Artists & Young People Finding Ways to Survive

The Meera Centre has been a healing refuge for its resident artist, Fayza. During the war, she escaped her burning house with her four- year-old triplets. Her husband perished in the flames. Fayza engages the community in art projects in addition to her own professional work. We sell prints and cards to support these participants and they are proud to have their stories known by Americans.

We also support a young artist in Gaza, Nour, whose family lost their home in the bombings. She now lives in a temporary tent with her siblings and parents. She dreams of continuing her education in a safe place and building a future for herself and her younger brother. To help her sustain that vision, community members have shared her artwork, organized small local exhibits, and contributed the proceeds directly to her family. Her expertise is portraiture and illustration. Her recent messages describe the devastation that winter rains bring:

“The tent cannot protect us. Water comes through the roof and walls. My little sister and I cried. Winter is our greatest fear—we do not know how we will survive it.”

Stories like hers represent thousands of young people in Gaza whose dreams persist despite displacement, grief, and loss.

For more art see the January 2025 issue of Skipping Stones to view “From Gaza to the World - Art & Writing by Palestinian Youth”