We Are Not Numbers (WANN) was founded by American journalist Pam Bailey and young Gazan, Ahmed Alnaouq. During the 2014 Israeli attack on Gaza, Ahmed’s elder brother, Ayman, 23, and a group of their friends were killed by an Israeli missile. Pam recognised that the best way for Ahmed to start to emerge from the crippling loss and depression he felt was to write his story and share it with the world outside Gaza.

When the world talks about Palestinians living under occupation and in refugee camps, especially in Gaza, it usually does so in terms of politics and numbers — specifically, how many were killed, injured, are homeless or dependent on aid. But numbers are impersonal and often numbing. They don’t convey the daily personal struggles and triumphs, the tears and the laughter and the aspirations of young people in Gaza.

We Are Not Numbers was created to give voice to these stories and to train and equip young writers to write their stories for an international audience. WANN has operated under Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor’s auspices but has been run by young people from Gaza. Each year, WANN recruits a new cohort of young writers who receive training and mentoring from experienced international authors.

Amos Trust has undertaken several joint projects with WANN and has supported their work since 2020. Shortly after the war began on Gaza following the 7th October 2023 attack, the WANN team approached Amos to help them pay their writers for the stories they were producing — the first time they had done so.

In this way, not only would they be creating a unique first-hand account of the experiences of those living through the unfolding genocide, but they would also be providing these young writers with a vital, dignified income source.