IJM Manilla Launch Art Therapy Program
Last month in the Philippines, IJM Manila staff launched a new art therapy program for victims of child abuse and sexual exploitation. The new program’s first session, which was led by prominent art educator Bambi Mañosa-Tanjutco, gave 21 of IJM’s clients a chance to express their creativity and learn the basic principles of drawing and painting. Only a handful of the participants had ever held a paintbrush before, and the excitement was palpable as each girl concentrated on painting her canvas.
"We know that the healing process for victims of abuse is multifaceted, and this is another example of our aftercare department looking for unique ways to assist in that," said IJM Senior Vice President of Education Larry Martin, who was present in the Philippines for the program’s launch. "It was wonderful to see how the clients started the painting process fairly cautiously, but as they proceeded and grew confident, their expression began to flower and the colors in their pictures grew more vibrant."
The finished paintings from a therapeutic art session sit to dry. IJM organized the logistics of the program and arranged for an art professional to volunteer her time to teach.
Subsequent sessions over the next six months will cover charcoal drawing, painting with hands, collage and clay sculpture. In total, 210 girls will be given the chance to take part in the art therapy classes, all residents of an aftercare home in Metro Manila. The goal of each session is to show the participant that she is capable of making something beautiful on canvas, just as she is able to make something beautiful of her life. The paintings will be collected for a gallery show that will open in the fall.
“IJM is overjoyed to start this art therapy program for all the residents of the home,” said Carmela Andal-Castro, Director of IJM Manila. “We believe that this kind of endeavor will go a long way in uplifting the lives of our children and building the capacity of our government facilities.”
