Right to a better tomorrow

Over sixty street kids from a rehabilitation and recreational home are having a sale of their paintings. Proceeds will go towards funding their education

Right to a better tomorrow

Over sixty street kids from a rehabilitation and recreational home are having a sale of their paintings. Proceeds will go towards funding their education

For the sixty-five kids, whose paintings are on display at the Art Loft, Dreamz Home in Malad is home and Vijay Karande is their dad.

Karande, who opened Dreamz Home over 12 years ago, has been taking care of abandoned kids, who took to begging on the streets of Mumbai as a means of making their living.

Artwork by a nine-year-old girl

What makes Dreamz Home different from other foster homes is that the kids are not just given a good education, but are also provided training in dance, music, art and computers.

Art classes in Dreamz Home kickstarted in April, when Himanshu S, an artist and one-time lecturer at JJ School of Arts, decided to spend some time with the kids to teach them the basics of art. "They loved it. I didn't really teach them. I just let them have fun with colours and watched as they gave life to their imagination," reveals Himanshu.

Time too had its role to play in the children's ability to express themselves better through the medium. "There is a huge difference between what they sketched three months ago and now. Initially, they would only draw a house or a tree, today they sketch a deer looking at the clouds, the Taj Mahal, flowers, a rat trying to find his home and a lot more. Their imagination is amazing," says Karande.

The kids don't seem to be complaining, either. "The classes were supposed to be for two hours, but the kids would want them to continue for three to four hours," says Karande., who is keen that the classes continue, adding, "Himanshu has promised that he will visit at least once or twice a month."

The aim of the exhibition is to raise funds, so that the kids can continue their education. The funds collected from the exhibition will be matched by an equal amount from Smile Foundation. The annual educational expense of Dreamz Home totals approximately Rs 10 lakh.

Till August 12
At The Art Loft, Valentino Rest, first floor, above Patel store, Next to Mehboob Studio, Bandra (W).
Call 9773361243