Despite the destruction.. a displaced man in Gaza turns a turbine he built with his own hands into a source of light for his neighbors

Above a tent in Al-Mawasi, in the southern Gaza Strip, blades made from pieces of plastic barrels and used parts spin. The wind moves them, generating electricity through a small motor, enough to charge phones and light tents. Its owner, Kamal Al-Dabbari, needed about 12 attempts before the movement became regular and his neighbors could begin benefiting from it.

Al-Dabbari, who was displaced from the Al-Shouka area east of Rafah, did not find the parts in a store or an equipped workshop. He collected them from the rubble of destroyed homes and workshops and used them to make a wind turbine, searching for a solution to a daily need that had become a burden: obtaining a small amount of electricity.

A kilometer to charge a phone

Al-Dabbari, 56, tells Sky News Arabia that power outages forced residents to travel distances of up to a kilometer or more to reach charging points and pay for limited services.

Between the family’s need for lighting and communication, the car mechanic and driving instructor began searching for what could be reused. He collected parts from motorcycles and cars, made the blades from plastic barrels, then connected them to an electric scooter motor to generate energy from the movement of the wind.

The experiment took nearly a month of work and modifications. Each time, he had to address a problem with balance or movement before reaching a model that worked acceptably.

The lack of equipment made the task more difficult, with workshops and lathes destroyed and spare parts scarce. He says the price of a single welding rod reached 70 shekels, forcing him to source materials and rely on scrap.

An experiment he lost with his home

This is not Al-Dabbari’s first attempt with wind energy. He had built a similar generator at his home in Rafah, when spare parts, batteries and workshops were available, and was able to operate lighting, a television and some electrical appliances.

But the home was destroyed during the war, and he lost the generator and equipment with it. During displacement, he returned to the same idea with fewer resources. According to him, the new turbine now serves around 10 to 12 tents.

Residents mainly use it to charge phones and batteries and operate lamps, without fuel or daily operating costs, according to Al-Dabbari.

Energy closer to the tents

Saleh Bin Hassan, a displaced man from Rafah living in Al-Mawasi, tells Sky News Arabia that the need pushed a group of displaced people to develop simple ideas that resulted in manufacturing turbines from waste materials from homes and agricultural facilities.

He adds that they have eased residents’ burden of traveling to charging points and the financial costs associated with them. According to him, the need for electricity is not limited to phones and lamps, but also includes some home medical devices, such as nebulizers used for children.

For his part, Saeed Al-Mahmoum, one of those overseeing the experiment, explains that there are two wind power generation points in the area, each benefiting around 20 to 30 people.

He considers them a lower-cost alternative amid rising energy supply prices, saying that some used and worn-out batteries are sold for around $1,200 to $1,300.

Years of darkness

The initiatives come amid an electricity crisis that has continued since October 2023, with the cutting of supply lines coming from Israel and the shutdown of the only power plant after fuel ran out, followed by damage to its facilities and the transmission and distribution networks as a result of bombardment.

Residents were forced to rely on solar panels, generators and commercial charging points, while fuel shortages, rising prices and the destruction of infrastructure reduced the ability of these alternatives to meet their needs.

The impact of the crisis extended to hospitals, water and sanitation facilities and communications, making energy a necessity that goes beyond lighting homes.

For Al-Dabbari, the blades spinning above his tent mean recovering something from his profession and his previous life. He says that despite the lack of materials, he is trying to invent ways to survive that rely on the wind.

His turbine does not replace the electricity grid, but it shortens the journey to charge a phone, provides light for a tent and gives his neighbors a source of energy made by his own hands from the remnants of war.