Towards Colorful Safer Spaces – Lebanon
SEP, 03 2013
By Jennifer Whittier MacKenzie
It was working in a prison that drove
Solange Al-Heybe “to give life to the walls surrounding those
dark spaces” of confinement. “I was always inspired to bring
colors into those people’s lives, as a healthy, comfortable way to
reach a positive, hopeful vision,” the psychologist and founder
of “I Leaf Art” says.
After “giving life” to
several walls at Roumieh Prison and Palestinian camps, Heybe took on an UNRWA
school at Bourj Barajneh, where “I Leaf Art” was born in November 2012. As its
mission statement tenderly declares, it is a “Group of Artists targeting
Rigid Dark Spaces; Turning them into Safe, Dreamy ones.”
“What’s most fulfilling is the reaction of the children involved,
their amazement and trust,” Heybe explains. Current projects include an elderly
Palestinian couple’s home and more UNRWA and public schools. While some of
these are supported by the non-profit Sharing is Caring and the Norwegian
Refugee Council, Heybe says lack of NGO registration and lack of funding remain
challenges. But, she insists, “once we start we can’t stop.”
Published at http://barakabits.com © 2013 Good news from the Middle East. All Rights Reserved.
