Global Shapers and The Meraki Foundation team up for Foyer de Nazareth ‘Action Day’ |23 January 2018
Nine volunteers from two NGOs - The Meraki Foundation and Global Shapers - joined hands at Foyer de Nazareth in Anse Etoile on Saturday January 13 for a day of action.
Volunteers created a mural of colourful artwork for residents of the children’s care home.
The ‘Action Day’ saw members from both NGOs collaborate to produce a mural painting of well-known cartoons, who were identified by residents as some of their favourite characters.
The aim of the activity was to ignite the children’s love for art by fostering their creativity, while creating a fun atmosphere for residents and staff of the Foyer.
Talented artists from The Meraki Foundation sketched designs of well-loved cartoon characters, including ‘minions’, ‘Moana’, ‘Maui’, ‘Poppy’ and ‘Branch’. Volunteers from the Global Shapers Victoria Hub and The Meraki Foundation then supported children from the Foyer to paint the characters. The paint used on the walls for the day was generously sponsored by Woodworks Unlimited. Volunteers from both NGOs also prepared food dishes for a communal lunch with Foyer residents, which served as an opportunity to bond and interact with the children and staff members.
This was the first event of the ‘Action Day’ initiative, conceived by Global Shapers. Action Days are one-day collaborative interventions, focussed on delivering maximum community impact, and meeting a clear community need in the process.
The collaboration with The Meraki Foundation, who, since its inception, have been dedicated to using the arts as a force for positive impact, was considered a resounding success by all involved parties.
The ‘Action Day’ initiative was warmly welcomed by Sister Marie Jeannine, one of the sisters residing at Foyer de Nazareth:
“Even though the children are not artists, they felt like artists throughout the day as they helped members [from The Meraki Foundation and Global Shapers] to paint the drawings.”
One of the children from the Foyer commented that: “Usually on Saturday, I go for karate, but today I stayed here because you guys came and I had so much fun. I like painting”.
Speaking about the initiative, Alexandria Faure, Founder of The Meraki Foundation, said:
“Action Days are about doing small, impactful projects that will have a positive influence in our community. It's about doing the small things that usually have the biggest impact and about connecting with members of our community, using the arts. We often overlook how powerful the arts can be; not only in breaking down boundaries, but also as a crucial part of our development as a Nation. We hope to continue doing these impactful Action Days throughout 2018."
Natasha Burian, Curator of the Global Shapers Victoria Hub, said:
“We are delighted by the success of this Action Day, in collaboration with The Meraki Foundation. I feel that it is so important to dedicate time to help others; be it a small gesture of assisting an elderly person off the bus, or giving up a Saturday of your free time to join in and paint beautiful murals on the walls of the Foyer. Too often, we become self-absorbed and forget the world around us, failing to realise how much self-growth we ourselves achieve when we give without expecting reward.”
Both NGOs – who are committed to collaboration and active citizenship - anticipate working together again in the near future to deliver more Action Days that continue to serve local community needs.
Colourful paintings of well-known cartoon characters adorning the walls of the Foyer
About The Meraki Foundation: https://www.themerakifoundation.com/
The Meraki Foundation is a registered non-governmental organisation based in the Seychelles. It aims to collaborate with artists, associations, business entities and social agencies, including governmental ministries, to address issues creatively and support artistic projects with a positive social purpose.
About Global Shapers Victoria Hub: https://www.globalshapers.org/hubs/victoria-hub
Global Shapers is a network of young adults driving dialogue, action and change on a local, national, regional and international level. Worldwide, there are nearly 7000 members of the Global Shapers community, with over 350 Hubs spread across 156 countries. Although it is an initiative of the World Economic Forum, Global Shapers is firmly rooted in grassroots activism. The movement aims to empower young people to play a central role in solution-building, policy-making and enacting positive change in their communities. Members are organised into Hubs based on their geographical location, and self-organise to create projects that address the needs of their community.