Help Shahd rebuild her Life

Meet the artist Shahd Rajab

Hello,

My name is Shahd Rajab, a 21 year old Palestinian woman from Gaza. I'm currently in my third year at the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology. Since childhood, I have been passionate about drawing, using my colors and brushes to express my emotions, thoughts, and messages to the world.

I have lived all my life in my beautiful city, Gaza. I have witnessed many wars over the years, but this current war is the most brutal and prolonged.

This horrific war has destroyed everything. Life has lost its meaning death and life have become the same.

Since October 7, 2023, I have experienced all forms of suffering in Gaza… I’ve lived in tents, faced displacement into the unknown, endured hunger and lack of water, extreme cold and heat, fear, and sleepless nights under the sound of continuous bombing and missiles and much more.

All I have is my artistic talent to express our pain and the horrors of the occupation’s crimes against us the genocide, the killing of children and women, the destruction of homes over people’s heads, and so much more.

My family and I have been displaced more than 20 times within the small and long-besieged Gaza Strip. In every place we’ve fled to, we survived with nothing but our lives.

The suffering here never ends. Life has become extremely expensive due to the closure of borders and the prevention of food, aid, fuel, and all essentials from entering Gaza.

But despite everything, I still believe that art can be a voice for what we are living through and that humanitarian support can truly make a difference.

I'm asking for your financial support to stand by me and my family, to help us survive through these harsh conditions, and to try to rebuild even a small part of what we’ve lost.

My wish for 2024 and 2025 is for this war to end, for the genocide against us to stop, and to simply stay alive. I want to continue creating and sharing my art with the world from the heart of Gaza.

I want my family to stay safe, to lose no one, and for safety and peace to return because here, there is no safe place. At any moment, our lives could be taken.

Every contribution, no matter how small, makes a big difference.

I will be forever grateful for your good hearts.

Thank you,

Shahd

From the fundraiser

My name is Martyna Michalowska,

I am an artist and I live in France.

I've met Shahd via her remarkable art at the beginning of the year and we have been corresponding ever since.

I truly believe in Shahd, her beautiful talent and soul, courage and perseverance in such uncertain life she's experiencing since past 18 months in Gaza.

Hopefully with time she can continue her university studies and will obtain her degree.

The funds collected will be sent to Shahd as soon as requested via bank transfer so she can provide the food, water and necessities to herself and her family.

Every even the smallest donation makes a huge difference and I am very thankful to everyone each of you for participating in our fundraiser.

Thank you,

Martyna