PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS -  Perhaps they can’t change the world, but a group of international artists is working on changing the lives of one child at a time.

Currently in Plettenberg Bay whilst working on a project with Masizame Children’s Centre in collaboration with local artist Thomas Jung, Paint a Future (PAF) is a charity organisation, started by Dutch artist Hetty Van Der Linden about 10 years ago, which works with children in impoverished circumstances internationally.
Van Der Linden interacts with the children directly.

She gives each child a paintbrush ("a magic wand"), and facilitates a process whereby the children "paint their dreams". The children are asked to close their eyes and imagine what they want the most. On opening their eyes they are instructed to paint what they have seen.

The dreams of these children are incorporated into paintings by prominent international artists. These artists create works of art inspired by the children’s drawings, which become part of the finished pieces.
The participating artists, who volunteer their time and skills, are Jos van den Berg, Betteke Akkerman, Ria Nieswaag, Mara Eijsbouts, Christa Dohmen, Cees van Rutten and Hetty Van Der Linden, all from Holland, and Lone Seeberg from Denmark, Tomás O’Ciobhain from Ireland, May Britt Wolters from Brazil, Gayle Tustin and Pam Toll from the USA, Alejandro Teves from Argentina, and Plett local, Thomas Jung.

These art works are sold and all proceeds go to the children who provided their dreams as inspiration.
According to Van Der Linden many children paint houses, some paint food, others paint the parents they wish they had. Of course there are those who dream of prominence, like young Lindiwe Ngono, who painted herself in a red dress in front of an audience. She wishes to be a world famous singer.

Sometimes these dreams come true. A famous Dutch singer, Wende Snijders, happens to be touring with PAF. She will be performing at Miguel's alongside Lindiwe Ngono on Friday evening, May 27 at around 19:00 for 20:00. Wende even managed to find a red dress for Ngono to wear for the occasion.

Wende toured Holland in 2010. She took Van Der Linden and a PAF bus, or "mobile gallery" as Van Der Linden describes it, on tour and raised enough money to buy eight computers for Masizame, as well as a container to use as a classroom so that the children there may receive tuition in computer literacy.

Wende knows what it is to have a dream, and finds tremendous satisfaction in assisting these children in achieving their dreams. She describes Van Der Linden as a "bionic woman". "I love the way Hetty works and inspires people," says Wende.
The group of 14 artists will be heading to George on Saturday, May 28 where they will paint and set up another exhibition before leaving the country on May 31.

The Masizame art works will be on display at The Plett Art Gallery, curated by Thomas Jung, until the end of June.


Lindiwe Ngono proudly displays her work in progress.

ARTICLE: CANDICE LUDICK