In Gaza, a bookseller and artist offer children hope
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Ramadan El Najili, a bookseller in Gaza, and Maysa Jousef, a visual artist and nurse, are working to support children amidst ongoing conflict.
In 2021, after bombardments destroyed three libraries, including El Najili’s, fundraising efforts in Italy provided him with a printer. Despite being displaced six times, El Najili continues to print and distribute educational materials, even publishing the Arabic fable Andando al Mercato with assistance from Kellerman in Italy.
Jousef organizes art therapy workshops in the Deir El Balah refugee camp, a town in the Gaza Strip, offering children a temporary respite from fear and anxiety. She and her husband, a psychotherapist, create a space where children can express their emotions. El Najili supports Jousef’s work by providing art supplies, paper, notebooks, pencils, and other materials, which he obtains despite wartime shortages.
El Najili funds these efforts by printing materials for paying clients and offering free services to schools and students. He receives financial support from Italy, which he uses to help others and to maintain his own well-being. Through their combined efforts, El Najili and Jousef are striving to maintain hope within the community in Gaza.
