From its humble beginnings, GoPhilanthropic knew that engaging our younger generation in the great work going on in developing countries would be a cornerstone of its mission.
But the question remained, how do we interest our kids amidst their busy lives of soccer, activity nights and iphones, in the challenges facing their counterparts in Cambodia, India or Uganda? The answer, we would learn, would be to simply expose them to it…and they would naturally figure it out themselves.

On May 12th, GoPhil held an event to exhibit the artwork of 25 children living at the  small ODA shelter in Cambodia who paint in order to fund their daily school and life expenses.   After their last visit to the shelter this past January,  GP’s Linda and Tracey carted home hundreds of pieces of their work in hopes to raise awareness and funds for their continued education.

Only a few weeks later, the walls of an empty downtown office space in Rochester, NY were lined with the vivid paintings of their daily life–magnificent temples, elephants and rice fields.  Those who browsed the works of art were transported to another world, both in beauty and hardship.  Cambodia is still reeling from the effects of its horrific genocide and remains one of the world’s poorest nations.  The opportunity to attend school is a luxury many are not afforded yet it offers the only solution out of poverty.
An entire wall was dedicated to comparing the “day-in-the life” of a poor Cambodian child to that of a child from Rochester.  While the differences were plainly clear– a Cambodian child might need to peddle a bike to pump water, wash their own clothes and help fund their own education, the more poignant message was that we are all pretty much the same.  And that was the feeling that seemed to linger in linger in the air on that Spring Saturday night.

Children of families who attended the event were encouraged to create their own works of art and self-portraits to be transported back to the young artists in Cambodia on GP upcoming trip.
Stay tuned as GP continues to offer family-fun activities that engage our children in global communities!

Find out more about Orphans and Disabled Arts in Cambodia as well as the other small grassroots programs GoPhilanthropic supports…
www.GoPhilanthropic.org