Gaza Teen Sisters Win Earth Prize for Turning Bomb Rubble into Reusable Bricks

Gazan sisters Farah, 15, and Tala Mousa, 17, have been named the Middle East regional winners of the youth-focused Earth Prize, an award recognising solutions to environmental challenges. Their winning project involves processing the vast quantities of rubble from destroyed buildings into lightweight, reusable bricks.

The sisters, who reside in a tent and have faced multiple displacements since their own home was bombed, stated their motivation stemmed from the widespread destruction across Gaza. “After our entire city turned into rubble, everything around us pushed us to think about a solution,” Tala explained.

Their technique involves crushing and sieving the debris, then mixing it with materials such as clay, ash, and glass powder. These low-cost, lightweight blocks are designed for non-load-bearing applications, including pavements, partitions, and garden beds.

With the $12,500 prize, Farah and Tala plan to establish workshops to train approximately 100 young people in producing the bricks, with an initial goal of creating 200 units. This initiative seeks to empower residents to participate in the reconstruction of Gaza, rather than solely relying on external assistance.

The United Nations estimates that 1.9 million people in Gaza, nearly 90% of the population, have been displaced since the Israeli military campaign commenced in October 2023. By early 2025, damage in the territory was estimated at $70 billion, leaving millions of tonnes of rubble. Despite a ceasefire in October 2025, which included pledges for territory-wide reconstruction, humanitarian agencies report that large-scale efforts have yet to materialise. More than 72,700 people have been killed in Gaza during the conflict.