It is springtime in Gaza now and the flowers are in bloom. And inside Anera-built greenhouses, tomatoes are ripening. Amena, 40, is the owner of one of these greenhouses.
She lives in a modest tent by the seashore with her mother. “I enjoy the fresh breeze,” Amena says. In the evenings, she likes to take long walks along the shore, watching the local shepherds pass and feeling the gusts of sea air. “It provides a calmness that helps soften the harshness of daily life here.”
Amena is the sole provider for her mother and a number of other family members.
“I like to begin my day early inside the greenhouse. My life revolves around the progress of my plants. It’s not just a source of income for me, it’s my passion. It’s exciting!”
Amena learned how to farm and raise crops from her father. When she was young she watched him plant eggplants, tomatoes and green peppers on his land. Amena used to plant crops in her open field, but she was constrained by the seasonal changes. Now she can plant and harvest year-round.