Graffiti Battle Winner Vyal One, Bay Area muralist Josue Rojas, and Water Writes Director Nancy Hernandez traveled to Palestine this summer as part of The Maia Mural Brigade.
Maia means water in Arabic, and the delegation of artists from the US painted murals at schools with new water filtration systems that are crucial in a land where drinking water is scarce. The filters are sponsored by the Middle East Children’s Alliance’s Maia Project. The filters are currently providing drinking water to over 30,000 people who otherwise would have to rely on contaminated water.
The filter at this site near the Rafah border with Egypt was donated in part by author, Alice Walker. We painted a mural dedicated to her and her crew mates who attempted to break the siege on Gaza by sailing a Flotilla full of boats across the Mediterranean Sea. Over 800 internationals were turned back at the Israeli airport for being part of the Flytilla protest against the occupation and the restriction of Palestinian movement. Although both the Flotilla and Flytilla were denied entry into Gaza by the Israeli soldiers, their messages of solidarity were received and written on the walls.
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