Students hold exhibition in aid of kid cancer patients to get back to classroom

By JET STANLEY MADU

Chika Nwobbi, Emokpkaire Priscilla, Ndubuzo Ebube Fortune and a few other students are just kids and armature artists, but a recent noble deed of theirs depicted them as great young minds.

They were led by Miss Josephine Israel Iwatan to donate their artworks to a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) for exhibition and sales. The proceeds were not meant for their personal use, rather to be donated for the treatment and care for their fellow children suffering from childhood cancers.

They want these kids to recover, because they wish to see them back in their classes as their battle with cancer has denied them continuing with their education.

For them, it is a way of telling their peers who have either been confined to hospital wards, denied being in school or are somewhere in their homes, incapacitated by cancer, that they care.    

Master Chika Nwobbi just graduated from secondary school. He is science-inclined but, has passion for creative art. His mother runs the NGO that caters for children suffering from cancer. He confessed that watching his mother do what she does, he has also become very passionate about children affected by cancer. 

At the art exhibition by the Children Living With Cancer Foundation and Phinny’s Talent Studio, the organizers revealed to The Education Report what prompted them to donate their artworks for sale in aid of children affected by cancer.

“Many children are out of school because they have cancer. My mom runs this Foundation that caters for cancer kids. She is a very young woman. But, she has grown grey over the cause of the children affected by cancer. One day, she came back and said that she needed a few artworks for display in aid of children that battle cancer. I said to myself, “why can’t I help if I can save a life?

“Also, I thought, since I delight in drawing and have done a good number and just having them, I can get them displayed, and the public gets to see, appreciates and possibly purchases them. So, considering it a win-win situation, I jumped at it.” 

And indeed, the opportunity did come. He described the experience as most rewarding, saying he would do same whenever next the opportunity comes calling. As armature, his works are not named, ad to this he said: “I am a science student. But I have passion for drawing so, it’s just a hobby. The works came out of passion.”

Miss Emokpkaire, one of the artwork donors is a 100 level student of the University of Ibadan, studying Physics. She said her passion for art came from her realization that she cannot get true expression of her feelings through science. So, she feels secure to do so through drawing and painting, poetry and in other related works.

Related News

She disclosed she was inspired to donate her works in aid of the sick children out of passion to help save lives of affected children. Secondly, out of concern to get them back on their feet that those out of school may return to class in no distant time, she enlisted in this noble project.

She comments on her involvement in the charity that “I was just home one day when doctor came around and said she was holding an exhibition in aid of children suffering from cancer. And I said to myself, what is the worth of my life if I can’t help add meaning to these ones who need my help?  I have virtually everything I need as a child. I am blessed. So, let me also bless someone else. That’s the main reason behind donating my artworks to CLWCF in aid of my fellow children who are not thinking of school at this point.”

On the ladder of artistic experience, Emokpkaire is a bit on a higher rung than her colleagues in the project. Her explanation on a particular drawing she tagged In The Dark reveals that her works are already articulate. “I actually did one I called In The Dark.  It shows that all these kids affected by cancer are actually in the dark, and they are trying to come out. But, due to their condition, they still can’t.  Many in the society see them as diseased and those at the dark side of life.  But that is not the truth. To me, they are blessed children. They only need our care and love.” 

Often, the CLWCF encourages individuals, organizations and patrons at such exhibitions to buy and donate such artworks to pediatric oncology wards. Similarly, some of the unsold artworks would be donated to the children cancer wards. Ndubuzo, another exhibitor, explained that this is the essence of his artworks that depicted most of the children cartoon characters. 

He coached that the idea is to help particularly, affected children in the pediatric oncology wards feel at home. He is sure that having a feel of the cartoon characters they were conversant with hitherto would put smiles on their faces and help ameliorate their pains.

The lad who just graduated from Turning Point College, Isolo this year and seeking admission into high school said he was driven by empathy to donate his works in aid of children affected by cancer.

“Actually, I try to put myself in their position. What if I were the person that had cancer? I said to myself, I will miss my education, miss out my childhood, and miss all the fun and all that..

“So, I decided to make cartoons’ super heroes for them.  I made them tell me their super heroes and let me know what to put on them. I did all these to give them hope; to make them know that all hope is not lost; that they can still have their childhood; that with these, they can be happy when they look around in their wards and see their cartoon heroes.”

He implored members of the public to see the affected children as part of Nigeria’s future and donate towards their treatment. He shares the thought that some of the cancer kids may be ‘very bright students’ and should therefore not be ignored to die.”

Ndubuzo wants the government to as a matter of urgency; establish well-equipped childhood center to cater for all children with cancer in Nigeria.  

Iwatan, the fulcrum of the project for cancer school kids is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Phinny’s Talent Studio, and she revealed that the art exhibition was made possible by Afriglobal Medical Limited and Freedom Park. She further revealed that Afriglobal will be offering free cancer screening for children at LUTH come September 23. 

She explained that the Art show was aimed to discover, groom and manage artistic talents in kids and teens. The exhibition according to her is one of the various channels her organization showcases and support creativity and education in young people and to create awareness and support for children living with cancer.