Naima Altarabeen
- Studies
- Master of Science in Public Health and Health Equity 2025-2026
- From
- Palestine
- Background
- Nurse, specilized in community- and mental health
I am Naima Mohammed Salman Al Rawagh, a nurse from Gaza, Palestine, a place where resilience is born from hardship and compassion drives healing. I am pursuing a Master at KIT to strengthen my ability to design sustainable, gender-responsive mental health systems for women and girls affected by violence.
Over the past 15 years, I have led Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) programs and women’s empowerment programs in Gaza, trained hundreds of mental health professionals, and contributed to large-scale humanitarian programs (ESSN) in Türkiye. I hold a Bachelor’s in Nursing and diplomas in Community Mental Health, Psychodrama, and Supervision.
Building Resilience Amid Ruins
In less than two decades, Gaza, home to over 2 million people, has endured five wars and a relentless, prolonged siege. The recent catastrophe destroyed the infrastructure and the already fragile health system, compounding severe resource shortages and the unending cycle of conflict, and rendering communities deeply vulnerable. Mental health and gender-based protection services remain critically underfunded, even as psychosocial needs continue to soar. These realities underscore the urgent necessity for sustainable, equitable, and holistic health interventions that can address both immediate and long-term needs.
“ My experience revealed the urgent need for holistic, sustainable care beyond emergency responses. ” ”
A Commitment to Dignity, Healing, and Resilience
I aim to strengthen sustainable, gender-sensitive mental health systems, integrate psychosocial support and gender-based violence prevention into national services, and foster recovery and resilience in Gaza’s most vulnerable communities. My experience revealed the urgent need for holistic, sustainable care beyond emergency responses.
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