Ice Cream Parlour Survives Gaza Conflict, Inspires Seven Students

Seven University Students Open Ice Cream Shop in Khan Younis to Fund Studies

In southern Gaza, seven university students have opened an ice cream shop on the Al-Rashid coastal road in al-Mawasi, Khan Younis. The shop, called Flora, is run by four medical students and two dental students, with one software engineering student also involved. The students take orders, serve customers, manage the kitchen, handle accounts, and negotiate prices for raw materials.

The students, who call themselves “the doctors,” have started selling ice cream to fund their university courses. They were among a group of 88,000 students forced to suspend their studies due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The education system has been severely impacted, with 95% of campuses damaged or destroyed and 195 out of 206 buildings severely or completely destroyed.

The founders of Flora have faced challenges in establishing the shop. Jihad al-Saqa, a 20-year-old medical student, had searched for work but found it difficult due to low pay and long hours. He joined his friend’s ice cream shop after being approached by him. Al-Saqa described his experiences before founding Flora, saying he was motivated to study medicine after memorizing 23 out of 30 chapters of the Quran.

Qassem al-Agha, a software engineering student, also faced difficulties in attending classes due to financial constraints and the destruction of his family’s home. He set up various businesses to support himself before opening Flora with his friends.

The ice cream shop is the only way these seven students can stay enrolled at their universities. The shop offers hope for a better tomorrow for Gaza’s higher education system, which has been largely nonoperational since the conflict began in October 2023.

Source: Al Jazeera