Kholwa: Painting Hope

Vital Stats

Katie G

Boston, MA

people helped200
People Doing It 75

The Problem

Kholwa: Painting Hope strives to improve the lives of the orphans at the Raglan Road Multi-Purpose Centre in Grahamstown, South Africa. The children, ages 7-15, go to the Centre after school to have a meal, receive homework help, and play games. The Grahamstown community exemplifies a disparity between the wealthy and the poor, with an increasing number of poor getting poorer. These economic differences create tension within the community, often resulting in street crime and petty theft. We feel the importance of providing engaging alternative activities for the children that are our future. After our visit to the Centre, we sensed a lack of artistic development for these children, which we believe can shape their lives in a positive way.

Plan of Action

During our three week program in Grahamstown, South Africa, we supplied the children with oil pastels and watercolor paints to create artwork that would be showcased at our first exhibition at the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. George. It was rewarding to watch the children's happiness as they discovered these new art tools. We then worked with the children to create tie-dye t-shirts, another new art project, to sell at the exhibition. The funds raised will continue to provide the art supplies needed to sustain the program. We have sold 25 t-shirts so far, but our greater impact has been the awareness generated for the Centre through our exhibition, Facebook Group and Cause, Blog Page, and Word-of-Mouth. In addition, Kholwa: Painting Hope has appeared three times in the Grahamstown newspaper, Grocott's, raising further awareness.