I’m Madleen Kulab, a Palestinian from Gaza. I’m a mother, a fishing captain, and a Palestinian. Today I’m responsible for a family and support our fishing community. This is my story.
My father was a fisherman, and from an early age, I went out to sea with him every morning. With each passing day, I grew more and more attached to the sea. I became my father’s helper and learned to steer the boat myself. That’s how I learned to fish.
At thirteen my life changed. My father became ill and was no longer able to fish. The sea was our only source of income. My father’s rowboat was very small. We couldn’t push it further than a kilometer out to sea, so it was very difficult to earn a living.
I had to keep fishing. I’m the eldest daughter.
At first, it was very difficult, because it was a huge responsibility to be fully in charge of the boat, but we desperately needed money.
All this forced me to conquer my fears and go to sea. I faced many dangers when it was windy and the sea was rough. It was hard being on that boat during freezing winters and scorching summers. And since I was the first woman in Gaza to fish and sail a boat, I had a hard time being accepted by a society that considered me too different and unconventional.
I continued studying at school to improve my knowledge and skills.
In 2011, I took a break. I received a scholarship from the Welfare Association, which provided me with a new boat with an engine.
It was the happiest moment of my life. I felt like a little girl who had just received the greatest gift of her life!
I set sail on my new boat, but due to the Israeli blockade, I faced new challenges. The greatest threat was posed by Zionist patrol boats. They often attacked my boat directly. They stole my fishing nets more than once.
But every time they attacked me, I grew stronger and more determined. I never gave up.
I completed my studies by my own, with the money I saved from work.
In recent years, the Zionist siege by sea has slowly suffocated us: fishermen are no longer allowed to venture further than three nautical miles from the coast, and this has made our lives difficult.
Three nautical miles is not enough for all the fishermen in Gaza to guarantee enough fish for their families. Like them, I was unable to meet my family’s needs for many days. For this reason, in 2013, I asked for a loan at the Bank of Palestine, 15,000 pounds, to buy a tourist boat and supplement the family income.
Two years later, the economy was so bad that I couldn’t cover all my family’s expenses or repay the loan.
2016 was my worst year.
2016 was the year large Israeli ships illegally confiscated my fishing motorboat and all the fishing equipment on board. At that moment, I felt really down. I didn’t know what to do. Buying a new fishing boat would cost a lot of money, and I couldn’t afford it, especially now that I was already in debt from the previous loan. I felt so exhausted. Then I thought that if I gave up, all the hard work of the past few years would be in vain, and my family would surely be left homeless.
I decided to rent a new motor for the tourist boat and continued working, but I didn’t earn much.
I lost my younger brother, who worked with me. I lost him to a stray bullet fired by an Israeli soldier during the “March of Return.”
I married my childhood sweetheart, Khader, and now we have beautiful sons and daughters. I hope my two eldest daughters will soon become strong fisherwomen like me.
I organized workshops for women who want to learn to fish and make fishing nets. I also created a Women’s Fishing Club for those who work at sea and for the wives of fishermen. This way, we can join forces and encourage each other in every way possible. This was the first club of its kind for women at sea. It was so exciting.
Join us, support us, and be part of our nautical family in Gaza!
The continuation of Madleen’s story is coming soon. Come back to visit us.
