Artwork created by children living in the Nea Kavala refugee camp in northern Greece as part of the project “Art Without Borders” will be sold during “World Thinking Day,” a free public event organized by the Westford Girls Scouts, on Friday, March 3 at First Parish Church United in Westford. All donations and artwork purchases will be used to procure art supplies for the children or personally donated directly to the children and their families.
The project was featured on NBC’s “Nightly News with Lester Holt” this month, in a piece which can be viewed here.
“Nea Kavala – Art Without Borders” was created by Kayra Martinez, an American working in Europe. She has been involved with helping families fleeing Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq, among other countries, since 2015. In addition to assisting with finding necessities for refugee families, Martinez has conducted art therapy classes with children at the Nea Kavala camp, and collects art materials so that they can spend their time drawing and painting.
“The children are their happiest when they can draw and paint,” said Martinez. “Creating artwork serves as therapy for displaced children. They draw about the sadness and also the happiness of life.”
EVENT: “Art Without Borders,” A Refugee Children’s Art Sale, at “World Thinking Day,” hosted by Westford Girls Scouts
DATE & TIME: Friday March 3, 6 to 8 p.m.
LOCATION: First Parish Church United, 48 Main Street, Westford
COST: Refugee children’s artwork from “Art Without Borders” will be sold in the lobby and donations gratefully accepted.
Admission to “World Thinking Day” is FREE and open to the public.
ABOUT ART WITHOUT BORDERS Art Without Borders is grassroots project created by Kayra Martinez to support children living in Nea Kavala, a refugee camp in Northern Greece. As an American living in Europe, Martinez has been involved helping with the refugee crisis since September, 2015.
Many families have fled from their home countries. Now over 60,000 people are in Greece waiting for asylum in Europe. The borders are closed, and volunteers are trying to clothe, feed, take care of medical care in addition to help them with day to day living in the camps in Northern Greece.
Martinez is raising funds to meet refugees’ basic needs and requesting supplies for the art she creates with the children. People can also purchase paintings. The full amount will be given to that child and their family to spend how they like. (Art Without Borders is not affiliated with Westford Girls Scouts or Girl Scouts of the USA.)
Readers can find “Art Without Borders on Facebook: “Nea Kavala – Art Without Borders.” and at their GoFundMe page.
ABOUT WORLD THINKING DAY Westford Girls Scouts host a journey around the world on March 3. Participants will learn about different cultures, make a themed craft, or taste something different. Westford will have 24 countries represented. Attendees receive a souvenir passport that gets stamped at each port. Girl Scouts of the USA is part of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS for short), which includes 10 million girls in 146 countries. World Thinking Day is considered one of the most important dates in the WAGGS calendar. # # # Photos courtesy Art Without Borders
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