Mekdela Kids Ethiopia: Art's Morning/Manha de Artes

Dear friends, family and sweet donors

We have had our Art’s morning today and it was much much better than what we could have dreamed of. The kids were so well behaved and so happy to be doing something different it’s hard to describe. We had several supporters:

Yared, my painting teacher, who brought his artist friends Alex and Bramah.

Tatiana, who baked the most delicious cookies for the kid’s breakfast.

Fani, ICS high school talented student

Genet, Alma, Yatam, who didn’t stop one minute cleaning, organizing, translating and making the morning a success.

Marc, my King who looked like a kid painting the wall with one little finger J

Yared started asking them to draw something on the board and after he splashed paint in a big canvas and everybody had a go at it. Ato Makbib, the school’s director, gave our kids an old room. The kitchen is very old and he thought the kids would be happier having their meals in this room. So, all the kids painted the walls, using their small cute hands and lots of good energy.

After breakfast we started with the canvases, each got the same material and they really enjoyed playing with the colors and forms.

The parents came at 1230pm to collect their dinner pack. We were though on them, first because of the vaccination card; only 4 out of 22 had their vaccination cards in hands. I put lots of pressure on them, and hopefully by next month they will have given their kids the needed vaccines, especially polio.

In their dinner pack this month we had: 1lt oil, 1kg shiro, 2kg onion, 2 kg pasta, 2 soaps, 2 kg beans.

We also talked to the parents about their grades, which are not very good so far. Let’s see if something changes by January when they get their semester grades.

Ajaiba’s mother told me that she would like to open a shop near her home. I had asked her what kind of small business she could open. We want her to raise her kids with dignity, and will help the parents as much as possible. So, on Wednesday I am going to her house with Yared, and we will visit the place for the small shop (street shop), and talk to the government to make it legal. We think she is capable of running a business; she only needs the first push.

The bad news is that our Princess, Natnesh, the tiny little girl is HIV/AIDS positive. Her mom had been hiding it, no one blames her for that, and there is nothing much we can do. Genet says after she started getting food at school she is stronger and missing almost no classes at all. This makes us happy.

The 3 artists said U$200 for each of their paints is a fair price, so we will be trying to sell them as soon as possible. That is our plan:

v 30% to reinvest in other Art’s Morning at another public school

v 10% for the student’s family (not money, either food, or something they need at the moment)

v 60% to buy food to our 22 kids and help their parents to improve their income.

You can see my favorite paintings attached, and if you would like to buy it or knows someone who would be willing to buy it please let us know ok?

We are very tired now, but it was worth it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I’d like to describe a few of the students so you can relate their life to the painting:

My name is Marcos. I have neither father nor mother. I live on the street and the people in the neighborhood feed me a little. I don’t remember where I came from. I have nothing.
Abeba – My father is a beggar at St Gabriel’s Church. He is a nice man. I like him. He does what he can for the family. My sister and I are good students.
Membere – I was raped by my father. He is in jail now. My mother died. My great-grandmother raises me and my brother.
Ajaiba – I live in a plastic house, without water or electricity. I am a happy child. My father left my mother and my 3 sisters, but I don’t know why.
Netsanet – I am smiley, quiet and sick. Today I heard my mom saying we are both HIV/AIDS positive.

EM PORTUGUES

Queridos amigos, familia e doadores queridos

Hoje foi a nossa manha de arte e foi muito muito melhor do que nos sonhamos. As criancas se comportaram super bem e estavam tao felizes por estarem fazendo uma coisa diferente que e dificil descrever. Nos tivemos um grande time de apoio:

Yared, meu professor de pintura, que trouxe dois amigos artistas, o Alex e o Bramah

Tatiana, que fez uns biscoitinhos deliciosos pro café da manha das criancas.

Fani, uma talentosa estudante da escola do Marc

Genet, Alma, Yatam, que nao pararam um minuto de limpar, organizarm traduzir fazendo da nossa manha um verdadeiro sucesso

Marc, meu Rei que parecia uma crianca pintando a parede so com um dedinho J

O Yared comecou pedindo pras criancas desenharem alguma coisa no quadro negro e depois ele jogou bastante tinta numa tela bem grande e todo mundo meteu o bedelho. O Ato Makbibi, o diretor da escola, forneceu uma nova sala pras nossas criancas fazerem as refeicoes. A cozinha na escola e muito velha, e foi essa nova sala que nos pintamos. As criancas pintaram as paredes, usando as suas maozinhas pequenas e muita energia positiva.

Depois do café da manha nos comecamos a pintar as telas, cada crianca recebeu a mesma quantidade de material e eles se divertiram muito brincando com as cores e formas.

Os pais vieram as 1230 pegar o kit jantar. Nos fomos bem duros com eles por causa do cartao de vacinacao. Somente 4 dos 22 trouxeram o cartao de vacinacao. Eu coloquei bastante pressao neles, e tomara que ate o proximo mes eles tenham resolvido isso, principalmente a vacina contra a polio que e tao importante.

No kit jantar esse mes tinha: 1lt de oleo, 1kg shiro, 2kg cebola, 2kg pasta, 2 sabao em pedra, 2kg feijao.

Nos tambem conversamos com os pais sobre as notas deles, que nao sao muito boas ate o momento. Vamos torcer pra que isso mude ate Janeiro quando eles recebem o resultado do semestre

A mae da Ajaiba me disse que gostaria de abrir um pequeno armazen perto da casa dela. Eu tinha perguntado que tipo de negocio ela gostaria de abrir. Nos queremos que ela crie as filhas com dignidade, e vamos ajudar os pais de todos o maximo possivel. Entao, na quarta feira eu vou na casa dela com o Yared, e nos vamos ver o local do armazen (na rua), e falar com o governo pra que o negocio seja legal. Nos achamos que ela tem capacidade pra fazer isso, e que ela so precisa do empurrao inicial.

A ma noticia e que a nossa Princessa, Natnesh, a menina bem pequenininha das fotos tem AIDS. A mae dela estava escondendo, e ninguem pode recrimina-la por isso, e nao tem muito que nos possamos fazer. A Genet falou que depois que ela comecou a ter 2 refeicoes na escola ela esta mais forte e perdendo bem menos aula. Isso nos deixa felizes.

Os 3 artistas falaram que U$200 por cada pintura e um valor justo, entao nos estamos tentando vende-las o quanto antes. Esse e o nosso plano:

v 30% reinvestir em outras manhas de arte em outras escolas publicas

v 10% pra familia do aluno que pintou o quadro (nao em dinheiro, mas comida ou alguma outra necessidade que eles tenham em casa)

v 60% pra comprar comida pras nossas criancas e ajudar os seus pais a obter independencia economica

Voce pode ver as minhas pinturas favoritas anexadas e se vc quizer comprar alguma ou souber de alguem que gostaria de comprar, por favor fala com a gente ta?

Nos estamos bem cansados agora, mas valeu muito e pena!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eu gostaria de descrever alguns dos alunos para que vc relacione a pintura com a vida deles:

1. O meu nome e Marcos. Eu nao tenho pai nem mae. Eu vivo na rua e as pessoas do meu bairro me alimentam as vezes. Eu nao tenho nada.

2. Abeba – O meu pai e um mendigo na Igreja de sao Gabriel. Ele e um bom homem. Eu gusto dele. Ele faz o que pode pela nossa familia. Minha irma e eu somos boas alunas.

3. Membere – Meu pai me estuprou. Ele esta na cadeia agora. Minha mae morreu. Minha bisavo cria meu irmao e eu.

4. Ajaiba – Eu moro numa casa de plastico, sem agua ou eletricidade. Eu sou uma crianca feliz. Meu pai abandonou minha mae e minhas e irmas, mas eu nao sei porque.

5. Netsanet – Eu sou sorridente, quietinha e doente. Hoje eu ouvi minha mae dizer que nos duas temos AIDS.