Using two fans he picked up at a scrap market and connected to some wires, teenager Hussam Al-Attar created his own source of electricity to light the tent where he and his family are living after being displaced by Israel's attack on Gaza.
In recognition of his ingenuity, the people in the surrounding camp gave him a nickname: Newton of Gaza.
“They started calling me Newton from Gaza because of the resemblance between me and Newton,” said 15-year-old Al-Attar.
“Newton was sitting under an apple tree when an apple fell on his head and he discovered gravity. And here we are living in darkness and tragedy, and rockets are falling on us, so I thought about creating light and I did it.”
The English scientist Isaac Newton, who made immense advances in physics, mathematics and astronomy in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, stands out in the popular imagination due to the story of the apple.
More than half of Gaza's 2.3 million people are now packed into Rafah, at the southern end of the strip, along the fence separating it from Egypt.
The Al-Attar family attached their tent to the side of a one-story house, allowing Hussam to climb onto the roof and install his two fans, one above the other, to act as small wind turbines capable of charging batteries.
He then connected the fans to wires running through the house and used switches, light bulbs and a thin piece of plywood that extended into the tent to create a lighting system for his family.
He said his first two attempts failed and it took him some time to develop the system until he managed to get it working on the third attempt.
“I started developing it further, little by little, until I was able to run the wires across the room to the tent we're living in, so the tent has light,” he said.
“I was very happy that I was able to do this, because I alleviated the suffering of my family, my mother, my sick father, my brother's young children and everyone here who is suffering from the conditions we live in during this war. ”
The war was sparked by militants from the Hamas group who invaded southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and kidnapping 253, according to Israel.
Vowing to destroy Hamas and free hostages, Israel responded with an all-out military assault on Gaza that killed more than 27,000 people, according to local health officials, and caused mass displacement and famine.
In the midst of despair, Al-Attar still maintained his dreams and ambitions.
“I am very happy that people in this field call me the Newton of Gaza, because I hope to fulfill my dream of becoming a scientist like Newton and create an invention that will benefit not only the people of the Gaza Strip, but the entire world.”
Source: CNN Brasil
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