A child may get good grades by knowing the answers to questions and having a good memory, but is that enough?
Has the education system in any way failed a student if their grades are good, but they still lack creativity, lack social intelligence and have limited confidence?
Knowledge without creativity can limit a child’s future. The human potential a child is capable of reaching, cannot be achieved without developing creativity.
Yasmeen Fatima is a girl who missed out on school, and no school would accept her. She joined us when she was nearly 12 years old. She lacked confidence, knowledge, skills and felt her life was going nowhere.
Like the other kids you see in the photo, she went through our Fast-Track Curriculum which covers multiple years of education in just 2 years. The pictures show how the girl has blossomed. She even serves in her community and awakens in others the need to be educated. She is an artist and a public speaker too.
Yasmeen Fatima started by learning the basics with us.
So how does the subject of Art impact on life? How did it change her life? Would you like to know?
Let us first look at three things Art does do for any person:
1. Art Promotes Creativity. According to the International Child Art Foundation, research has shown that a child who is exposed to the Arts acquires a special ability to think creatively, be original, discover and innovate. These are vital attributes for individual success and social prosperity. The world needs more and better thinkers. Art gets the child to value their ideas, to assess them and to develop them. If Art is taught in the right way, it does this and also gives children confidence.
2. Art Develops Problem-Solving Abilities. Art is an endless opportunity for making choices, coming to conclusions and evaluating results. Through Art, children become more comfortable with uncertainty. They remain flexible in their thinking, which is crucial for creativity and confidence. And the more experience children have with a variety of materials and techniques, the more likely they are to try new combinations and ideas. Art helps the children be who they are and expand to new horizons.
3. Art Helps Kids Understand Themselves and Their World. Children absorb incredible amounts of new information. They need to process what they have learned in a safe and reflective way. Art allows them to explore their feelings and deal with both daily and significant events. Art provides a safe outlet for emotions. Children’s beliefs, feelings and ideas can be reduced to a manageable size and manipulated as they like. Movement, image, colour, line and imagination all help children express themselves in a way that words may not be able to do. Make Art a part of every life.
Yasmeen Fatima did many drawings and became competent in drawing from observation and through imagination. Here are a few of her drawings you may like.
Art changed the life of Yasmeen Fatima. She became confident, competent and caring. Here you see photos of her in her own community where she is telling others how very important it is to get educated.
She even spoke at the Youth National Panchayat Event and this is what she had to say to the politicians attending: Topic of Speech -Basic Needs of People:
I and my family are living in a rented home, our whole family lives in a small space. My father has a job, but it is not enough for us to survive and make a better life. You tell us how we can meet our expenses and what should we eat if my father gives half of his salary to the owner of our house.
In Pakistan, most of the people go insane because we cannot meet our basic needs. If our parents do not give us proper food, health and daily expenses then I ask you should we steal/ snatch money etc from people? What other option do we have? Should we at our age be compelled to do so?
In all the governments we have had in our country, I find they have failed to give basic needs to people in Pakistan. Instead, our lives are made tough by them. My request to you is to please change your minds and bring educated and competent people into the assemblies.
Yasmeen Fatima excelled in Maths, English and Urdu. Starting from next to no basics in any subject, and after completing less than 2 years education in our centre, Yasmeen Fatima has joined Class 6 in a Government School.
Here is a success from Yasmeen Fatima, 13 years old, on how the subject of Art helped her. I hope you like it.
As our Street-Kids Education Project is expanding, we ensure we give the opportunity to many more to reach their full potential.
In educating street-kids who have missed out on primary education. we make ART a major subject. This is done to enable them to recognise themselves as individuals, to value themselves as worthy of contributing and to develop thinking and learning skills.
We have recently taken on 90 students from 3 different communities.
Yasmin’s achievement is not only her achievement but the achievement of all those who support us in getting the work done. To serve these children, we are training teachers, running our character-building program and providing outside activities that include Sports, Art, Computer Training, Outside trips, Self-Defence Classes and much more.
I would like you to become part of our team in bringing colour and hope to the lives of these teenagers.
Sponsor the education of these kids and let us take responsibility for walking them into a bright future.
Thank you for your interest, prayers, good wishes and support. Please do contact us to sponsor the education of a child.
We are also in need of assistance to buy a school building so we can educate many more street-kids who deserve a quality education.
Will you help?
Contact us to be part of this worthwhile endeavour.
Youth Together for Human Rights Education