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
