Omar Rashid

From Gaza to the Woods!

Hi, my name is Omar! And in the past year, I have come to live a completely new reality; let me explain.

I was born, raised, and grew up in Gaza City, Palestine. My family and I were displaced in a tent seeking refuge from Genocide. There, a friend of mine and I decided to take the world on a journey through our survival days. We started the page @omarherzshow on Instagram documenting our daily adventures, walking for miles to see what today would bring; securing water for the tent or collecting wood for cooking, and sometimes packing our stuff for the next evacuation. Afterwards, we would take our journey to the Egyptian-Palestinian border in Southern Gaza, connecting with an Egyptian eSIM so we can edit the video and upload it. Thus, we were able to garner more than a million followers in less than a month by turning our chaos into the Omar Herz Show.

Recognition from Rolling Stone

I would always end my day watching the news in a cafe next to our camp. But constant, repeating horrific news made me jaded, especially knowing that I was living this brutal news myself on the ground. So given my stubbornness, I started looking for an alternate way to spend time. I found out about eSIMs: a digital SIM chip for smartphones that provides a network without wifi, usually they're scannable as a QR code. Hence, I started collecting eSIMs from friends and online websites. And with the help of my friend, we started our mini-business. We helped our community reconnect with the internet and find an escape from the constant dark news on the TV. Moreover, I was able to make a profit to help with evacuation and family expenses, while resisting the reality being enforced on us.

Our first day in business

Meanwhile, I still hoped to foster a change in my camp too. But with no resources except my one chessboard that I evacuated with and a humble chess experience, I came up with the idea of a chess club for displaced children in Gaza. I hoped to create an environment of compassion and normalcy for those children who were unschooled since the start of the aggression. I brought a white paper and wrote down: Karawan Chess Club.

A day before kicking off the club

Then I took the poster and hung it on the wall, starting the first day of the club that led to many amazing days later. Not only was I able to build an inclusive community around the marvelous game of chess, but starting with one chessboard, the club ended up being recognized by Chess.com. Where they sponsored us and wrote about the club, and the children ended up being better than me at chess!

First day of the club!

Finally, amid this journey that I took you through, I was a dreamer of a brighter future. After posting my videos and sharing updates of my chess club, I would spend my night before I sleep writing my Dartmouth prompts. With limited connection—and with a laptop that is almost impossible to charge due to the complete power outage—I opened the sweetest letter ever sent to me on the 13th of December, and since then my life has changed forever. I got into Dartmouth!

The day of my decision

I might not have been the director of this film—I could not escape, but I could be its cinematographer. I decided to capture what I saw around me and share it with the world. While sharing my love and care with my family and community, I have built an extraordinary experience. I want to keep moving forward, sharing my story, and getting inspired by the many amazing things Dartmouth has to offer me. Follow my blog here to know more about Dartmouth from an adventurous and curious perspective, and please reach out to me; yapping is my profession!