Wall Painting Community Project

‘Bachay humary mohallay kay rang hain’ (children are the colour of our neighbourhood)

Father of Students Amna and Fatima Islam

The students at Al-Furqan School come from low-income housing communities where they live in dull, depressing physical environments. The enthusiasm and eagerness they displayed in the classroom instilled the desire in me to inspire these children to beautify walls in their living environments with their artistic expressions, so they could take a piece of what they have learned back to their neighborhoods.

It would also create a sense of achievement and give them the understanding that artistic skill sets can be exercised regardless of one’s situation.This would also give a sense of empowerment with regards to expressing their artistic abilities and receive due recognition from their families and community. It would also be an opportunity to engage with the students’ parents, to encourage them to support their children’s art activities, in addition to traditional subjects like math, science and English language.

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I presented the project concept to the Principal of Al-Furqan School for approval and then approached Mr. Shoaib Mir, CEO of Diamond Paints, Pakistan’s No. 1 national paint brand for sponsorship. Upon obtaining permission from students’ parents via school, I visited three neighborhoods and selected Khudadad Colony based on an analysis of access and safety.

I managed the implementation of wall painting with the participation of 7 school students. From coordinating and executing the plan and arranging transportation to ensuring the safety of the children, the responsibility was upon my shoulders.

I coordinated with Diamond Paints for paint materials as well as cleaning and preparing the surface of the walls, and painting it white, the day prior to the event. We first made 8 window shaped outlines on the wall, with one window allocated to each student and one window was allocated for a painting made together by all 7 students.

The entire activity took about 4 hours. The children were initially uncertain about what to paint. We had a group discussion about possible ideas, and that’s when they started to share thoughts and became more confident about themselves.

Pencils were used to make the basic drawings, but the students quickly moved to the coloured paints, attracted by the novel wall paints; eager to see how they apply on rough surface of the walls.

Throughout this process, the homeowners who were parents of students Amna Islam and Fatima Islam, showcased simple yet heartfelt hospitality, offering us home made snacks and cold drinks. I engaged in conversation with them, as well as a few other parents from the neighbourhood who came to observe the activity, about the importance of art in the daily lives of children and how it fosters well being.

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Inspired by seeing students paint the walls in their neighborhood, I witnessed a few toddlers shout out ‘yeh mein bhi kar sakta hoon’ (I can also do this) and run and begin chalk drawings on adjacent walls. It was a humbling experience, yet I felt heartened that our little initiative was having such a positive impact in the community.

Once the students finished their individual paintings, I helped them make simple borders around each painting to signify the window frame. They then made a collective painting in one of the windows to show what they wished to become when they were older. I am proud to say that we had an aspiring astronaut, a fashion designer, a military woman, a policeman and a few doctors in our student group!

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Being able to help these children create better environments where they live and allowing them to play a crucial role in creating it, fostered a sense of confidence among the children and gave their artistic skills the required recognition. They proudly signed their individual paintings and stood in front of them for photographs. Their wide smiles and sparkling eyes reflected their joy and confidence.

Diamond Paints had arranged for media and PR coverage, so I engaged with the journilsts and media persons at the venue to explain the idea behind this Wall Painting initiative and the wonderful work which the students had produced.

Here are a few of the links to the media coverage we received in leading newpapers and channels.

GTV News
The News International
Pakistan Today
Suno News
City 21 News

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I presented the project concept to the Principal of Al-Furqan School for approval and then approached Mr. Shoaib Mir, CEO of Diamond Paints, Pakistan’s No. 1 national paint brand for sponsorship. Upon obtaining permission from students’ parents via school, I visited three neighborhoods and selected Khudadad Colony based on an analysis of access and safety.

I managed the implementation of wall painting with the participation of 7 school students. From coordinating and executing the plan and arranging transportation to ensuring the safety of the children, the responsibility was upon my shoulders.

I coordinated with Diamond Paints for paint materials as well as cleaning and preparing the surface of the walls, and painting it white, the day prior to the event. We first made 8 window shaped outlines on the wall, with one window allocated to each student and one window was allocated for a painting made together by all 7 students.

The entire activity took about 4 hours. The children were initially uncertain about what to paint. We had a group discussion about possible ideas, and that’s when they started to share thoughts and became more confident about themselves.

Pencils were used to make the basic drawings, but the students quickly moved to the coloured paints, attracted by the novel wall paints; eager to see how they apply on rough surface of the walls.

Throughout this process, the homeowners who were parents of students Amna Islam and Fatima Islam, showcased simple yet heartfelt hospitality, offering us home made snacks and cold drinks. I engaged in conversation with them, as well as a few other parents from the neighborhood who came to observe the activity, about the importance of art in the daily lives of children and how it fosters well being.

Inspired by seeing students paint the walls in their neighborhood, I witnessed a few toddlers shout out ‘yeh mein bhi kar sakta hoon’ (I can also do this) and run and begin chalk drawings on adjacent walls. It was a humbling experience, yet I felt heartened that our little initiative was having such a positive impact in the community.

Once the students finished their individual paintings, I helped them make simple borders around each painting to signify the window frame. They then made a collective painting in one of the windows to show what they wished to become when they were older. I am proud to say that we had an aspiring astronaut, a fashion designer, a military woman, a policeman and a few doctors in our student group!