Embracing Dreams through Sponsorship: Rahul's Journey of Artistic Resilience
"Being a World Vision sponsored child, I have found opportunities where I have gained the confidence to follow my dream and believe in what I am capable of achieving," Rahul said with his eyes shining with determination.
Born to a simple family, Rahul had a major accident at his house which led to the left part of his body being paralysed when he was just three years old. Now at 17, Rahul, a sponsored child, remains determined to pursue his love for art despite of his disability.
Regardless of the physical distance between Rahul and his sponsor in Hong Kong, art became the bridge that connected their worlds. Rahul found a source of inspiration that would shape his future. Through his drawings, Rahul found solace and encouragement. "Receiving praise for my drawings really inspires me to keep going," he confessed with a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. His elder brother and his parents feel the same about Rahul’s artwork and support him in every endeavor he chooses.
Rahul's journey with World Vision International Nepal (WVI Nepal) has spanned nearly six years, during which he has explored and developed his passion as a person. He recounts how the organisation's various life-skill development activities has transformed not only his life but also the lives of children like him in his community. "By participating in the life-skills training with other children, I not only learned about our rights and responsibilities, but it also made me more aware and confident to participate in activities within my community," Rahul reflected, his voice resonating with gratitude. The young artist also participated in the comic-writing and drawing event as a part of the WVI Nepal’s programme, the experience that intrigued him greatly as it was something he had never done before.
His mother says, "Rahul used to keep his artistic abilities to himself and did not display them to others. I was unable to purchase the supplies for his artwork because I could not afford it. I was not even aware of the supplies he required for his art. I still clearly remember his joy after receiving those colourful and beautiful copies from WVI Nepal. He made so many beautiful art using them. His art has also made its way to his friends in Hong Kong.”
Rahul has been an artist for as long as he could remember, his passion for drawing and colouring was evident since childhood. He appreciates the encouragement that he has received from his sponsors, “I have always been passionate about art, but without encouragement and platforms provided by World Vision, I would never be able to gather my confidence to pursue my passion for art,” he says. At the age of 14, he made the resolute decision to study arts in high school. Supported wholeheartedly by his family, Rahul embraced his artistic journey with enthusiasm and is currently studying fine arts which he enjoys a lot. Though living with a disability, Rahul refused to let this hinder his creative pursuits.
With his unwavering determination, he continued to create art, using his drawings and paintings as a powerful medium of self-expression. One of his most cherished paintings is that of the Bagbhairav temple which took him three weeks to complete, meticulously adding shades and intricacies to bring the structure to life. WVI Nepal, through Child Sponsorship, supported Rahul's artistic dreams, providing him with opportunities to showcase his talent in art and comic book creation activities. With help from the programme activities, his artwork was featured during local government events and was included in WVI Nepal's diary, calendar, and envelops used to send out letters to sponsors. This recognition was a major motivation for Rahul to further his career as an artist.
Rahul's journey serves as motivation for others and is a testament that miracles can happen when aspirations are earnestly pursued and never given up. He strives to lead by example, inspiring others to follow their own aspirations despite any challenges they may encounter. As he continues to paint his future with the colors of determination and resilience, Rahul and his family cherish the accomplishments he has achieved with the support from World Vision.
In Nepal, Child Sponsorship is one of World Vision’s successful working modality, which supports more than 68,000 children like Rahul to pursue their dreams through various capacity enhancement, and awareness programmes for them, and their families. Through Child Sponsorship, World Vision implements a community-based, child-focused development model by investing in the well-being of children, through long-term shared benefit of communities. World Vision’s Child Sponsorship approach supports children and families through various education, livelihoods, protection and health & nutrition activities to ultimately contribute to the well-being of children.