810 Super Girl

Loulou, a 17 year old 12th grader looks like any other girl her age, right?   Loulou lives in a refugee camp in Northern Lebanon and she is passionate about soccer.  Last year, ANERA (American Near East Refugee Aid) built a soccer field in the camp so that kids could play safely.  Here is what Loulou had to say, "Now, with the new field, my friends and I have a safe place to play. My teammates call me 'Super Girl' because I'm a fast runner and I'm always urging the team on. I help them learn new tricks. I think this is how we improve and move forward."  Loulou is making the best of her situation and is a leader, and I admire those qualities. 

 "ANERA uses soccer and other sports programming as a tool to cross cultural divides, cultivate gender equality and teach conflict resolution. Their staff works with local sports clubs to organize tournaments and practices with professional coaches."  ANERA improves lives in the Middle East by renovating and rebuilding schools and hospitals, providing warm clothing, blankets,  food and distributing medical supplies.  They do great work!

"810 Super Girl" is the seventh in my series of paintings for "The Innocents Project."  I'm a big fan of ANERA's and am hoping to raise awareness and funds so they can continue their work.  You can read more about their work by going to their web site at www.anera.org.  They are located in Washington, D.C. and if you are so inclined to make a donation, please reference "The Innocents Project."

I have revised the previous six paintings and you can see them by scrolling through my blog, or in my Daily Paintworks gallery, www.dailypaintworks.com/artists/diane-campion-3732 where they have all been updated.

798 Marwa

Marwa is an outgoing seven year old Syrian refugee who has lived in one of Lebanon's tent camps since she was two years old.  She and her family left their home in Homs, Syria after it was heavily shelled.  She doesn't remember much of her early life.  Marwa has become an "ambassador" or sorts to visitors, particularly to the ANERA (American Near East Refugee Aid) folks who bring supplies to her camp.  She goes to school near the camp, and readily admits she isn't fond of school, however she plans to be a teacher one day.  When asked to draw a  house, she replied, "I cannot draw a house.  I will draw a tent instead.  I don't know what a house looks like."

"Marwa" is the fifth refugee child in my "Innocents Project" series.  She is the first and only child whose name I know so far.  It is important to me to see these children as real people with names, not just falling under a heading called "refugees."  I get an idea of what this spunky little girl is like from other photos showing a gap in her big bright smile where two bottom teeth used to be.  She is seen carrying her little brother, and has boasted that she does better in school than her siblings.  How typical for a seven year old, yet her life is far from typical or normal.

ANERA works to improve the lives of all of the refugees, but particularly for the children.  Please consider a donation to anera.org in honor of a special mother, or "just because" and please mention The Innocents Project.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you!

"798 Marwa"
acrylic - 12x12 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/798-marwa/477195

dianecampion.blogspot.com

796 Shy

This is the fourth portrait in my series called "The Innocents Project" in which I am painting the refugee children living in camps in Lebanon and Palestine.  I am hoping to raise awareness and money for the children through ANERA (American Near East Refugee Aid) in Washington, D.C.

There is no "normal" for a kid living in a refuge camp.  Most people don't realize that it gets quite cold in the Middle East during the winter, and heat is unlikely in the camps, and often in homes.  ANERA has distributed over 100,000 pairs of shoes and boots to keep the children safe and warm in Lebanon's refugee camps and in Gaza.  Tom's has been very generous in donating the shoes and boots for the children, who otherwise might be barefoot.  According to ANERA's recent newsletter, they have also distributed millions of dollars worth of vital medicines and supplies to clinics and hospitals in Lebanon and Palestine during the past year, 20,000 relief kits (school supplies, blankets, quilts, hygiene supplies, and clothing) in Lebanon, and as mentioned previously, 12,200 parasite treatment kits to prevent lice in the overcrowded camps in Lebanon.

Aside from all of the physical abnormalities of living in a refugee camp, imagine the psychological affects of living in a refugee camp where children see death from illness, violence or electricution all too often.  There may not be places for them to play, or clean water to drink.

Please consider a donation to ANERA   www.anera.org   and please mention "The Innocents Project."

"796 Shy"
acrylic - 12x12 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/796-shy/475823

dianecampion.blogspot.com