Developing Hands Recent Media Coverage
Newport Art Sale Will Benefit School In Nepal.
Friday, 30 October 2009
By CHRISTOPHER ROY
Express Staff Writer
Source: Newport News Paper
Margo Hickson’s paintings have brought delight to people for years. Now half the proceeds from the sale of her paintings currently displayed in Montgomery’s Cafe in downtown Newport will be put towards building a school for orphans and homeless children just outside of Katmandu in Nepal. I honestly do not believe that color or country defines children, Hickson said during a telephone interview Monday evening. Hickson, formerly of Magog, Quebec, now lives in an assisted living facility in Kittery, Maine. They are all children of the human race. The organization hoping to build the school is Developing Hands from Frederick, Colorado. Hickson’s daughter, Holly Richardson of Derby, who is also selling paintings to help build the school, said the organization has already raised $20,000 of the $60,000 that is necessary to build the school, buy equipment, and cover the first-year operation costs. She said her family was interested in helping, but did not have a lot of money to donate.
My mom and I thought we could donate the proceeds from the sale of our art, said Richardson. This process started with an art and tag sale at her home on Shattuck Hill in August.The family got interested in children from Nepal after Hicksons daughter, Marcia Hickson who lives in Stephentown, N.Y., adopted a little boy named Roshan, from an orphanage 11 years ago. Roshan was one of the lucky ones. According to Margo Hickson, there are hundreds more children who have no families and are living on the streets. She said some of those kids dig holes in the ground so they can keep warm while sleeping at night. There are 50,000 children living on the streets eating trash every day, said Richardson.
Richardson is very close to Developing Hands. Her nephew, Nicholas Reynolds of Lexington, Mass., co-founded the organization after growing up with Roshan and meeting two men from Nepal while working in Colorado. Mukesh Jha, the founder, said the organization came into existence on June 17, 2005. The main goal is to build the school for homeless children who range in age from five to 12 years old. We are hoping to start our project as soon as possible, said Jha. He said that he wants all of the money in place before any construction starts. We don’t want to get stuck without any money.At first, the school will accept 100 children. He said there are other schools in the community, but no homeless children go there. They all ask for money, said Jha of the schools. Our goal is to provide free schooling to students who are orphans. The school will also serve as a place for the homeless children to live, said Hickson, who now feels she is doing something more than painting pretty pictures. It makes a big difference, said Hickson. I just pray someone will like them so we can get that money over there. The paintings both women are selling cost between $80 to $500. Richardson is planning to hold other fundraisers as well. One is having the women of Nepal make items that can be sold in the United States. Proceeds from that will help them support their families and others. Jha hopes more schools will open elsewhere once the one in Nepal is up and going. For more information about Developing Hands, click to http://developinghands.org/
Some related pictures will be uploaded soon.