Mustafa's Brush of Hope

Mustafa, a celebrated Somali painter, watched as his young son succumbed to a resistant infection. Hospitals offered therapies like phages and gene editing, but they were reserved for the wealthy. Mustafa poured his sorrow into art, depicting vibrant Mogadishu markets overshadowed by ominous clouds—a metaphor for a world teetering on the edge of promise and despair. In ten years, therapies improved, yet economic barriers persisted. Mustafa's work became a rallying cry, capturing both the beauty and the heartbreak of his homeland. His brush strokes carried a hope for accessible healing, while his heart mourned a son gone too soon.