Where It Started

October of 2023 I was laid off as a product designer—just two weeks after October 7. In the days leading up to that moment, no one at my company addressed the atrocities happening in Palestine. Not a single person checked in, even though many had spoken openly about other political and social issues. The silence was deafening, and to me, it was complicity.

Leading up to it, I tried to hold on to my identity and solidarity—I wore my kuffiyah in meetings and updated my Slack status with a 🍉, a quiet act of resistance. But the silence weighed heavily. So, I began to illustrate privately. It became my way of remembering where I come from and resisting in my own way.

Not long after, I started volunteering with techforpalestine and designed Palestinelove.org , a directory created in loving memory of Refaat Alareer. It was a deeply personal project that gave me a sense of purpose.

With my grandmother born in Gaza and my grandfather from Lifta—a village forcibly emptied during the Nakba—they were both displaced to Egypt before eventually settling in Jordan. I found myself illustrating their experiences and their longing for home, turning their stories into a bridge between my own memories and our shared history.

I wanted to share that connection with others, which led my husband and me to start Intifada Collective. It’s been a journey we never expected, but one deeply rooted in love, resilience, and the power of storytelling. My hope for Intifada Collective was always to create a larger impact, and through it, I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with incredible organizations like PCRF and Flo Pure who provide vital aid to people in Palestine, especially in Gaza.

With Love,

Sara & Amr