Two teenage sisters from Gaza, Farah and Tala Mousa, have won the Middle East regional prize of the Earth Prize for turning rubble into reusable bricks, saying they wanted to "turn destruction into something useful."

The sisters, who live in a tent and have been repeatedly displaced since their home was bombed, told the BBC that the destruction around them motivated their innovation. "After our entire city turned into rubble, everything around us pushed us to think about a solution," said 17-year-old Tala.

They plan to use their $12,500 prize to teach others to produce the bricks and "participate in reconstruction themselves, instead of waiting only for outside help," said 15-year-old Farah.

The UN estimates that 1.9 million people in Gaza — nearly 90% of the population — have been displaced since the war began in 2023, triggered by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October. Israel responded with a military campaign against Hamas.

By early 2025, damage in the strip was estimated at $70 billion, with millions of tonnes of rubble lining its streets. The sisters developed the blocks near their tent after their home was destroyed in August.

The bricks are made by crushing and sieving rubble, then mixing it with clay, ash, and glass powder. They are low-cost and lightweight, designed for non-load-bearing uses such as pavements, partitions, and garden beds.

The sisters plan to use the prize money to hold workshops training around 100 young people to create the bricks, aiming to produce at least 200. The Earth Prize has also announced regional winners for Europe and Africa.

Source: www.bbc.com