Houla, LEBANON – My dear village of Houla in Southern Lebanon is the place that comes to my mind first whenever I think about my childhood.
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Although I didn’t live there, I spent every holiday and every summer there. It is the place that holds many feelings and a lot of my memories. It’s the place that made me the most.
I used to spend every summer with my grandparents and cousins there, without my family. I learned to say hi to everyone and go hug anyone who knew a member of my family.
My friends still say that I’m like a mayor in Houla because I know a lot of people. Sometimes I know old people that even my parents do not recognize.
I played football with my guy friends and joined them in their activities. It was weird for a girl to go to the football field, but I used to do it.
I had time with my girlfriends, too. Scouts in Houla was my favorite activity and Scout camp was the most exciting time for me. I joined Scouts in 2017 and am still involved. We’re like a family.
One of our friend group’s favorite places for reunions and evenings with a campfire was called Rwayse. We walked more than 10km to get there. It’s far from houses, so we can put some music and enjoy our snacks together.
My relatives also used to get together in Houla. We had the best family gatherings there, the best barbecues and the best holidays. Just imagine more than 25 people sleeping at the same house, all the cousins in the same room.
The whole family worked to make the best breakfast. I wish I could relive all of these days.
I only wish, because Houla, which came under attack from the Israeli army, is destroyed.
Homes, streets and trees were demolished, including “critical civilian infrastructure,” according to reporting by the U.S.-based National Public Radio.
They also destroyed our souls this time. Houla was one of the first villages to resist Israel and the attacks go back to 1948. This time they destroyed a lot.
We lost many dear souls in this war, and they’re still bombing and trying to occupy it even during the ceasefire.
Since I was young , I’ve built most of my political ideas because of what used to happen in Houla.
The village taught me to be resistant, to be rebellious and to be human. I learned to always help people, to never be silent about the truth and to always talk and speak on behalf of the oppressed and unprivileged people.
Houla is like the fire in my veins that ignites whenever I see injustice.
To me, Houla is a strong, resilient woman who keeps fighting no matter what and no matter how. I can describe it as a Phoenician castle that still stands through it all.
Everyone has their own definition of home.
For me, Houla, Lebanon is the place I would choose to die to protect, and now I chose to live to keep it alive, to be like it – standing no matter what – to show how this place made the people who were full of life.
I will always remember it as beautiful as it was until we rebuild it again.
Larissa Ayoub is a Junior Reporter with Youth Journalism International.
