Art program helps AIDS-impacted families
- By Pang Li
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E-mail China.org.cn, July 20, 2012
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Agatha Lee instructs members at a summer camp sponsored by Hong Kong Chi Heng Foundation how to paint using water color at the Ibis Hotel in Beijing on Thursday. [Pang Li/China.org.cn] |
The process of drawing or painting allows children from AIDS-impacted families to express themselves emotionally, boost their self-confidence and enables them to see a brighter side of life, thus transforming their perspectives from negative to positive, said Agatha Lee from Hong Kong Chi Heng Foundation in an interview with China.org.cn in Beijing on Thursday.
Lee, who creates an art program to teach AIDS-impacted children to draw and paint, said that a lot of children suffer serious prejudice because of their AIDS background. They are buried in great pain from loss of one or two parents. Some even witnessed their AIDS father or mother committing suicide in front of them. The sad experience left them seriously traumatized and made them shy away from interaction with other people, Lee said.
"The first time that I saw some bleak, murky and gloomy pictures done by children with and AIDS family background, I was totally shocked for children's works that I had seen were always bright and rich in color," Lee recalled. "I realized that those kids needed help." This was the reason why the former head of an arts school in Hong Kong created the program.
Lee is very happy to see that her program has made considerable differences to the children. Surprised to see that they could draw so well, the children regained their self-esteem. Sometimes, drawing acts as a way to help children realize their dreams of "reuniting" with lost parents.
Lee said that she once helped a kid by the name of Xiaolong whose sick father killed himself by taking poison in front of his young son. When she first met him, Xiaolong was depressed and spoke very little.
During one session, the kid told her that he missed his father so much and often dreamed of him. Lee suggested drawing a picture of an imagined scene of a son seeing father again. After some struggle, the child made a picture envisioning a reunion with his father in space. For him, "the picture was like a dream come true," she said.
Furthermore, after taking some art sessions and a few rounds of psychological counseling, the kid seemed to change into a different person. "Now he is so cheerful that he cannot help singing all the time," Lee said.
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A girl from a summer camp sponsored by Hong Kong Chi Heng Foundation draws a picture at the Ibis Hotel in Beijing on Thursday. [Pang Li/China.org.cn] |
Apparently, Lee was enthusiastic about her job and carried it out with great conviction. On Thursday night, she oversaw a three-hour teaching and practicing session for 40 AIDS-impacted teenagers from a summer camp sponsored by her foundation.
Even with the help of more than 10 volunteers, she was incredibly busy. She rushed among small groups of teenagers on work, giving instructions and seeing to every small detail. She also elaborately instructed some teenagers how to paint using water color. Looking at some finished works, she offered the young learners advice on how to improve.
Lee said that the children's pictures would be sold. The society has showed great support. Previously, some company bought drawings to make postcards. At an auction, a picture was sold at a price as high as 20,000 yuan. (US$3138), Lee said.
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