LOCAL artist, Steve Mandy, has started a project he hopes will make a difference in the lives of young, aspiring artists.
In December, Steve piloted a project which involved him visiting two children’s homes in the area. He asked children to create a picture of Nelson Mandela. Three of the best out of the 50 children were chosen, and taken to his home for an art class, where he taught them to paint on tekkies, T-Shirts, hats and to create henna tattoos.
“They loved it, it really gave them some hope that when they are finished with school, they will have an opportunity to make something for themselves. This will boost their self-esteem. This sort of talent shouldn’t be lost,” he said.
Following the lessons, the children joined Steve at La Bella where they spent the day painting tekkies, which led to the project culminating in a stall at the market where the goods were sold.
“My vision is to have art units in restaurants all over Durban, so it can become synonymous with tourism. It can be one of those ‘Durban things’. I also want to start exporting tekkies, making the shoes here and sending them to America. They must be hugely competitive overseas and the added bonus of our shoes is that people would be helping people who need a chance in life, and each shoe is unique, made by a child from KZN,” he said.
Steve said he aimed to groom the children to be able to make an income for themselves, a hope for their futures.
“Unemployment is the biggest threat to the youth, and this project is a viable alternative. It can alleviate unemployment. I hope to work on the talent and potential of not only this group, but others going forward,” he said.
Steve said the project was relatively inexpensive, but that he aimed to open a trust fund for the project and future ones.
If you would like to get involved and help support this, contact Steve on 082 441 2922.
