Meet 15-year-old Hussam Al-Attar, a Palestinian teen who has brought light and hope to displacement shelters in Gaza. Dubbed the “Newton of Gaza” for his ingenuity, Hussam used basic tools and wind energy to illuminate tents housing his displaced family.
When Hussam saw the fear in his young nephews’ eyes as they sat in darkness, he was determined to help. “I wanted to bring them joy and light up this place,” he said. He set to work creating a small wind turbine from discarded electronics and cheap materials. Though basic, it generated enough electricity to banish the darkness.
Hussam, his mother, and nephews had fled their home in Beit Lahia, walking miles before reaching the Rafah camp near Egypt. The family now lived in a tent without reliable electricity. But Hussam focused on lighting up not just their shelter but others’ too.
Despite scarce resources, the young “Newton” made it work. From broken devices, he salvaged coils, wires and magnets to build generators. He fashioned crude blades and bought a cheap dynamo. As wind spun the turbine, the dynamo converted motion into electricity.
His proud mother said her son had a talent for transforming mundane items into useful inventions. His dream? To become an inventor and pioneer. “There are many talented teens here with good ideas,” Hussam said. He remains hopeful despite the hardships in Gaza.
As families turn to this teen “Newton” for help, and news spreads about his ingenuity, Hussam has become a symbol of hope. His wind turbine dispels physical darkness in shelters and represent Gaza youths’ bright thinking and resilience. The “Newton of Gaza” is lighting the way towards a more hopeful future.
