Children from the village of Eari enjoy drawing pictures and making designs with cut-and-paste geometrical shapes and animal images. Some even choose to make clay sculptures to express artistic talents.
When they all perform well on exams, they are allowed time for art activities as a fun reward. Friendly art competitions also make special days even more exciting for these bright young people.
Academic studies are an important part of the program in all HoPE Learning Centers, but activities like these can make a big difference with children who face daily stress of living in a poor community where most families depend on seasonal farm work to pay bills and survive.
Teachers have been successful by getting some of the children’s parents involved, which sets a good example for the rest of the village. Paternal alcoholism is a serious problem where there is so much poverty due to lack of work, but when parents take an active interest in their children’s education, it helps motivate them to find more productive pastimes.
