Catalog

Coloring My World
ADB holds an art competition for 500 Metro Manila street children

By John Cole (jcole@adb.org)
Senior External Relations Officer

It was an unusual and very special day at the headquarters of the Asian Development Bank on Saturday, 28 April 2001. ADB reached out to the street children of Metro Manila and hosted 500 of them, aged 5–16, for an art competition and day of fun. The competition had as its theme "The Streets of My City." The children used art as the medium through which they expressed their views on what the streets of Metro Manila mean to them, and what they would like to change or improve.

The 500 “street artists” were registered for the day's activities through 12 local nongovernment organizations (NGOs) that work with street children on a daily basis in Metro Manila. More than 200 ADB staff members and spouses volunteered to help with the program.

ADB President Tadao Chino greeted the children on their arrival. In his opening remarks, he told the children that they should consider ADB "as your home, and us as your family."

After the competition, the participants themselves selected their favorite drawings. ADB staff chose their favorites, too, and a jury selected 12 drawings and others deserving of honorable mention. The selected drawings were exhibited at ADB’s Annual Meeting in Honolulu in May 2001. A video of the day was also shown. Every NGO that participated was given a cash grant to support its educational programs. Additional support was provided for those whose children's work was selected.

The day was as meaningful to ADB staff members as it was to the children. Elsa Sumabat said, “I asked one of the children what his drawing is about. He meekly explained buildings and cars of the rich and houses of the squatters. It touched my heart because although he's still young, he feels the big disparity between the lives of the rich and the poor.”

"Holding the art competition for street children was a beautiful gesture of ADB. It not only made the children happy, but it also touched my heart and that of the other volunteers. Many times during the day, I was teary-eyed just seeing them enjoying and appreciating the simple things we did for them,” said Nanette Chua.

"The day with the children was very fulfilling and a good venue for ADB to promote its cause of reaching out and helping others," said Nina Oliveros.

The art competition was followed by a roundtable workshop on 30 May 2001 between ADB staff involved in poverty reduction programs and the participating NGOs. A few days earlier, the selected artists were presented with trophies commemorating their success. The selected works are now being shown in an extended exhibition at ADB headquarters.

Meet the "street artists".

Read the news release on Children's Art Competition.

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