Jamila Jad - Beirut, Lebanon - Global lives project, 2009

My name is Jamila Jad. I'm 9 years old. My father's name is Mohammad Jad. My mother's name is Fatima Jad. My brothers are Ahmad Jad, Hamza Jad, and Abdullah. They are 9 years old...No! Five years old, seven years old, and one year old. I'm from Shatila Refugee Camp, from Lebanon. I'm Palestinian, from Jaffa. We will begin...here we go. We will pass out...I will finish passing out the notebooks... When you get your notebook, look at what I've written on the board. Farah, let's go. Hurry up. Now we will discuss this lesson. Jamila, where does the story take place? In what area? - In Zahleh. - In Zahleh. That's correct. Because she always pays attention and takes care of me. Like when I have a final dictation... and I make a few mistakes, she won't count them. He doesn't want to harm him. What did God do? What did he say to the fire? Who created fire? - Who created fire? - God! - The devil! No! The devil made fire? Or is the devil in the fire? God created fire. And God, because he created the fire, told her, ordered her... "O fire, be cool and peaceful upon Abraham" (21:69) Do you know what is meant by 'be cool'? Are you going by yourself? This way is shorter. Sweetie, look at me. - I'm sweaty. - Give me a kiss. They put a microphone in my pocket and here. - How are you? Good? - Yup. - What happened at school today? I got 500. - What did the teacher tell you? - She told me I was bright. - Bright! - Papa, they filmed me in the middle of class. - Really? - Yup. - Is Mama home? - No. Finally, someone cleaned the house! Thanks! I go to school and I come home, change my clothes. Then I have lunch and study, watch my brothers, clean the house. When my mom isn't home, I do the dishes and take care of my brother... and make him a bottle of milk. They went to the neighbors' house. ♪ They played and had fun and visited their friends...♪ that they hadn't seen for a long time. ♪ One, two. Come here. I want to tell you something. They want to film us. Here, take this. I'll start. Apologize to her! Mama, want me to help Abdullah... I have a 'bourgeoise.' I let my brothers play, as long as they don't get on my nerves. Who wants pizza with olive oil? Pizza! Pizza! - God is great ♪ - Who wants a cheese pizza? - That'll be two hundred and fifty... Abdullah and Ahmad and Hamza would love to have a computer to play on. When my mom's not here and Ahmad gets sick, I take care of him. My mom always sends me to go get the medicine. And if my father gets sick, I stay with him too. I need one bottle of panadol and something for a rash. I want to become a doctor... because if someone gets sick I can help them. I wish we had a big house (Apple...apple...what was the word in English?). I wish we weren't renting our house. I wish it were pretty and that I had my own room. I would have a big closet especially for me and my own bathroom... and a Barbie, a real Barbie doll I could sleep with... her and her husband.