It’s all about determination

“I knew about Malta before I came here,” says Rasha El-Nahhal, a 25-year-old girl from Rafah, a city in the South of Gaza. “My aunt Sanaa, who lives in Malta, used to tell me about Malta and how much the Maltese support the Palestinian cause. I grew to love the Maltese from afar. Then when my aunt invited me to come to Malta and I met the Maltese, I grew to love them even more,” she says. Having graduated in English language and literature from Gaza University, Rasha was invited by her aunt to come to Malta so that she could improve her spoken English. “I was so happy when my aunt invited me to Malta – apart from improving my English, it was also an opportunity to visit a new country and learn about a different culture. I prepared everything very quickly and came to Malta.” Rasha has now been in Malta for more than a year yet she is aware of the ongoing tensions in Palestine. “I feel very sad when I see what is happening in Gaza. But I want to be strong for my country. I want to be alive and that is what makes me strong,” she says. Nathalie Grima, a close friend of Rasha and of her aunt Sanaa, says that Rasha is a very determined girl. “She is a very positive girl,” Nathalie says.