Painting helping hands

CHENNAI: Hephzibah Institute of Heritage Conservation (HIHC), a city based NGO, organised a painting competition for school and college students today. The theme was ‘Helping Hands’, and aimed at motivating children to be helpful towards others.Held for kids aged five to 19, they were divided into four groups based on their age. Nearly 150 students registered for the event.Any medium could be used — oils, pastels, watercolours, crayons or colour pencils.Children painted innovative scenes. For instance, there was a painting of a boy helping an injured person while others watched, some showed children helping visually and physically challenged people cross the road. Visiting the sick, donating blood and giving company to old people were some of the themes. Even Biblical stories made their entries.Director of HIHC, V Jayaraj, said, “I run an old age home, and I have people calling me everyday asking me to take in their mother or father. I refuse, and we take in only destitute and orphaned parents. We want to instil the love for parents in children from a young age.” The retired curator of Government Museum says that art is a means of driving home a point in the impressionable children.Jayaraj added that the prize winning paintings would be on display tomorrow, and will be on sale. The proceeds will go to the old age home.