Children from Gaza, cancer centres join 2,600m2 ‘Canvas of Hope’
AMMAN — More than 1,000 children from cancer treatment centres, refugee communities, Gaza medical evacuation programmes and low-income families across Jordan spent three days this week painting a 2,600-square-metre canvas in what organisers described as “one of the largest participatory children’s artworks in the Middle East”.
The “Canvas of Hope” event ran from Sunday to Tuesday at the Dunes Club on the Airport Road, organised by Hareer for Community Development under the patronage of HRH Princess Karma bint Abbas. More than 1,000 children and family members attended each day.
Princess Karma opened the festival on Sunday and was received by Hareer Executive Director Nihad Dabbas and the organisation’s team.
She toured the event, met participating children, viewed their artwork and joined them in painting on the canvas.
“The success of the first day came thanks to the joint efforts of our partners, supporters, participants and volunteers. Every child who took part in the painting added a piece of their own story and their own dream to the canvas,” Dabbas said.
On Monday, Princess Karma was joined by HRH Princess Rania bint Abbas. The two princesses met children evacuated from Gaza, children supported by the National Aid Fund and underprivileged children from governorates across the Kingdom.
They viewed the children’s artwork and offered encouragement.
The day’s programme also featured a heritage performance by a Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) troupe and a piano recital by Rawan Shahrouri.
The festival concluded on Tuesday, with more than 1,000 children and families participating on the final day.
The closing programme featured artistic, cultural and entertainment activities, with the participation of the embassies of Indonesia, Mexico and Italy, as well as the Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation, Diamond Group, Nadejda Club and Friends of Russian Culture Association.
Hareer said that the “Canvas of Hope” was intended not simply as a drawing event, but as a form of psychological and social support, giving children an opportunity to express their feelings through art and colour while promoting integration and social solidarity.
Over the three days, children and families from across the Kingdom contributed to the collective canvas, adding their stories, dreams and messages.
Hareer said that the initiative demonstrated children’s ability to transform difficult circumstances into art and turn hope into something tangible.
The Amman event was the first stage of the “Canvas of Hope” initiative. Organisers said that it will next move to Aqaba before expanding to other governorates, with the aim of reaching as many children as possible.
