The “Art” of Kindness

No matter what country we visit we have always been encouraged to find that the future still lies in the hands of the children. When KI first worked in the village of Debrezeit, Ethiopia, we maintained a program in the elementary schools that taught kindness to animals. It was a combination petting zoo and story telling and it was very successful in giving active and innocent minds a creative and optimistic way to grow.

The success of that program in Ethiopia extended itself to an orphanage in Ghana. The children from St. Mary’s Baby home as well as local neighborhood children gathered to express their feelings about kindness in watercolor and poetry. This unusual day sponsored by KI was filled with painting, singing and an endless amount of food.

Although in both countries we have been aided by translators, we quickly found that joy transcended language and a room of rarely seen smiles were their own reward.

Benefits
This program gives hope, fun, creativity and a sense of future to the children it touches. They are able to get a sense of validation when they share something they have created and it also gives form to something that otherwise remains unarticulated. The food and the clothing that comes with this artful day is yet another sign that life matters.



How You Can Help
$20 will supply a 50 kg bag of healthy rice
$25 will buy watercolor sets, brushes and paper for 6 children.