The attached paintings were submitted by children (ages 6 to 15) participating in an art and astronomy workshop sponsored by the "Society of Students Against Poverty", in Shiraz, Iran. Click here to see a wonderful video of the children working on this project!
Here are some notes from their instructors:
Fatemeh Bahrani, astronomy teacher:
"During the astronomy class they learned what the Planets are and the difference between them and stars. What the order of the Solar system and its components together is. What is the comet truly and where it is and where meteorites come from. What a galaxy is, where is our solar system and finally where the whole world begins. Also, what is the constellation of each month, what they are and how to find constellations and geographical directions."
Rana Ghaderi, art training:
“ If we take the clock handle back to the time before they begin their journey, before they stopped here, first we should ask where they have come from. What had happened to them before?
Think a little:
Everything was as usual until that explosion happened. Everything had been started with a big explosion. Perhaps you think I mean the Big Bang explosion, the explosion, which created everything. No, I mean another explosion. The explosion, which destroyed everything, abolished everything. I am talking about the explosion, which ended everything. To that moment, the world was dark, dark and silence and persistence. A few creatures remained on the earth after that event; no one wanted to talk or to move. All creatures were remained and left with no movement. No physical or mental activities were seen in that absolute darkness.
It was like a minute or a year or even hundred years.
Suddenly a weak light passed above them within the whole darkness. It was a moment but everyone saw it. It was a weak light that passed and caused creature’s pupils moving and to follow the light. The light was small and far from them, but it waked them up. They waited for more shining lights to come, an expectation which appeared later on sky and more lights replaced with the darkness. The creatures were bewitched, it was a strange event, and they followed the light and moved toward the light. Weightless, like a gentle dance, just like raining, they moved up to the sky.
They had found their own route. Everyone was moving in a direction until they reached to their destiny. Each one selected a piece of planet. We cannot say that the place was ideal for development but it was good to begin again, a place to forget what had happened to them before to start again in a different way.
A personal way in a personal planet."
About the "Society of Students Against Poverty"
We are a Non-Governmental and Non-Political organization, mainly comprised of students, founded in 1999 in Sharif University of Technology, Tehran. Our financial resources are contributions and donations from individuals or made during charity events. Our NGO is a permitted authorized organization by Iranian Ministry of Interior affairs and we are recognized as an Iranian NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic & Social Council of the United Nations.
Our main objective is to extend assistance to the needy & helpless people in Iran, and in particular to women and children suffering from unemployment, hunger, and lack of educational facilities. We have focused on study of different social difficulties and dilemmas in Iranian society and to provide the practical solutions to these problems. To achieve our goals, and to meet our dream society, the main office has established branches in major Iranian cities.
Our Branch in Shiraz is registered since 2006, having targeted toward Child Labor problem, we have adopted 52 Iranian & Afghan Children in Shiraz. Since beginning, we have arranged regular literacy programs in cooperation with UNICEF. We have also held several Art, Life Skills, Educational and recreational courses and workshops including Painting, Theatre, and Astronomy and Football programs for our target group.
Moozhan Ansari
Head of "Society of Students Against Poverty"
Shiraz Center
www.sosapoverty.org
www.stopchl.org
The Colleagues:
Astronomy teacher: Fatemeh Bahrani
Painting workshops teachers: Mahmoud Jalalieh, Maryam Pourhoseinali, Yahya Atta Haddadi
Idea generator and manager project: Rana Ghaderi
Animator and editor: Ramin Bahadori
Photographer and cameraman: Kiyanoush Jahaandideh
Executive Manager of Shiraz center, "Society of Students Against Poverty": Hosein Eshtiaghian
Head of Shiraz center - "Society of Students Against Poverty": Moozhan Ansari
Special Thanks to: Targol Bahrami, Saba Daghigh Afkar, Yalda Talebi