More City Primary Photos
Apr
18
2010
Every Wednesday and Thursday Harambee Arts continues to paint with the children of City Primary. There are five new boys in the special units. On their first painting day in January they were timid and shy about letting go and enjoying the paint, yet by the second session they were smiling as they painted, proudly holding up each painting to be acknowledged by every teacher.
Several months ago Harambee Arts started to offer a second weekly painting group to a group of older children at the City Primary School. The children are more severely autistic than our on-going younger group. Their head teacher reports that he has already seen dramatic changes in the children. Their styles develop and their special personalities emerge. Mihrein, the most outspoken of the group, usually paints one color at a time. He doesn’t like to get dirty and barks orders or makes comments about the others, as he smiles and paints his one-color paintings. “Sit down, finish that painting. Why […]
Nadir was dropped off by his mother two weeks ago. He didn’t speak. His mom warned us that, “He can’t hold anything by himself. He just sits by himself. He can’t do anything.” Within twenty minutes, Nadir was holding the brush and the palette, painting and grinning.
Paintings by the extraordinary special needs children at City Primary School. See more here http://harambeearts.typepad.com/photos/city_primary_artwork/
Over the past couple of months the Special Unit at City Primary School has grown as several fantastic children have joined the group. All of them excitedly continue their journey of expression through paint. Their concentration is extraordinary and their growth as artists is unexpected and phenomenal. The children are commonly seen as having nothing to offer and yet we have experienced just the opposite. Some of them are treated cruelly and exploited at home. We have heard stories of several of them being tethered to a table. Many are trained as house help. Since January we have observed major […]
Group Painting, originally uploaded by Simoneaux adventures. In March we decided to try something new with the wonderful kids at City Primary School Special Unit- a group painting! The children loved painting together on one large canvas and could have kept going for hours. There was a natural flow, as they worked in total silence, communicating through brush strokes. Each painter focused on the space in front of him or her, sometimes shifting around and trading spots. The painting will soon be exhibited as part of a large collection.
Harambee Arts staff (Kenn Rakwach, Sofia Casas and Gloria Simoneaux) celebrate at the Havana Restaurant in Nairobi after the museum opening reception. We were HAPPY and PROUD!!!Kenn ate fajitas and had pina colada for the first time. Then we danced outside of the restaurant. Totally awesome celebration in honor of awesome children who have proved that they are capable of so much.
Margaret, Sofia, Gloria, Rossline and Kenn at the opening. Last night, March 11, 2009 a very remarkable event took place at the RaMoMa Museum of Modern Art in Nairobi. Paintings and sculptures made by the special unit children from City Primary School were part of the opening celebration and they will be on exhibit at the Museum until the 9th of April. The group currently consists of twelve children who deal with the challenges of Downs Syndrome, Autism and other neurological problems and the associated stigmas. The opening was very well attended and everyone loved the art work of our special children. Margaret and Rossline (pictured above) are two of […]
After visiting the museum, the children were invited to create art. And they did!!! View photo album of City Primary "special unit" >>