As the proposed official launching of Child Ink Africa on Saturday January 30, 2016, became a success the organization has call for a change in the way creative children are managed in the continent.
Speaking at Moanglobal Conference Hall, Chisco House, Egbu Road, Owerri, Imo State, where the event was held, the Executive Director of the group, Mr. Chinedu Hardy Nwadike in a message titled ‘Let’s Repaint Africa’ called on parents, teachers and government to sit up in the way creative children are managed in the continent.
According to him, Africa has chosen to have her children painted as hungry instead of champions, calling on creative children mostly to rise up and take their true place.
“Instead of having a hungry African Child, we can have a champion. Instead of having children bound by the achievements of their parents, we will have those being celebrated by their parents, country and continent. It is time to repaint Africa.”
He decried the lack of support these children receive even from their parents who mostly rebuke them from pursuing their dreams and called for a change in this attitude especially in the area of appreciation arts.
“This will not really be possible if we don’t appreciate them, if we stop believing that nothing great can come from them and give them a chance to create the real beauty in their hearts. Every day, one creative child graduates to the banking hall, where he counts money every day, forgetting his God-given gifts”
Mr. Nwadike promised that Child Ink Africa who is poised to help these children with the gifts of writing, drawing and painting, will do everything possible to see them attain greatness with their God given talents.
“What I have seen so far is amazing. In just a freestyling section with these kids, you could see them creating wonderful stories and arts. Their determination is already haunting me and I can only think of the next thing for them. It is surely an experience I am looking forward to”
Also speaking at the event, the Organization’s Programme Manager, Mr. Ugochukwu Hillary Uzomba, charged the children to be steadfast and see failure as an opportunity to try again.
“You have not failed until you stop trying he told”, the spoken word poet told the children after giving them a wonderful performance.
Others who spoke to the children include prolific writer, Mr. Ike Aro, the Principal of O’Nebs Foundation Academy and a former Secretary of Association of Nigerian Authors [ANA] Imo State chapter; Blaze McBede who represented CrossWord Care Foundation; Miss Emeza O. Patricia from Young African Leaders Initiative [YALI]; Floxy who sang Whitney Houston’s Greatest Love of All for the children; another Spoken Word poet and member of the team, Miss Ebo Flora, amongst others.
One of the participating students, Ekwelem Amarachi Doris, from Girls Secondary School Ikenegbu, Owerri, thanked Child Ink Africa for the opportunity to participate in the programme, calling other creative children to take advantage of it. She said the programme has opened her eyes and it is wonderful to learn that there is someone out there who is helping creative children in the country.
They children were urged to keep tabs with the organization’s website, www.childinkafrica.org, where some of their freestyle works will be published while their schools will be written to inform them of the next programme.
L-R: Mr. Chinedu Hardy Nwadike, Executive Director, Child Ink Africa [2nd left], Ugochukwu Hillary Uzomba, [4th left] and other members of the team with some guests at the Launching of Child Ink Africa, January 30, 2016 at Owerri, Imo State.
Musician Floxy with some students of Girls Secondary School Ikenegbu Owerri, Imo State
School children listening to Chinedu Hardy Nwadike at the event
Chinedu Hardy Nwadike
