In a new episode of PalCast, host Yousef Aljamal and co-host Tony Groves spoke with Roa’a Abuaser, a 19-year-old dentistry student from Gaza, about life under genocide and her efforts to keep language, culture, and creativity alive. Roa’a, who was also a poet, creative writer, and musician, spoke about her disrupted education, her experience of displacement and famine, and the community she built through PolyVera, a language and culture community in Gaza.
Roa’a explained that she had chosen dentistry partly because of her father, who was a doctor, and because of the severe shortage of medical professionals in Gaza. Her studies at Al-Azhar University had been disrupted by the war, while she continued learning languages through self-study and online courses. She spoke four languages, Arabic, English, Turkish, and some Spanish. Her interest in language and cultural exchange led her to establish PolyVera, which began with five participants and grew to around 100 members. The community provided young people with a space to practice languages and engage with poetry and music.
The conversation also explored the realities of displacement, hunger, and economic hardship. Roa’a had been displaced around 11 times, moving between different parts of Gaza and repeatedly rebuilding temporary lives with no certainty about shelter, food, or water. She recalled leaving behind books and a camera during an evacuation, only for the building to be hit and her belongings destroyed. She also described a three-month period when her family relied almost entirely on lentil soup as their daily meal, affecting her energy, concentration, and ability to study.
Rising costs had added to the pressure, with rent reaching about $1,000 a month compared with $200 before the war, while basic goods such as flour had also become far more expensive. Despite the danger, cafes and restaurants had begun reopening, offering people a chance to experience some sense of normal life, even as attacks continued to make such places unsafe. Roa’a also spoke about her dream of continuing her education in Spain, a goal made difficult by closed borders and the rejection of a scholarship application.
Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share it with others to help bring Roa’a’s experience and work to a wider audience.