There are artists who use their skills for their own fascination to add color to their lives and to that of others; then there are artists who channelize their creativity to mesmerize and entertain others. However, there are a few sets of professional virtuosos who use their skill neither for busting stress nor for personal gain, but for selflessly assisting the unprivileged.
These are the people who exalt art and creativity as a religion to another level. We at The Yellow Sparrow, especially love to support these organizations because of all the fun and creativity their cause spreads. Here are a few NGOs who have dedicated their cause to rekindling light in the lives of others, via the means of creativity, art, and craft.
1. The Marpha Foundation
The Marpha foundation is an NGO which obtains its name from the village development committee, Marpha, in Mustang District in the Dhawalagiri Zone of northern Nepal. It was founded for the betterment of the underprivileged youth, by programs of building village kindergartens, community libraries, and introducing extracurricular lectures in English and broadly scoped art. The main goal of the foundation is to fire up the dazed spirit in the children of Mustang, by letting them know that they are capable of doing incredible things. The foundation plans to do its best in providing quality education and resources to these children.
The professing done here emphasizes apprehensive and qualitative study over rote knowledge. The Teach English program is implemented to bridge large gaps of the English curriculum in Mustang and other parts of the world. The program is made interactive by bucking up student participation at all times. Their Residency program enhances opportunities for young innovators, and throws light on the impacts of artistic creations, on not just the artists but the market as well. Their functioning also includes Teaching creative lessons where volunteer teachers take up art projects and integrate students into it, so as to conjure their creativity and make certain their learning experience is memorable as they emerge as co-creators after completion.
The Marpha Foundation is an amazing gumption which solely depends on the contributions of common people like us. Visit their support page to take a glimpse at the several ways you can contribute to them.
Photo Courtesy – Marpha Foundation
2. Protsahan
‘Protsahan’ is a Hindi word, which stands for ‘motivation’. Protsahan is a productive and instructive program eventuated for distressed children, where education is game and art based; for instance English is taught using scrabble, and cartoons and digital storytelling are used as means of teaching and cultivating information, with a view to keep the interest of children intact. It believes in spreading knowledge through the most unconventional and innovative methods.
Protsahan was founded by Sonal Kapoor, one of the youngest Indian female entrepreneurs to start a globally based non-profit enterprise. The reason behind starting the organisation was a rather shocking and ominous experience of Sonal’s, which compelled her to do something in order to bring about change. As a part of her previous corporate advertising job, Sonal was visiting a young woman who had six daughters and was expecting a seventh one. On wringing her, Sonal was left aghast to find out that this woman was ready to strangle her newborn if it was a girl child, and also was considering sending her 8 year old daughter to a brothel in order to earn a living for the family. Sonal immediately started formulating a long term plan to set up a unique creative school to empower the indigent, especially young oppressed adolescent girls.
The Founder – Sonal Kapoor
Sonal has gone around many slums parleying such unfortunate and exorbitantly poor people, and incorporating their young, tyrannized children into her program. Here, she aims to inculcate the skill of art and craft into them, make them capable of fending themselves and help them break free from the cycle of cruel poverty. Sonal has served as the Youth representative in 2011 at The World Bank-IMF and at the Australia-India Youth Dialogue in 2012. She has also been a keynote speaker at TEDxYOUTH, TEDx JMI, TEDx DTU and several other eminent podiums. Sonal is an illustrious public figure and an inspiration for not just Indians, but for people all around the world.
Photo Courtesy – Protsahan
3. Art in All of us (AiA)
AiA is a non-profit, worldwide organisation with its two headquarters in Brussels, Belgium and New York city. The target audience this NGO aims to assist are children all across the world; however their purpose and their cause is very unique. AiA promotes the usage of art for convection of communication. They desire to invoke the passion for art in the upcoming generation and use art to understand each other better. They strongly believe that art can be used to enhance theological tolerance by making an interface for children all over the world to share their artistic creations. This will help bridging cultural gaps and prevent culture shocks, as children from all other cultures apprehend ideologies of a specific culture, all via the means of creative activities.
AiA believes in giving children, a voice to express themselves, so as to create a better tomorrow. They have implemented this plan of theirs, through three main programs
- PEN PAL PROGRAM – As mentioned previously, AiA promotes communication by artistic exchange. The Pen Pal Program is carried out to exclusively fulfil this purpose. Children all over the world exchange their sketches, doodles and paintings. This creates a portal full of a deluge of ideas from all around the world and all parts of the culture.
- WORLD ART BOOK PROGRAM – This program aims to solicit the perspectives of children pertaining to their own country. Children express their stand and visions for the their nation. Each of the 192 member nations of UN are represented by a poem written by a local resident child and his or her photograph.
- AWARENESS WORKSHOPS – The members of the NGO hold surprise visits to different schools all around the globe, and carry out different creative interactive activities. The program aims to stimulate passion for art in as many leaders of tomorrow, as possible.
AiA is an amazing initiative by two world renowned zealots, Anthony Asael and Stephanie Rabemiafara, who have extravagant foreign trade experience, have travelled a lot and have strong economic managerial backgrounds. They have dedicated their lives to this marvelous mission of theirs – invoking the Art in All of us.
Photo Courtesy – http://www.blog.corbis.com
There are a many more people out there who have selflessly dedicated all their lives for the betterment of those not as fortunate as others. Let us all shout out to these people and make these eclipsed angels famous!
