On Saturday, 4 October, we held a small but meaningful art exhibition here at Little Hearts. Even though we had only a short time to send out invitations and not everyone was able to make it, the event unfolded brilliantly. It was filled with warmth, creativity and inspiration.
We were happy to be joined by both long-time friends and new supporters, including:
- Keith from Liger Leadership Academy, who has been a kind friend and supporter for many years;
- Deanna, one of our volunteer art teachers who guides our Sunday art class with so much heart;
- friends from APD Bank, one of our generous sponsors;
- Andy from Escape Game ANNO89 Phnom Penh, who visited us for the first time – we’re so happy to welcome a new friend to our community;
- Helen and Jake (with their two sons) from Khraft – Cambodia’s Arts & Crafts Store, who always support us with the materials we need for our art sessions;
- and two very special guests—David (who’s accountant in the Little Hearts Belgian Team), and Tom , long-time and close friends of Tony’s, who happened to be visiting Cambodia just in time for our event.
Part 1: The Art Exhibition
The exhibition featured 13 unique art pieces created by our kids during their school term break. The theme? Creating art from discarded materials. Using everyday items like plastic bottles, paper scraps, old coins, beans, rice grains, straws, bottle caps and parts from broken-down computers, the kids turned waste into beautiful, meaningful works of art.
Some of our young artists worked in pairs or threes, while others did it alone. Malee and Naomi, for example, created a wonderful tryptic titled “From Waste to Worth” using rice grains, beads, coins and beans carefully applied to a wood surface. Dina, Lisa and Ennio worked on “PaperLand”, a panel that looks like a painting but is in fact a work of appliqué art made of waste paper torn from old notebooks, then soaked, moulded and coloured into a vibrant landscape.
During the event, each artist stood next to their artwork and, when visitors stopped by their station, they shared the story behind their piece — what inspired them and what they wanted the viewer to take away and remember.
Part 2: Building Confidence Through Public Speaking
After the art showcase, four of our students – Sammy, Vandeth, Malee and Naomi – took a big step out of their comfort zone to perform short speeches in English. Public speaking is something many of our kids are shy about, so we’ve been using our English classes to practice making presentations in order to help them build confidence and find their voice. They all did an amazing job, and we’re proud of the courage they displayed in volunteering for the event!
In a presentation titled “Being Real: The Honest Way to Be”, Sammy shared the importance of honesty, even in small matters. He believes that being a good person starts with being real and truthful. In “Naomi, The Diva”, Naomi spoke about her dreams of becoming a superstar. Embracing her inner diva, she conveyed her confidence that she will achieve fame one day. Vandeth’s speech, “The Power of Phones”, explored the pros and cons of technology, especially mobile phones, and how they impact the younger generation. Finally, in “Moving Up”, Malee reflected on her Grade 12 journey, passing the national baccalaureate exam, and her mixed emotions – excitement as well as nervousness – about starting university.
The day’s event, which ran from 9:30 to 11:30 am, was followed by a nutritious lunch shared by artists, presenters and visitors. To make it extra special, our kids also baked cookies and served them with iced tea to our guests.
Thank you to everyone who came to support the kids and celebrated their development into young adults. Despite the small crowd, this event reminded us that art, courage and kindness speak louder than numbers.