"Generational Hope" large final gold leaf and charcoal drawing ~ Portrait of the Eman Houssin Family, Gaza Palestine

This artwork was created at the request of the Eman Houssin family to raise funds and amplify their voices so that their family would not be forgotten. 

In Eman's words~

"To live in Gaza without war- That alone was very challenging. My parents encouraged us- and everyone in my family went to college and earned degrees to improve our living conditions. When we moved from Saudi Arabia to Gaza in 2000, life was very tough due to the high cost of living and limitied jobs imposed on us as a result of the siege on Gaza and the instability (of the country) due to the multiple wars.  Our family went through very difficult circumstances . But now it's impossible. Gaza has turned into a nightmare for everyone. Everyone has experienced the loss of something special in their lives: from losing thier beloved ones, their houses, their dreams, to even the simple right of living like the rest of the world- to live in peace. For our family, weve lost our very precious house, we lost a very special place full of sweet memories of more than 24 years of our lives, the house that my parents spent their entire lives on making it the perfect place for us and worked so hard to get. It was very difficult for us to witness the house completely destroyed, all the memories, everything vanished.  We also lost many beloved relatives that we could not say goodbye to. We never expected in out worst nightmares to leave everything that we loved, our homes, our memories, our wishes, even our trivial things that were precious to us. Leaving all of this behind us is equivalent to the soul leaving the body. We have become wandering bodies without souls, shattered hearts without hope, minds stuck between an unforgettable past, a horrific present, and an unknown future, wondering what we did to deserve all this and wondering when it will end.

I am Eman, I'm 35 years old. I'm the mother of three kids: Tasneem (16), Taim (10), and Tia (4). I am the eldest among my sibblings of the Al-Haw family.  

We are not numbers. Do not forget us. Hope is what keeps us alive."

~Eman Houssin

100 percent of the proceeds of this artwork are donated to the Eman Houssin family and charitable organizations in Gaza.  Prints of this work are also available-100 percent of profits directly support the family as they rely solely on mutual aid to stay alive.

If you feel moved by her story and are able, you can donate to the family directly here.