An accident at Kareem’s home became a safety lesson

Explosive ordnance is everywhere

Kareem found an unexploded ordnance item buried in a pit near a site hit by earlier bombardments in Gaza. He carried it back to the room where his family of six was sheltering and started playing with it.

It detonated within moments. Kareem was left with burns and other injuries. His 5-year-old sister, Tala, suffered severe head trauma and lasting emotional scars. After he healed, Kareem kept collecting unfamiliar objects around the shelter, a constant source of fear for his mother.

Risk Education sessions save lives

Kareem’s mother raised her concerns during a community session in the camp, and HI outreach workers quickly enrolled him in child-friendly safety sessions.

The facilitators avoided scare tactics. They used interactive materials and hands-on demonstrations, and tied the safety rules to the children’s daily lives and future dreams.

The rules HI taught:

• Stop.
• Don’t touch.
• Don’t move the object.
• Leave the area immediately.
• Tell a trusted adult.

Kareem stopped picking up strange objects and began checking his surroundings. He also started warning friends when they played outside and showing them how to avoid suspicious objects and report them to adults.

“Kareem changed completely,” his mother says. “He stopped picking up unknown objects, and he now reminds the other children to stay safe and walk away.”

Kareem went from being at risk to being a safety messenger for his peers.