Our Work

Youth we serve

Two types of street children represent the target population served by Armed with a Paintbrush and the organizations from which we receive our works of art: (1) children who work in the street from before dawn until late at night, but have a home and family to return to and (2) those who work and live in the streets and have been abandoned by or separated from their families. 

Both groups are subject to the dangers of life on the streets that pose threats to their mental and physical health, their personal safety, and their social, moral and mental development.  Left unattended to, these children often become victims of sexual abuse, prostitution, labor exploitation and drug addiction.  Even those children who manage to avoid these hazards run a high risk of arrest and institutionalization if caught sleeping or peddling on the streets.

As Vietnam moves forward—liberalizing the country’s economic markets and joining the World Trade Organization—an influx of children and adolescents has migrated to Ho Chi Minh City from rural areas in search of employment.  While some of these young migrants are fortunate enough to find relatively stable work and decent living situations, it is estimated that more than 50,000 of Vietnam’s youth are currently living in desperate conditions. 

Despite the Vietnamese government’s increased efforts to promote child protection and welfare, children continue to fall prey to exploitation in sweat shops, the child prostitution industry, and human trafficking rings.  Driven to the streets by poverty, these disadvantaged and displaced children utilize every available opportunity to eke out a living, no matter how meager the wages or how dangerous the means: begging, scavenging, peddling, shining shoes, prostitution.  However, much of society considers street children a nuisance and an embarrassment and labels them bui doi (dust of the street). 

Accomplishments

Armed with a Paintbrush is proud of the following accomplishments:

*Funds raised 

To date, Armed with a Paintbrush has raised nearly $6,500 from the sale of paintings, all of which has gone directly to our partner organizations in Vietnam, and thus, towards the betterment of these disadvantaged youth.  (All travel and living expenses, and developmental and operational funds for Armed with a Paintbrush have been funded personally by Sarah Beck).

*Therapeutic benefits 

While these gains are harder to measure and do not immediately translate into dollars, this is the joy of our work.  In the first weeks following the launch of Armed with a Paintbrush, there was a significant difference in the children’s dispositions.  Those children who participated most frequently were calmer and much less aggressive both physically and verbally.  The progression in their art—from dark, monotone colors and somber scenes to bright, vivid colors featuring smiling suns and playing children—mirrors their individual victories in gradually overcoming life’s struggles and hardships.  Over time, many children showed evidence of psychological growth and increased hope, as evidenced by their use of color: the deep blues, grays and blacks that dominate the children’s early works eventually gave way to a vast increase in splashes of bright reds, oranges, yellows and greens. 

The sale of their paintings fills the children with amazement—it thrills them to know that their artwork is worth something. Such knowledge gives them the confidence to believe that they do, in fact, have worth.

*Volunteer and Community Commitment 

Since 2003, Armed with a Paintbrush has been run solely by volunteers and the generosity of citizens and shop and gallery owners. All of the volunteers but one—the founder—are young Vietnamese who have realized the benefits of the program and want to help Armed with a Paintbrush continue and expand. Community businesses have also increased their involvement and commitment to Armed with a Paintbrush. For example, Armed with a Paintbrush established a long-term art show at Mai’s Gallery in Ho Chi Minh City in August of 2006. (See linked article for further information on the exhibit at Mai’s Gallery http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/showarticle.php?num=01ART210806).

*Expansion

Armed with a Paintbrush’s work with Thao Dan has been so successful that similar organizations asked us to create a program for their children. We are currently selling paintings from three different organizations—Thao Dan, Friends for Street Children (FFSC) and Truong Hoc Tre Em Su Tram Tre (School for Mentally Disabled Children/ SMDC). 

Future Vision

Our goal is the expansion and development of already established Armed with a Paintbrush programs. Last summer (August 2006), Mai’s Gallery sponsored an art show and an “Evening with the Artists” for Thao Dan. This was a wonderful opportunity to sell artwork and gain additional community support and involvement. The event was also a small step toward our greater goal of opening an Armed with a Paintbrush store.  

An Armed with a Paintbrush store would not only serve as a permanent venue for the display and sale of the children’s artwork—it would also provide the youth we serve with employment opportunities. Disadvantaged, displaced, and orphaned young adults over the age of 15 (Vietnam’s legal employment age) in Ho Chi Minh City would be given the opportunity to work as salespeople in exchange for a small weekly allowance and a scholarship that will cover tuition, uniforms, books, and supplies at a public primary and/or secondary school. Armed with a Paintbrush will cover all school fees for our student employees through the 12th grade. 

Working in exchange for the opportunity to attend public school will expand the children’s academic and social horizons, give them a newfound sense of confidence in their ability to realize their life dreams, and greatly increase their chances to obtain stable and reliable employment in the future.

With the growth of Ho Chi Minh City’s tourist industry, working in a ‘souvenir’ shop will forge a hopeful path for the children. A solid work ethic, the confidence to interact with the public, the opportunity to learn basic conversational English, Japanese, French, Spanish, and other languages spoken by the thousands of tourists who visit Vietnam each month: these skills will open doors that may have otherwise remained closed.