Not all heroes wear capes. 

In this episode, we go straight to the streets of central Gaza where I speak with Khalid Qadas: photographer, medical student, and humanitarian volunteer with the Gaza Soup Kitchen. 

Khalid is heroic and unwaveringly human — full of hope, heart, and determination to help — even in the face of incredible loss and genocide.

Khalid moved from the United Arab Emirates to Gaza to study medicine only months before October 2023. Since then, he’s lost his home, his possessions, 45 kilos (that’s roughly 100lbs), and has witnessed countless tragedies. What struck me most about Khalid is his tenacity of spirit.

Speaking to me from the streets of Gaza, I could hear his smile.

In our conversation we talk about life in Gaza, the Gaza Soup Kitchen, how to feed people under a famine, not just the lack of food — but the lack of water, hygiene, medicine — and the urgent need for infant formula. We talk about the future, loss, and the difficulty of sitting with the pain.

You’ll hear some background noise during our talk. I think it’s still totally listenable and adds a certain atmosphere to our conversation, so please bear with the audio and listen to Khalid’s story.

You can find the Gaza Soup Kitchen on Instagram, or support them on their website. Both links are below:

https://www.instagram.com/gazasoupkitchen/

https://gazasoupkitchen.com