“From the Rubble,” Art, Nada Anwar Rajab.

As part of the “Art From the Rubble” project activities, I set out to conduct a session for the holy month of Ramadan with children at the Great Omari Mosque in Gaza City’s Old Town. This landmark, spanning over 1,400 years of history, stands as one of the city’s most significant religious heritage sites. However, the presence of engineers assessing the site served as a stark warning of the structural danger; the mosque had endured multiple devastating strikes by Israeli occupation aircraft throughout 2023.

Consequently, I moved the activity to a small nearby courtyard belonging to another mosque that had also faced intense bombardment. There, children and their families had recently gathered and meticulously stacked the fallen stones, creating a poignant display that marked the enduring presence of the historical site. Amidst the echoes of children’s laughter, we carried out the session through the narrow alleys of Gaza’s Old Town. My heart was filled with joy at the sight of their smiles, holding onto the hope that the future will be brigher, and that the coming days will finally bring them love and peace.

-Nada Anwar Rajab, Coordinator and leadership of Art from the Rubble project in Gaza

Sponsored by The Hands Up Project

Nada Anwar Rajab is an artist, writer, and Geographic Information Systems engineer from Gaza. Having lived through more than five wars and been displaced over twenty times, she uses her art and short stories to bear witness to life under siege and occupation. Her work is a defiant message to the world—a testament that she is still alive. Through stark drawings and powerful storytelling, Nada captures the emotional and physical realities of war, refusing to be reduced to a statistic. Her art stands as a form of resistance, resilience, and remembrance.

Her GoFundMe, which helps procure supplies during the IOF siege is: https://gofund.me/d8f5655e