Who is Fouad Fanouna? He is 25-year-old, from Gaza, with a diploma in theatre. Despite his young age, people know him for many reasons, and all of them make up his story. Fouad said:
“A nickname can be a part of our identity, particularly if it reflects what we do. Everybody calls me Picasso here”
By the age of 15, inspired by books and movies, Fouad and his friends used to be street artists. They were spending a lot of time in the street painting, filming, and talking to people; they did not have a vision yet, but they had numerous ideas, and they were dreaming big.
The first cinema
Fouad’s interest in theatre and cinema grew over time and turned into his main passion. Year by year, gaining more confidence as a group, Fouad and his friends decided to arrange a cinema. A camera, a light, and a screen were enough to start. Fouad explained the project as follows:
“There are no official cinemas in Gaza, and recreational activities are often limited to closed-door events. Our idea was to gather a few kids projecting a cartoon movie in a refugee camp”
The result was as astonishing as unexpected, 400 children were present. After this successful trial, they continued to project films in different camps, until they became "the cinema boys". Today, they aim to improve living standards in the camps.
UNFPA and the Ypeer experience
In the last few years, empowering youth has become Fouad’s greatest mission. He claimed that the secret is to believe in what people can do if they only have access to information, and ultimately an opportunity. Theatre has been an important means to share feelings and knowledge with people. In all the shows he organizes, whether for a wide public or a dozen of people, he always talks about youth rights and the importance to engage them in social and civic matters.
In 2022, UNFPA Palestine appointed Fouad as the national Ypeer focal point. Being in Gaza, he could not meet the other Ypeer members of the West Bank, but regardless of the complications, his leadership was phenomenal. His relationship with UNFPA Palestine allowed him to reach more people, raise the voice of youth in many domains, and have outstanding experiences. Indeed, the Ypeer invests time and effort in a wide range of interventions planned by the UNFPA implementing partners Sharek Youth Forum, Burj Alluqluq, Palestinian Medical Relief Society, Save Youth Future Society, including knowledge sharing, first aid support, people with disabilities, sexual and reproductive health, and sexual abuse prevention. In 2022, Fouad and his colleagues represented young people in the Palestinian Coalition for Adolescent Health (PCAH) at the discussion regarding the advancement of the International Conference of Population and Development (ICPD) in Palestine. He collaborated with UNFPA to design a social media toolkit for the International Day of Girl Child 2022. On that occasion, a few Palestinian adolescent girls illustrated their passions and dreams through art and drawings. In September 2022, he flew to Bulgaria to attend the annual Ypeer international workshop, where Ypeer members from all over Europe met to exchange ideas. The way Fouad expressed his feelings allow us to go back in time with him:
“That was my first time out of Gaza. I could have never done it without UNFPA support. I went to a real cinema! I wished the time had stopped and left me there forever”
If last year was full of achievements, 2023 must not be outdone, and it started with good news. UNFPA renewed the agreement with Fouad and confirmed him as the Ypeer Palestine focal point. Change belongs to a group, but it starts with an individual.
