ZARIA (Sundiata Scholar) – Kaduna stateAn NGO, Friends Advocacy for Mental Health Initiative (FAM), has organised a two-day ‘art therapy’ for 60 children amongst which 15 are of special needs in Zaria, Kaduna State.
Speaking at the event titled “The Art Xplosion 3.0” in Zaria, the Executive Director of the initiative, Jecinta Egbim, said the event would help the children learn to express feelings that might otherwise remain unspoken.
Egbim said the programme would also build the children’s resilience and self-awareness as well as create safe spaces for emotional exploration and promoting lasting connections within a supportive community.
She explained that the Art Xplosion 3.0 is aimed at building a foundation of mental health awareness and self-understanding while providing practical and creative coping tools through artistic expression.
Egbim, who is also a mental health advocate, emphasised that the initiative’s commitment to inclusivity reflected their belief that every child deserved access to mental health support and creative expression opportunities.
“To ensure inclusiveness, we also gave special consideration to children with neurological disabilities such as autism, ADHD, and Down syndrome, as well as those from low-income communities and those managing mental health challenges,” she said.
The executive director said that paintings on canvas were done by the participants (children) in previous editions of the Art Xplosion.
“This year, we took it further by using readily accessible materials like paper to make quills. We want parents to understand that there are other ways they can manage their children both mentally, emotionally and psychologically.
“We want schools to also understand that exploring non conventional ways of learning like art and colouring can also make the children achieve their academic goal,” she said.
While advocating for increased access to counseling units in public schools, Egbim expressed hope that the programme would open the minds of people toward seeing that children with special abilities are not different or difficult.
In his remarks, Dr Abdullahi Abdulwahab, a lecturer and psychiatrist at the ABU teaching hospital, said when mental health goes wrong, self esteem is hit.
Abdulwahab urged for such programmes that bring categories of children together to give them a sense of belonging.
“They are able to do what other children can do, and that builds their self-esteem, courage and sense of belonging to participate in activities going forward,” he said.
Another partner, Aisha Ibrahim, the Manager for Centre for Assessments and Educational Rehabilitation, Zaria, said it takes patience, tolerance and passion to manage children with special needs.
“In reality, children with special needs encounter hardship, but there is something for everyone in this world. If they can’t do A, then they can do B because they have talents in one way or the other, it mustn’t be academic,” she said.
She therefore envisioned success for the children with special needs like other normal children who see a bright future.
One of the children with special needs, Naima Bello, who is battling down syndrome, said she was very happy to see herself in the midst of children playing.
“I want to be a teacher, I want to teach people painting,”she said. Also, Desire Egwemi, a primary school child with no special needs, said he was very happy to explore some forms of arts.
“I want to become an architect so that I can be designing houses for people,” he said.
reports that the event engaged the children in comprehensive training sessions on mental resilience using art and practical art creation workshops focusing on paper quill and origami. (NAN)
