Making a n Art School for street child where child's are learn Art free.
The Street Art project is aimed at creating the means for the social inclusion of a disenfranchised group of children who spend a crucial part of their lives on the streets. The objective is to raise their confidence and self- esteem and give them some respite from their harried lives.
“Most people can’t even speak to us without yelling and cursing and it makes me angry. So how come you are doing this for us?” questions a 17 year old girl who sells hair clips. She gave us a huge happy smile when she spotted us but didn’t join the any school because her aunt, who works in the market, doesn’t allow it. The young girl can’t seem to fathom why a group of people would take time out to teach kids to draw and paint amongst other educative projects, but appreciates it nonetheless.
The presence of street children is a tragic case of neglect and disregard by societal and Governmental authorities. Working on the streets, the lives they lead are unfit even for adults and instills in them a deep seated resentment against the privileged class, thus raising the chances of them resorting to violence and crime. This emotional volcano has to be recognized and dealt with by giving them a direction by which they can channel their emotions creatively. At times all these children need is a willing ear, a friend who listens to their stories and someone who could teach them to draw flowers and happy faces which are embodiments of the life they would have liked to lead.
The Nebu’s Art want to start a project spontaneous decision on my part to conduct an art workshop at a school for under privileged children called Dhanmondi, in Dhaka. The school is based on the premise that children need to be given the tools by which they can discover their talent and their passion. It was in there that I realized how important it was to provide an enjoyable and healthy environment for children from all walks of life. Watching the kids work, I actually felt optimistic about the future of our country.
Knowledge and opportunities to exercise one’s creativity are only given to the children of the upper and upper middle class while the children belonging to an underprivileged background are made to earn a living as soon as they learn to walk and talk. This creates an obscenely enormous mental, creative and emotional gap between ‘us’ and ‘them’- it’s not only grossly unfair, it makes our socio political landscape dangerously divided. Even if the effort involves aiming to bring a few hours of joy to the lives of 20 children out of the estimated 12,000 street children in Dhaka alone, it’s a worth a shot.
The project that start off as a social experiment, has now evolved into a regular feature. The Nebu’s Art team want to comprise a group of dedicated professionals who take time out from their own busy careers to teach the children about art, ethics and throw in bits of general knowledge for good measure. What started off as a one person effort has now turned into an organized entity with a core team and volunteers, growing and evolving slowly.That’s why Nebu’s Art need donation because we don’t have enough money for starting the School.