For years, a tight blockade has prevented communities in Gaza from developing their homes and cities – or even rebuilding the destruction wrought by Israeli bombing. But now two Gazan women are breaking new ground in the world of construction – by creating a new kind of building material called “green cake”. Majid al-Mashrawi and Rawan Abdellatif invented a new kind of brick that’s both kind to the environment and high quality, after entering a competition by MIT. The pair are currently working on securing a patent for the material and developing a production line so their bricks can be produced and used in Gaza. The environmentally-friendly material, which took more than a year to develop, is made of ash and cement and isolates sound, extreme temperatures and fire. It’s named because it’s literally and figuratively green and has a spongy texture, just like a cake.