Academic failure: After years of dreaming about becoming a pharmacist, I failed. I scored 55% and failed three subjects. I wanted to give up. But with my mother’s encouragement, I kept trying, again and again, until I passed.

   

• Being forced into a major I didn’t choose: It was difficult to accept something I didn’t love. But a defining moment came when I decided to stop resisting and start learning. I mastered design, editing, and all things digital, and from that, I built my dream.

   

• The war and displacement: Losing my business, being displaced 12+ times, losing internet, electricity, and a teammate, it was overwhelming. Yet I refused to give up. I kept looking for ways to keep working, even if it meant risking my life.

   

The message I want to share:

Yes, the moment I chose to embrace a major I didn’t love was the true turning point. Instead of giving up, I decided to learn every possible skill and turn hardship into opportunity, and pain into progress.

Failure is not the end, it’s often the beginning of something new.

Every fall can be a step toward rising. Every setback can open a door we didn’t see before.

I hope my story reaches anyone who has lost hope or struggled to keep going.

It’s okay for our dreams to change. What matters is that we keep moving forward, building something we love, and creating from our challenges something we can be proud of.