A day in my life: navigating work and resilience
My name is Loay Alatrash I was born in the West Bank of Palestine, Salfit. Like many people around the world, I start my day with a morning routine: a cup of coffee, some time to plan out the day, and then it's time to dive into work. For almost two years now, I’ve been working from home with World Waternet. That means no daily commute to places like PWA in Ramallah, North Hebron, or the Salfit municipality where the water tasks are waiting for me. Salfit is for example just five minutes from my home. While remote work has become the norm, I still visit these locations 2-3 times a month to be sure that everything is running smoothly and to keep the connection with the local parties. However, over the past year, everything has changed drastically.
A year of unimaginable change
About a year ago, life took a sharp turn. Violence erupted across Gaza and the Westbank, and the toll has been devastating. I lost friends, people I had worked closely with. These were not just colleagues; they were a part of my life, and now, they’re gone. Every morning, after restless nights filled with nightmares, my first instinct is to grab my phone. I check the news, messages from my family, and updates from friends, just to ensure everyone is safe. It’s hard to focus on work after that, but I do my best to keep going.
A challenging mission
World Waternet is supporting the Westbank by building the capacity of the local peers, optimise the performance and service delivery in both drinking water and wastewater. Meanwhile, World Waternet supports the Palestinian authority to implement the sector reform in water sector by raising the capacity of the service providers and decreasing the number of Service Providers from 300 to 10.
BluElephant as a service
One of my current tasks involves installing the *BluElephant units in Kharas municipality. This is part of a project supported by the Blue Deal and WaterWorx programmes, aimed at improving water and wastewater systems to increase water availability for irrigation.
Disheartening
On a normal day, I go to Kharas to work with the local partners and show them the BluElephant case and the importance of it, to improve the sanitation system and provide high quality treated water. Kharas is two hours from my home, but the journey has become anything but normal. On one particular day, after spending four hours navigating dangerous roads, where settlers threw stones and shots were fired at passing cars, I finally reached the entrance of Kharas. Then to be told by Israeli authorities that the area was now a closed military zone and that I had to turn back. It’s disheartening.
10.000 people depend on me
The drive was long, risky, and emotionally draining, but the work is too important to delay. The water systems in Kharas need optimising, and the potential benefits for the local community are immense. 10.000 people depend on this system. Without it there is no water, no irrigation, no industry. So despite the dangers, I was determined to make a difference.
Finding creativity in crisis
Despite these overwhelming challenges, I continue to push forward, relying on creativity and flexibility. I focus on using technology and digital communication, which offers ways to keep working across borders and restrictions. It’s inspiring to see Palestinian youth making their mark, both locally and globally. They’re forming connections with local organisations, building resilient communities, and showing that even in the toughest of circumstances, innovation can flourish.
The power of international collaboration
International collaboration remains a key pillar of support. NGOs, foreign governments, and international organisations continue to provide crucial resources and expertise. These partnerships not only offer tangible tools but also help sustain hope. Being connected to the global community creates opportunities for growth and learning that we might not otherwise have access to.
The journey of resilience
Working in the Palestinian territories is a test of resilience, courage, and relentless hope. The socio-political climate often casts a shadow over daily life, making everything feel unpredictable. But even in the face of conflict and instability, the spirit of the people here is unbreakable. We keep moving forward. Improving acces to water sanitation for the population. Even though the path is fraught with challenges, it is also a journey marked by moments of progress, collaboration, and an unwavering belief that things can, and will, improve.
*BluElephant is a mobile, decentralised wastewater purification system that can purify the wastewater from 50 to 150 people every day, The BluElephant contains millions of bacteria (an activated sludge). After this activated sludge treatment, ultrafiltration is separating the treated water from this activated sludge. After that, UV disinfection is implemented as a double barrier for pathogenic contaminants. The water can then be used for purposes such as flushing water for toilets, discharge into surface water, or irrigation water. The residual sludge can be utilised as compost.