From devastated remains to parkour area

A group of boys in Gaza have turned buildings demolished by Israeli military attacks last summer into a training centre for practicing parkour, “It makes us feel free and takes us away from the situation,” said one of the boys.

The transformation from ruined buildings to parkour area is one of five dozen stories in the IMS-supported Wattan TV’s Voices from Gaza series.

Israel launched a military attack on the Gaza strip in July 2014. Throughout July and August 2,000 Palestinians were killed and over 10,000 injured.

Voices from Gaza seeks to raise the voices of those affected by the Israeli military attacks on the Gaza strip in July and August 2014. The series also attempts to change people’s perception of the conflict-stricken Gaza Strip, said General Manager of Wattan TV, Muamar Orabi.

There is a story to be told behind each person killed in Gaza, he said. “Unlike most media covering the crisis, Voices from Gaza does not focus on numbers. If 500 children have been killed, we see that as a call for 500 stories to be told.”

The production of the stories started in October 2014. So far over 70 stories have been broadcast, reaching over nine million viewers.

In this story, a group of boys from Gaza have turned devastated building remains into a training centre where they practice parkour. “We want to send a message to the world that Gaza still has great capabilities, despite lack of possibilities,” said one of the boys.

“Despite the bad circumstances, people are still able to produce their own personal success stories,” said Muamar Orabi.