The artists came from two different organizations whose primary aim was to teach their physically-challenged students skills that would enable them to live independently and with dignity. [break]
Five of the artists came from Bhairahawa.
Esther Benjamin Trust has been teaching them mosaic art and their sister organization, Himalayan Mosaic, has been providing platforms to their creations through which they have been earning enough to live with dignity.
The other artists came from Shri Sindhu Bahira Vidya School. Community Action Nepal (CAN) is funding the school and is teaching painting.
Country representative of CAN Ian Wall said, "Even though the school is limited to eighth grade, we have been teaching them painting. The way they instantly developed skills in this field, we thought selling their works would help them to be independent and be self-sustaining. However, it is not limited to only that, they get another medium of expressing themselves apart from sign language."
The workshop included making mosaics with tiny bits of colorful papers and T-shirt painting. The young participants got an opportunity to show their creative skills and also learn from elder artists.
"We conducted these events to provide a platform and promote the works of these amazing but physically-challenged artists. Furthermore, this gives them an opportunity to interact with our other employees. This definitely boosts their self-esteem and they learn more about other ways of earning a livelihood," said Nayantara Gurung Kakshapati, marketing director of the Bakery Café and the organizer of the event.
Related story
Ninth National Art Exhibition in photographs
