Young man challenges disability, turns scrap into masterpieces

Despite suffering from hearing loss and speech impairment, Fakher Ahmad, 35, from Gaza, overcomes his disability by practicing blacksmithing. It is a hobby he picked up as a child, and turned into a business to provide for his wife and five children. Fakher collects scrap metal from construction sites and rubble of houses destroyed by Israeli shelling. He uses blacksmithing skills to recycle the material into artistic pieces and handcrafted hardware for doors and windows. Fakher grew his small business and opened a workshop, where three workers assist him. One of the workers, Mohammad Al-Shanbari said he faced difficulties when he began the job with Fakher, but over time, they found ways to communicate. Mohammad became the link between Fakher and the customers. Some of the issues Fakher faces in his business include the globally high prices of iron, and its scarcity in the market, as well as frequent power cuts in Gaza, which delay his production schedule as partially finished projects pile up in his workshop.