Art group on a mission

CEBU, Philippines - The Argentinean art group De la Mano por El Mundo visited The Freeman editorial office recently. The group was in town on a mission – to teach and share their art to the local communities, particularly the children. “If you’re a creative and passionate person, why not use your talents to give back to the community?” their Facebook page enjoins everyone.

The group believes that knowledge and skills in the arts can be a way for reaching out and helping those in need. It can be a source of personal power, as well, as it gives one the self-confidence knowing he or she has something to share. It can also provide one with new ways of looking at the usual surroundings.

In Cebu, the depressed communities were the group’s primary targets.  They visited the children of families living in a cemetery, where there’s no distinction between the spaces for the living and the dead. But as they brought some snacks and played games with the kids, as they “put a little bit of color in their lives, and they gave us tons of love,” the group shared, “Honestly, we didn’t expect to find so much happiness in a place so sad.”

To those who are in the habit to thinking that life is hard, the art group advises: “Stop complaining and be thankful with what you got.” Instead, it is better to do something to help and reach out to others who have less. “The purpose of life is not just to be happy, it’s to be useful,” the group says in their Facebook post.

“You don’t [always] need money to help others…  in daily life you have opportunities to do good [for others]. Sometimes even a simple word can be a help for someone in need.” The members of De la Mano por El Mundo give their thanks to Malu, Alieth Bontuyan, Joseph Esugan, Esther Lopez and the people at Villa Sandra Guesthouse for their love and support.