
Hasina Akbari (Darya)
she is an Afghan visual artist and refugee currently living in Pakistan. she use painting as a tool for emotional healing, especially for girls affected by war and forced displacement. Since 2023, she has offered free online art therapy classes for girls in Afghanistan, funded through the sale of her own artwork. her engagement in advocacy began early—volunteering as a child with orphanages and later working with UNICEF-related initiatives in Afghanistan. These experiences shaped her commitment to supporting others through creative expression. her art explores women’s struggles, identity, resistance, and mental health. As someone who has lived through exile and personal loss, she use art to build space for voices that are often ignored. To her, cartooning and visual storytelling are ways to reach people, share truth, and restore dignity where it’s been taken.