“I really like to paint different pictures, especially mountains. We live among the mountains and know how beautiful they can be. My parents gave me paints for my birthday, and I cherish them very much, because there are a lot of beautiful things around me that I would like to draw too. Once I saw on TV how one woman drew magic paints on glass. It was so beautiful. And this picture can be stored for a long time, because it is on the glass. And the paint is called acrylic. I wish I could draw the sun on the glass, and it would always Shine!” The young artist, Ayday, 12 years-old from the village of Tegirmenti, Kok-Oirok, Chon-Kemin district, shared her dream with us.
“Once I wove a basket out of a newspaper so that mom could store vegetables in it. It is not difficult, I just twisted newspaper sheets, and plaited them around a box. Of course, it took a bit of effort, but next time I will make it faster and more accurate. Now I want to try to make boxes for the shelves, ”enlightened us with his reflections of a “ handyman ”, Akylbek, 14 years old, from the village of Kaindy, Kok-Oirok, Chon-Kemin district.
Communicating with such children and listening to their thoughts, dreams and desires, we are amazed each time by their intelligence and broadness of their thinking. They live in an environment of nature, every day pass by the sonorous small river, walk in mountains, collect herbs, and watch an anthill. They are very caring about nature and their landscape, and this contributes to the conversion of their energy into creativity.
In the cities there are many opportunities to visit exhibitions, educational festivals and classes where children can acquire new knowledge and skills, where they can apply their creativity and imagination, and engage in the creation of new and beautiful. Children and young people who live in remote villages, unfortunately, do not have the opportunity to participate in such events, but their creativity is no less important.
This winter we worked with children from the Kok-Oirok community, Chon-Kemin district, Chui Oblast. We wanted children to learn more about beekeeping and the importance of bees for conservation and ecology. Children actively participated in discussions and offered to organize an “Evening of creativity”. The children worked hard to prepare and sew costumes for this evening. After such events and discussions with children, we came up with the idea of creating a “creative Cabinet”. “Creativity Cabinet” can contribute to the development of children’s creative abilities, become a place for organizing creative evenings and communications, and also allow children to acquire new skills and abilities without spending a lot of money. Children could learn creativity together and from each other in the Cabinet.
In RDF’s effort to organise the “Creative Cabinet” for children, we would also like to ask all those who might be interested in this idea to support rural children. Each volunteer may bring different materials such as painting tools, books, magazines, photos, hand-made items, etc., and we could all share.
Samples of Material Donations:
- For quilling (main material – coloured paper, scissors and glue)
- For decoration (acrylic paints, varnish, brushes, glue, thermal gun, etc.)
- For embroidery and knitting (thread and needles)
- For drawing and modelling for the little ones (clay, paints, brushes, paper, etc.)
- For sewing (fabrics, ribbons, threads, needles, and other accessories)
If you also have books that you do not read anymore, we would like to ask you to donate them to children who will need them.
The future belongs to such curious, interested and creative children who care about their land and nature. They have all the prerequisites to become real patriots, scientists, and artists in the future. The only thing they need is a first push, a little help and an idea.
This action coincides with the celebration of the 10th anniversary of Rural Development Fund. RDF is a young and promising organisation which has been successfully operating in the field of rural development for 10 years with the mission to support local initiatives to reduce poverty and enhance rural economic growth. We have worked with different groups, but working with children and young people always brings joy and admiration for their creativity and interesting ideas. Since 2007, RDF has been working with young people, and in each project involved children in various activities related to environmental management, ecology and traditional knowledge of Kyrgyz people.
If you are interested in this action, and if you would also like to support children from Kok-Oyrok, please contact us via our Facebook page, by e-mail at general@rdf.in.kg, or at Geologicheskaya pereulok 11 , Office 1. We will publish all updates about the action with dates and any changes, as well as reports on assistance on our website at www.rdf.in.kg.
All the books, photo workshops, materials for hand-made objects, fabrics, paints, modelling clay, paper, scissors and other items will donated at the end of May in Kok-Oyrok. The youth group will coordinate the “Cabinet of Creativity” together with the local teachers at the schools in Kok-Oyrok. We also plan to gather volunteer children who are already engaged in creative work to conduct a one-day workshop for Kok-Oyrok children, because we believe that the workshops taught by children will be more effective, unforgettable and useful.
If you do not have time to buy items for creativity, we will gladly accept your donation in cash so that we can buy materials for you. RDF will provide you with a full expense report of your donation the on the purchase of creative items, as well as receipts for purchased goods. A report on the collected materials and funds will be posted on the website www.rdf.in.kg. If necessary, we can also come and collect your gifts to children at a location of your choice.
Children from Kok-Oyrok will share their creations on our website, where we will post their work. Young masters who will receive your donation of books and objects of creativity will surely express their gratitude to you in the form of a letter or a small gift.