Mahmoud
The goal I set, I’ve kept working towards it, it hasn’t changed..


On-screen text : Mahmoud, 17, is from Gaza, Palestine. He was injured by an Israeli airstrike in 2017.

Mahmoud
While I was in the house, a rocket hit us. I was injured, and I was bedridden for a year and eight months.

On-screen text : Mahmoud is now being treated at MSF's reconstructive surgery hospital in Amman, Jordan, where patients receive physical and psychological care, as well as vocational training.

Emran Alawar, Patient training officer
At Doctors Without Borders, we don’t believe that treatment is limited to surgery alone. So that’s what we’re working on; vocational training to empower patients economically and to strengthen their independence and sense of autonomy, and their ability to live with dignity.

Mahmoud
When I first arrived, I didn’t leave the room. Then the therapist started coming to see me, and I started going out normally. I found out about the vocational training from the psychologist.

On-screen text : MSF provides patients training in various trades while they receive treatment, including barbery, tailoring and makeup artistry. These new skills can support their integration into society and offer them economic opportunities.

Mahmoud
At first, I didn't know how to hold the machine and the scissors. Now I hold them normally.

Emran Alawar, Patient training officer
Mahmoud was among the best trainees and achieved excellent results.
Now he has all the tools and skills he needs to start working as a professional barber.

Mahmoud
Challenges—they’re still there, but when I first arrived, I couldn’t walk at all and had a hard time. Now it’s improved; it’s better than before.
My goal is to get a degree, leave, and work abroad.