Visitors to an exhibition in Belfast were left visibly upset as they viewed the inspiring poetry and illustrations by children from Palestine, including two students killed in an Israeli strike.
There were emotional scenes at the ‘Moon tell me the Truth’ exhibition on Thursday as visitors saw the work of young people who live with the impact of “violence, fear and uncertainty” in Gaza.
Many of the young people, aged 9-15, whose work is on display are now displaced and their schools destroyed by the war on Gaza.
Obada Mohammad Abu Oda (14) and Fatema Saidam (9) - were killed by Israeli strikes in October 2023.
Their illustrated poems are featured at the centre of the exhibition at the recently renovated St Comgall’s School on Divis Street.
All were written and illustrated by children from Palestine, as part of the 2023 Hands Up Project international poetry competition.
The children were asked to create work in response to paintings by two Palestinian artists, Malak Mattar and Layla Mohammad Ibraheem Al Haj Abed. The original paintings area also on display.
Also featured is the work of Belfast students, with pupils from St Louise’s College and Holy Evangelists’ PS recording many of the poems from the Palestinian children to be heard at the exhibition.
The Hands Up Project charity, which organised the event, said its aim is to “shine a spotlight on the extraordinary strength and courage of young people” who live with impact of the devastating fall-out of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Hands Up Project founder Nick Bilbrough said: “Despite the extremely challenging conditions experiences by the young people in Gaza for the whole of their lives, they still manage to produce inspirational poetry, plays and stories in English.
“Tragically most students featured in the exhibition are now displaced and their schools have been damaged or destroyed during the war on Gaza.
“Two students were killed by Israeli strikes in October 2023.
“Many of the poems show that even in the face of the most challenging adversity, resilience, creativity and their hopes and dreams for the future still exist within the hearts of young people.”
Mairead Robb, an art teacher at St Louise’s College, said the exhibition is a stark reminder of the horrors young people in Gaza face.
“We have these children who have died at the centre of the exhibition, their poems are at the centre,” she said.
”These are the children we know who have been martyred, there could be other children who have been martyred.”
She said the exhibition had created a “nice community focus on the positive side of education, information and community supporting each other, in solidarity”.
“As teachers, our audience is always our children first, we can make children aware of what’s happening without any fear of horror stories, which really it is, but trying to educate them,” she added.
The exhibition runs at St Comgall’s until May 11.
