Paint Our World, a humanitarian project, started by Dr.Priya Virmani, a political and economic analyst by education and trianing, three years ago.
It is dedicated to help children who have been through trauma (sexual abuse, abandonment etc), to regain emotional strength through creative arts.
POW began in a run down building in Sonagachi – Kolkata’s red light district. A place filled with children with no childhood and numerous behavioural problems. It is here that Priya began her first POW workshop. The children called it "mastizones".
She used games, dance and movement, narrative, theatre, zen painting and art. She created an outlet for the children to just be themselves -- have fun and enjoy life like all children should.
The process also helped them to deal with the trauma of their lives. Soon, the children began to visibly transform. They smiled more. And there was a spring in their step. They slowly became enthusiastic and began to look ahead. They learnt to trust and care again.
Soon, Priya adopted this POW model to help children in other places. She taught art-based activities in child-friendly, fun, imaginative spaces.
She says, "We work with the children in subtly therapeutic ways. In the process we hope to equip them with a better chance of becoming happy, stable adults leading purposeful lives." And it is wonderful to see the children be filled with a certain confidence to face the world.
The POW model is a low cost, high impact, easily scalable methodology that works with a curriculum designed by leading experts and child psychologists. The children are counselled too. But it is all done in a manner where it is fun, creative and imaginative for the children.
Visit paintourworld.org
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