Art as Survival: Help Baraa Rebuild After Losing Everything

Hello,

My name is Baraa Awoor, a Palestinian award-winning children’s book illustrator. Over the years, my work has been published and translated into several languages, reaching children and readers around the world. Through my art, I’ve tried to tell stories of hope, identity, and resilience.

But everything changed with the recent war on Gaza. I lost my home, my studio, and my entire art archive. I’m now displaced in Cairo with my mother and siblings. My father is still in Gaza, and being separated from him has added another layer of emotional weight to an already difficult situation.Without legal residency, none of us can work officially. My freelance art income is unstable, and I am the only provider for my family, while facing increasing financial and medical pressures.

I’m struggling to cover rent, living expenses, healthcare, and my children’s education — and I urgently need art supplies to continue creating. I’ve worked so hard for years to build a career I believe in, and I don’t want to lose it now.

This is not a plea for charity — it’s a call for the chance to continue. I simply want to keep drawing, keep growing, and keep sharing our stories with the world.

In gratitude, I would like to offer a small artwork to be posted to the person who makes the highest donation. Thank you in advanced.

Your support will help me:

Cover basic living and rent costs.

Pay for medical treatment for my family.

Purchase the tools I need to create art again.

Continue working on illustration and book projects.

Sustain the career I’ve built and continue making an impact.

Every contribution — big or small — means the world to me. Thank you for standing with me.