Why I put myself in danger to tell the stories of Gaza | Ameera Harouda

Translator: Heli Paudel Reviewer: Deepak Basyal

Hello.

नमस्कार !!

This is my first trip,

यो मेरो पहिलो यात्रा हो,

first time in life I'm outside of the walls of Gaza.

जीवनमा पहिलो पटक म गाजा क्षेत्र भन्दा बाहिर छु ।

I'm so happy to be here.

यहाँ उभिन पाउँदा साह्रै खुशी छु ।

(Applause)

(ताली)

My ambition always was to be a pilot, to fly a plane,

मेरो लक्ष्य पायलट हुने थियो, विमान उडाउने,

to feel free to fly the sky, to touch the sky.

स्वतन्त्रतापूर्वक आकाशमा उड्ने, आकाशलाई छुने,

But that didn't happen.

तर त्यो पुरा भएन ।

Simply, I live in Gaza, there is no airport.

किन कि, म गाजा क्षेत्रमा बस्छु, जहाँ एअरपोर्ट नै छैन ।

All borders are closed on every side.

सबैतिरका बोर्डरहरु बन्द छन ।

We live in one of the biggest prisons in the world.

हामी संसारकै ठुलो जेलमा बस्छौं ।

The only thing I can do is just to look up to the sky.

म मात्र एउटा काम गर्न सक्छु, त्यो हो आकाशतिर फर्केर हेर्नु ।

On some days, we are lucky if we have electricity

कुनै दिन, ४/५ घण्टा बत्तीआयो भने, हामी आफूलाई

for four or five hours.

भाग्यशाली सम्झिन्छौँ ।

When it's cold, we make a fire on the front or on the roof of our homes.

चिसोबढेमा घर बाहिर वा छानामा आगो बाल्छौं

Sometimes we make food, too.

कहिले काहीं, त्यहि आगोमा खान पकाउछौं ।

My job in Gaza is to arrange everything for journalists who come to my homeland

मेरो मातृभूमिमा आउने पत्रकारहरुलाई त्यहाँको

to tell the stories about what's going on in Gaza.

घटनाको बास्तबिक स्थिति बुझ्न आवश्यक व्यवस्था मिलाउनु नै मेरो काम हो ।

Many mornings, I had to go to the border area

धेरै बिहानिहरु, म पत्रकारहरु जम्मा गर्न

to collect a journalist.

बोर्डर छेउ पुग्छु ।

If anything should happen to the journalist,

पत्रकारहरुमाथि केहि घटना घटे वा,

or if the journalist decides to cover a story

पत्रकारहरुले प्रशारण गर्न चाहेको कुनै प्रसंग

the government doesn't want us to cover,

सरकारले जानकारी दिन नचाहेमा

bad things could happen.

अप्ठ्यारो पर्न सक्छ ।

Navigating through my country helping journalists,

पत्रकारहरु, फिल्म निर्माता, समाचार संकलन सदस्यहरुलाइ

filmmakers, news crews, is my working life.

देशको विभिन्न ठाउंहरु देखाउनु, मेरो पेशागत कार्य हो ।

I believe my success comes from building a relationship

मलाई बिश्वास छ, पत्रकार र समाचार संकलन सदस्यहरु मात्रै नभएर,

not only with journalists and the news crews,

गाजा पट्टिका समूदायसंगको सम्बन्ध नै

but also with the communities in the Gaza Strip.

मेरो सफलताको कारण हो ।

These communities who don't want their stories to be told,

आफ्नोबारेमा केहि भन्न नचाहने समूदायहरुलाइ

I never looked to them as stories or numbers.

म कुनै जबर्जस्ति गर्दिन ।

But like me, they are human beings.

म जस्तै, उनीहरुपनि मानव हुन् ।

I have built up many relationships over 10 years.

पछिल्लो १० बर्षमा मैंले धेरै सम्बन्धहरु विस्तार गरेकी छु ।

And guess what?

त्यसैले,

This gives me the chance to get access to people,

म ती मानिसहरुसम्म पुगेर जानकारी लिन सक्षम छु,

to stories that others can't.

जहाँ अरु पत्रकारहरु पुग्न सक्दैनन् ।

In some certain situations, I feel, as a woman, I have more power.

कतिपय अवस्थामा, मलाई लाग्छ, महिला भएकोले म संग अझ बढी शक्ति छ ।

Many male journalists in my society,

मेरो समूदायका धेरै पुरुष पत्रकारहरु,

they want to cover a story about drug addiction in my country.

लागु औषध लतबारे मुख्य समाचार बनाउन चाहन्छन् ।

That problem started when the Gaza tunnel was being built.

गाजामा जब सुरुङ्ग बन्यो, यो समस्या पनि त्यहीं बाट सुरु भो ।

With the siege on Gaza,

गाजालाइ घेराबन्दी गरिएको समयमा

tunnels brought people all the basic needs

दैनिक जीवनका प्रमुख साधनहरु जस्तै : खाद्यान्न, निर्माण

like food, building material, other stuff we needed.

रअरु आवश्यकताका सामाग्रीहरु यसै सुरुङ्गबाट लेराइन्थ्यो ।

But not anymore, because the Egyptian side flooded them up with water

अहिले इजिप्टतर्फको भाग बढीले बगाएकोले,

and they are not working anymore.

यो सुरुङ्ग प्रयोगमा छैन ।

Drugs were being smuggled,

तर यहि सुरुङ्ग लागु औषध तस्करीको

and many young people got addicted, too.

मार्ग बनेको छ र युवाहरु दुर्व्यसनमा फसेका छन् ।

In the tradition of the Palestinian society,

प्यालिस्टेनी समूदायको चलनमा

it's forbidden for men to enter the household.

पुरुषहरुलाई अर्काको घरमा प्रवेश निषेध छ । त्यसैले पुरुष पत्रकारले,

So, no male journalists get the story.

यो प्रसंग संकलन गर्न सकेनन् ।

But I did.

तर मैंले सकेँ ।

I have a wonderful husband,

मैंले अशल श्रीमान पाएकी छु ।

a wonderful husband who supports me

समाजले गर्ने अनेक नकारात्मक टिकाटिप्पणीका बाबजुदपनि

despite all the criticism he gets from the society.

उहाँले मेरो काममा सहयोग गर्नुहुन्छ ।

He's at home now with my two kids,

अहिले वहाँ २ बच्चाहरुसंग घरमा हुनुहुन्छ

and I have another one that's growing in here.

र तेस्रो मेरो पेटमा हुर्कैदै छ ।

(Applause)

(ताली)

When I'm working, I call him every two hours,

काममा हुँदा, हरेक २ घन्टामा म श्रीमानलाई फोन गर्छु

and he knows if he doesn't hear from me,

यदि मैंले फोन गरिन भने,

मेरो श्रोत व्यक्तिसंग सम्पर्क गर्नुहुन्छ,

he should call my contact,

जो मेरो विश्वासिलो छ र आवश्यक

the one who gives me access to the story,

स्थानसम्म पुग्ने व्यवस्था मिलाईदिने गर्छ ।

which is the one who I trust.

One of the times in Gaza,

एक पटक गाजामा,

during the kidnapping of the British journalist Alan Johnston,

ब्रिटिस पत्रकार एलन जोनस्टोनको अपहरण भएको ताका

I was asked by an American magazine

मलाई एउटा अमेरिकी पत्रिकाले गाजामा

to set up a meeting with the kidnappers in Gaza, and I did.

अपहरणकारीसंग भेट गराईदिन भन्यो, र मैंले त्यसको व्यवस्ता मिलाएँ ।

The journalist covering the story and I

त्यो पत्रकार र मलाई,

were asked to meet outside of his hotel.

उनीहरु बसेको होटेलको बाहिर भेट्न बोलाए ।

They came, they picked us up in a black van with black windows,

उनीहरु आए र हामीलाई ऐना समेत कालो भएको कालो रंगको भ्यानमा लिएर गए,

they were wearing masks on that day.

उनीहरुले अनुहारमा मास्क लगाएका थिए ।

And they drove us away, far away in the middle of a field.

उनीहरुले हामीलाई टाढा लिएर गए, कुनै मध्ये क्षेत्रमा ।

They took our cell phones

हाम्रो फोन उनीहरुले लिए,

and we did the interview with the kidnapper outside in that field.

हामीले ती अपहरणकारीसंग खुला मैदानमा अन्तर्वार्ता लियौं ।

I was so scared that day,

त्यो दिन म साह्रै डराएको थिएँ ,

a day I will never forget.

र त्यो दिन म कहिले बिर्सिन सक्दिन ।

So, why do I do what I do?

म जे गरिरहेको छु, किन गर्दैछु ?

I do it because I believe if I didn't,

मलाई लाग्छ, यदि मैले यो काम गरिन भने,

a huge part of the story about Gaza will be missing.

गाजा भित्रको अवस्था बारेमा संसार अनभिज्ञ हुन्छ ।

There are some more stories I could tell you about my country.

म तपाईंलाइ मेरो देशको अरु धेरै प्रसंगहरु सुनाउन सक्छु ।

And not all of them are bad.

ती सबै नराम्रा मात्रै पनि छैनन् ।

I love my country, despite the terrible situation we live in --

मलाई मेरो देशको माया लाग्छ । त्यहाँकोअवस्था बिकराल,

siege, poverty, unemployment --

घेराबन्दी, गरिबी, बेरोजगारीको डरलाग्दो अवस्थाबाट गुज्रीरहेको भएपनि

but there is life.

त्यहाँ अझै जीवन छ ।

There are people who are dreamers and amazing people full of energy.

त्यहाँपनि असाधारण सामर्थ्य र सपना भएका व्यक्तिहरु छन् ।

We have wonderful music, and a great music school.

हामी संग राम्रो संगीत र बिशेष संगीत विद्यालय छ ।

We have parkour dancers who dance in the rubble of their homes.

हामीसंग पार्कर डान्सर छन्, जो भत्केको घर भित्र पनि नाचको अभ्यास गर्दछन् ।

And Gaza is the only place in the Arab world

गाजा नै अरब देशहरु मध्येको एक मात्र देश हो,

where Muslims and Christians live in strong brotherhood.

जहाँ मुस्लिम र क्रिस्चियन मिलेर बसेका छन् ।

(Applause)

(ताली)

During the time of war,

युद्धको समयमा,

the hardest part for me is leaving the house early in the morning,

बच्चाहरुलाई छोडेर बिहानै घरबाट निस्कनु

leaving my children.

सबै भन्दा कठिन कार्य हो ।

I take a picture of them everyday

म हरेक दिन उनीहरुको फोटो खिच्ने गर्छु,

because I never know if I will make it back to them.

किनकि, मलाई थाहा छैन, फर्केर आइपुग्छु कि पुग्दीन ।

Being a fixer and a journalist is difficult and dangerous in Gaza.

गाजामा समन्वयकर्ता र पत्रकार बन्नु खतरापूर्ण कार्य हो ।

But when I hear the sound of the shelling or the sound of the bombing,

जब म गोलि चलेको वा बम पढ़केको आवाज सुन्छु,

I just head straight toward it,

म त्यतै दौडीहाल्छु,

because I want to be there first,

किनकि म घटनाको बारेमा जानकारीदिने

because these stories should be told.

पहिलो व्यक्ति बन्न चाहन्छु ।

When my children were small and we heard the sound of the war,

केटाकेटीहरु सानो हुँदा, जब हामी युद्धको आवाज सुन्थ्यौं,

I used to tell them that they were fireworks.

हामी उनीहरुलाई यो पटाकाको आवाज हो भनेर सम्झाउथ्यौं ।

Now they are older, they understand.

अब उनीहरु हुर्की सके, आफै बुझ्ने भइसके ।

I do have terrible nightmares

म डरलाग्दा सपनाहरु देख्ने गर्छु,

because of all that I witnessed during war times,

किनकि युद्धको समयमा मैंले

especially these lifeless bodies of young children.

धेरै युवाहरुको धेरै लाश देखेकोछु ।

I still remember a little girl, her name is Hala.

हाला नाम गरेकी सानी केटीलाई अझै सम्झिन्छु,

She's the only survivor from her family.

उसको परिवारमा जीवित रहने उ एउटी मात्रै थिई

Her picture will be with me forever.

उसको तस्वीर म संग सधैं रहीरहने छ ।

I will never forget her.

म उसलाई कहिले बिर्सिन सक्दिन ।

I'm proud that I can stand here and be here today with you.

यहाँ, तपाईंहरुको सामुन्ने उभिएर बोल्दा, म गौरवान्नित छु ।

I'm proud that I can tell you stories, sad and happy,

संसारको एउटा सानो कुना गाजाको राम्रा नराम्रा कथाहरु

stories about my small corner of the world, Gaza.

सुनाउन पाउँदा, मलाई गर्व लाग्दछ ।

I'm proud that I am the first female fixer working in Gaza.

यस क्षेत्रमा काम गर्ने गाजाको पहिलो महिला हो म ।

And the funny thing is they call me Mr. Rambo in Gaza.

रमाइलो कुरा, मलाई "गाजाको राम्बो" भन्छन् ।

(Laughter)

(हाँसो)

I hope one day, I will get the chance to tell the stories of all other women,

मलाई आशा छ, कुनै दिन, म मेरो देशका अरुपनि महिलाहरुको

all other amazing women I know in my country.

प्रसंग सुनाउने अवसर पाउने छु ।

I hope that one day I can help other women in my country

म आशा गर्दछु, कुनै दिन, यहि क्षेत्रमा आउन चाहने महिलाहरुलाई

to be fixers like me.

मद्धत गर्न सक्नेछु ।

And of course sometimes, I feel I can't do this work anymore,

कहिले कहीं यस्तो पनि लाग्छ, अब म यो काम गर्न सक्दिन,

it's just too much for me.

यहाँ भन्दा अगाडी जान सक्दिन ।

But I remember these words:

तर फेरी यी शब्दहरु सम्झिन्छु : -

"Don't limit your challenge, but challenge your limit.

"आफ्नो चुनौतीलाइ सिमित नगर, बरु सिमिततालाइ चुनौती गर ।

Don't allow others to stand in front of your dreams."

तिम्रो पाइला रोक्ने अधिकार कसैलाई नदेउ ।"

Thank you.

धन्यवाद !!

(Applause)

(ताली)