Mira could never have imagined how her life would change as a result of the support programme run by our partner, YMCA Gaza. The decades-long closure of the Gaza Strip, high unemployment and poverty and war has had a huge psychological impact, and the purpose of the program was to provide women and children with a safe outlet to be able to freely express themselves, articulate and share their feelings with others, and find some solace amid their difficult situations.

Mira was one of the first women to sign up for it and appreciated the safe space it gave her to express herself freely.

But the YMCA art therapy sessions turned out to be more than a quiet space to get creative. Since completing the program, Mira has established herself as a local artisan, turning her newly discovered hobby into a job. Now sells her paper roses and glass paintings to a local organisation, providing her family with a new source of income.