1038 Noor

 

Several years ago, I began The Innocents Project, my personal effort to raise awareness of the refugee children in the Middle East and the difficulties they face.  I do this also to raise awareness to the good work provided by ANERA.  Noor's portrait is one of the 30-plus portraits I have painted so far.   It's been quite a while since the last portrait, and judging by this one, I am very rusty. I always have trouble with the skin tone and this one was no exception. 

ANERA, which stands for American Near East Refugee Aid, is an American nonprofit that provides educational, medical, and so much more to refugee families in Lebanon and Palestine.  Because only one-third of four and five year olds participate in preschool,  early childhood education is one of ANERA's priorities for  these children during the important formative period.  Noor is a student at the Madama Preschool in the West Bank where ANERA has established the Right Start program, which supports West Bank and Gaza preschools and community organizations.  The Right Support program also gives teachers and parents the tools they need to ensure a healthy future for their children.

ANERA's web site is www.anera.org.  If you would like to learn more about what is provided by this fine organization and what is needed,  please check it out, and if you are so moved, make a donation.

899 Call to Action

Portrait painting is so difficult, and this one was particularly challenging for me for some reason.  The tiniest change in the angle of any of the facial lines can turn a smile into a smirk,  calm expression into worry or anger, etc.  Even the age of the person is too easily altered by the slightest mistake.  Rearranging facial features--moving an eye up or down, etc---always makes me think of my kids mixing up the features of Mr. Potato Head.

This beautiful little girl's portrait was the 31st painted as part of The Innocents Project, and is my effort to bring awareness of the innocent children we call refugees in the Middle East, and to the wonderful humanitarian work ANERA (American Near East Refugee Aid) does.  I have been closely following the situation in Gaza and the torment the people there have experienced in recent weeks, and even though this young girl is smiling, I'm sure there isn't much to smile about in Gaza.

ANERA's words are much more powerful than any of mine could be, so I will shamelessly copy and paste from their website.  They are the people on the ground in Gaza and can report the situation much more accurately than I can.  I am a supporter of ANERA and partner with them to show you the real children who benefit from their work.

If you would like to learn more about ANERA's work, please visit their website at www.anera.org
and donate if you can.

"Once again, the world is looking at tiny Gaza as it copes with more bloodshed and anguish. For Anera’s community of supporters, the news is a call to action to do something for the Palestinians of Gaza who are caught up in a situation that is hard for most people to fathom. With generous donor funds, Anera’s on-the-ground Gaza staff has responded with versatility and resourcefulness to get help where it is most needed." 

https://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/899-call-to-action/683607

879 Simply Irresistible

Today is Giving Tuesday, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving when we are encouraged to donate to our favorite charities, where often our donations will be matched by a generous donor.  ANERA is one of my very favorite organizations and if you follow my blog, you know that I have been supporting them for a long time.  My "near and dear and close to my heart" project, The Innocents Project, features paintings of Syrian and Palestinian refugee children in the Middle East who are served by ANERA, including this little girl.  This is my 20th painting so far and I will continue to paint the children for as long as I am able, to raise awareness of what is needed and the good work that ANERA does.

ANERA makes a big impact, but still there is more work to do.  Here are a few facts: with assistance from ANERA 8,658 refugee youth have returned to school to learn basic skills so that they can help support their families and themselves.  2,000 preschoolers have received school supplies and reading materials.  25 communities in Gaza, and 1,000 people overall have benefitted from being connected to clean water. $49 Million worth of medicine and relief supplies have been delivered to Palestine and Lebanon.  There is much to read at ANERA's site www.anera.org   I do hope you will go to their web site and read about their good work.  I could go on an on, but you should see for yourself. I have met this wonderful family of devoted servants to the cause and am so grateful to them for their tireless efforts and the great work they do.   I hope you will consider a donation to them on this Giving Tuesday.

ANERA stands for American Near East Refugee Aid. 


"879 Simply Irresistible"
acrylic - 12x12 in

https://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/879-simply-irresistible/637147

871 Skilled

Joumana, a teenage refugee in Lebanon looks proud because she has just crafted a doll from a wooden spoon,  and a lovely bouquet of paper flowers in a skill course provided by ANERA that is designed for older teens so that they can work for a better future for themselves.  Joumana has participated in a certified early childhood education training course, but many other courses teach these young people computers, hairdressing, cooking, sports, and other life skills.

"The non-formal education and job skills courses are part of ANERA's project, "Quick Impact Skills for Development for Youth and Adolescents Affected by the Syrian Crisis," implemented in partnership with UNICEF and with funds from the governments of Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

This is my ninteenth portrait of a refugee child served by ANERA, American Near East Refugee Aid, a non-profit, non-political organization headquartered in Washington, D.C.    The Innocents Project is my attempt to raise awareness and money for ANERA so that they can continue their good work serving these Innocents.

Look for more on this in the coming days.

For more information, please check out their website:  www.anera.org
You can also find them on Facebook and Instagram.