A Painter, a Teacher, a Human – Searching for a New Beginning

My name is Obay Kershally, and I’m a painter and a drawing teacher from Gaza. Before the war, my life was full of color and creativity. I held art exhibitions, taught children how to draw, and had just started studying at university. Art was not just a passion – it was my life, my voice, my future.

But then the war came – and with it, everything changed.

War Took Everything – Friends, Future, and Joy

For over two years now, Gaza has been crushed by a devastating, grinding war. I’ve lost friends, my home, my studies, my peace – and nearly lost myself. This war didn’t just destroy buildings – it destroyed dreams.

I spent a long time in deep depression, unable to move forward. The war stole my energy, my spark, my will.

I’m not just hungry – I am hunger itself. Not just for food, but for life, for art, for freedom. I want to live, to feel human again, to paint again.

Why I Need Help

Now, I am trying – slowly, painfully – to return to who I was before the war. But I have nothing left. No materials, no safe space, no tools, no income – nothing to help me continue drawing, teaching, or healing through art.

I am struggling to survive – physically, mentally, and artistically.

What Your Support Will Help Me Do

I want to keep creating. I want to inspire and support the children of Gaza through art. I want to exhibit my work again. I want to live again.

Your donation can help me:

Buy art supplies and drawing materials

Access basic needs: food, water, and medicine

Get digital equipment (tablet, camera, etc.)

Find a safer place to live and work

Possibly leave Gaza to rebuild my life

Every Contribution Matters

I’m not asking out of weakness – I’m asking out of hope. Hope that I can survive this. Hope that I can create again. Hope that someone, somewhere, still believes in art – even in the darkest places.

Thank you for reading my story. Thank you for seeing me. Thank you for helping me paint again – against the darkness, for life.

With love and hope,

Obay Kershally