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Mixed-media in charcoal,chalk and pencil on bond paper.

Today I made a drawing-a portrait of an afghan boy-I was inspired to draw his portrait by a story I had read of a young man who lived in Kabul Afghanistan. He avoids the ugliness that surrounds him from pulling him in to their lifestyle by making his own way of life that meets his needs…he picks of scraps of trash that may be reused or bartered for in order for him to survive and he gathers up these pieces of scrap materials in a black bag. I show him carrying his bag.

As I have said before and as I have read before from many sources there are many resilient and resourceful children in Afghanistan as well as other countries in conflict. These children choose to make a future for them and seek to learn skills and training that do not involve killing or terrorism.

For me this child does not only represent what is going on in Afghanistan but what is going on in my own country, the United States. There are children who must defend themselves and take care of themselves who are not old enough in my country to get a paying job and they are also responsible for their siblings, they must in some cases make sure that their caregiver (mother, father or foster care parent or grandparent or whomever) is not too high on drugs or alcohol to get their little baby sister or brother to the doctor’s appointment or the child must be sure to avoid the school nurse when they have bruises so as to avoid getting their family broken up.

My point is that in many countries children are facing many adversities and children survive. We, adults, need to help them.