Jawaid is a four-year-old trash picker. He wants to be a tree when he grows up.
At least, that’s what he tells his teacher during an art class sponsored by the LettuceBee Kids project in Islamabad, Pakistan.
“But you are not a tree,” the teacher tells him. “If you don’t like where you are, you can move.”
That’s the idea behind the LettuceBee Kids initiative founded by Fulbright alumna Sarah Adeel, which helps street kids like Jawaid move beyond a life of begging and trash picking, and re-integrate back into society through art, music, and mentorship.
With the help of a $5,000 Alumni Small Grant from U.S. Embassy Islamabad in 2012, LettuceBee Kids piloted its art therapy program, “LettuceBee Design,” offering regular art classes to the street kids of Islamabad, at locations ranging from local parks to schools, and even the zoo. The Embassy’s Alumni Small Grants program helps exchange program participants contribute to their communities on their return to Pakistan.
Read more about Sarah’s work on DipNote, the official blog of the U.S. Department of State, at the following link: “Fulbright Alum Helps Islamabad Street Kids Find a Better Future.”
