From left: Child Rights Mural committee member Cheriette Redan van der Lugt and Mel Raboen de Sanchez Pacheco of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations with Government Commissioner Mike Franco (fourth left), Sara Stones of New Challenges Foundation (third right) and UNICEF’s Dirkje de Jong (right) with some of the youngsters whose artwork is displayed on the murals.
ST. EUSTATIUS–The Rights of The Child Mural along The Sandy Road was officially launched on Friday, King’s Day, by Government Commissioner Marcolino “Mike” Franco.
“Team Togetherness” was the theme for the artwork created by 15 children in St. Eustatius between the ages of four and 18 years old.
“Murals have been communicating their messages on walls for over 35,000 years,” said Dirkje de Jong, who is United Nations Children’s Fund UNICEF advisor for rights of the child on Statia.
“What you see in these images is a community that is very alive and happy to celebrate togetherness,” De Jong said.
Mel Raboen de Sanchez Pacheco agrees. He works for the Dutch Ministry of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations that sponsored the mural project.
“Murals are creatively linked to architecture, construction and more importantly, an expression of bonding,” he said.
In inaugurating the murals with his own painted handprint, followed by those of many Statians, Franco complimented the artists on their work.
“I was happy to sign those permits for road blocks to enable the young artists to create their vision of Team Togetherness. I was also delighted by the support they received from all the adults behind the Team Togetherness.”
Those supporting adults were from New Challenges Foundation, Mega D Youth Foundation and Gwendoline van Putten School.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/76145-rights-of-the-child-mural-inaugurated-on-king-s-day
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