Gaza teens transform war rubble into award-winning eco-bricks
Two sisters in Gaza have won an international environmental prize for repurposing bombed-out debris into durable building blocks. Their startup now supplies 5,000 bricks monthly, proving waste can be weaponized against poverty.
GAZA CITY — In a warzone where destruction is measured in tonnes per day, 17-year-old Lina and 15-year-old Malak al-Haddad have flipped the script. Their company, EcoBrick Gaza, this week claimed the $10,000 Zayed Sustainability Prize in the global high schools category, becoming the first Palestinian recipients in the award’s 16-year history.
Accepting the award via video link from Gaza City’s sole operating internet hub, Lina told jurors, “We wanted to turn the destruction we see every day into something that could rebuild—not just homes, but hope.” Malak added, “Every brick is a promise that tomorrow can be better than today.” Their factory, a repurposed auto-repair shop near the port, now employs eight local teenagers, paying stipends that average $120 per month—double Gaza’s meager youth wage.
| Material | Recycled Source | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Concrete | Bombed residential blocks | 3,200 bricks/week |
| Glass | Shattered shopfronts | 1,000 bricks/week |
| Steel rebar | Collapsed multi-story structures | 800 bricks/week |
The sisters’ innovation began in May 2023, days after an Israeli airstrike flattened a block of flats two streets from their home. Amid the dust, Lina noticed clean, uniform chunks of concrete—ideal for crushing. “We started experimenting in our backyard,” she recalled. “First bricks crumbled, then we added a secret mix of seawater and volcanic ash sourced from local kilns. Sixth attempt stuck.” Within six weeks, the pair had built a hand-crank press from scrap metal and launched a prototype line.
📋 By The Numbers
- 12 months — Time from first backyard test to full production
- 30% cheaper — Cost versus imported cement bricks in Gaza markets
- 1,800 homes — Potential rebuild coverage if production scales to 20,000 bricks/month
EcoBrick Gaza’s bricks meet Palestinian standards for structural use, verified by the Islamic University of Gaza’s civil engineering lab. Demand has outstripped supply since the United Nations Relief and Works Agency began trialing the bricks for emergency shelters in Khan Younis. “We’re getting orders from families who want to rebuild, not just shelters,” said Malak. Each brick carries a serial number etched by the girls’ custom stencil—“EcoBrick 001” marks their first successful batch.
💡 Pro Tip
Small-scale brick presses can be built for under $200 using car jacks and steel pipes. NGOs in conflict zones are adapting the design to use local waste streams after verifying structural integrity with local universities.
International judges praised the project’s triple impact: environmental cleanup, job creation, and cost-effective housing. “This is grassroots innovation at its most powerful,” said competition director Dr. Nawal Al-Hosany. “It proves that even in the harshest conditions, young minds can catalyze change.” The sisters plan to channel half the prize money into expanding their workshop and funding a vocational training program for displaced youth.
Key Points
- ✅ First Palestinian winners of the Zayed Sustainability Prize in 16 years
- ⚡ Producing 5,000 eco-bricks monthly from war debris
- 💡 Each brick costs 30% less than imported cement alternatives
Gaza’s municipal waste department has now designated three bombed sites as official collection points for EcoBrick Gaza, formalizing the supply chain. Yet challenges remain: electricity cuts cripple production three days a week, and raw material access fluctuates with ceasefire lines. “We’re not waiting for permission to rebuild,” said Lina. “We’re already doing it—one brick at a time.”