Posted on: November 15, 2011 by Zach Hoag
New Moon Cafe is hosting an exhibit of the artwork of Moldovan orphans from November 14th – December 5th, 2011. Moldova, a former Soviet Republic, is today the poorest country in Europe. Following the collapse of Communism the economic and social infrastructure of the country crumbled, and the resulting vacuum was filled with corruption, lawlessness and despair. In the ensuing years 25% of the population left the country seeking work. Many thousands of children were left behind, either with other family members who could not provide for them or they were simply abandoned. These kids find themselves on the street, or dumped into government run orphanages. Total funding for the orphanages is the equivalent of about $1 per child per day. As a result, programs and services are severely limited and conditions are marginal at best. The fate that awaits these children when they reach the age of 16 is horrific. At 16, they must leave the orphanages and often fall prey to traffickers who sell them as sex slaves. ARS DOR under the direction of Ghenadie Sontu, is an organization that regularly visits the orphanages providing art classes as a vehicle for the children to express what is in their hearts ~ the rejection, abandonment and loss they have experienced. In the process of exercising newly found creative gifts, the orphans begin to discover their identity, as precious and valued. Art therapy is a respected and effective method for dealing with childhood trauma. In the creative environment of art classes, leaders assess the psychological state of the children and work to build a sense of identity as well as hope and a future. An exuberant display of the artwork of these children is on display at New Moon. 150 Cherry Street Inc. is sponsoring this awareness and fundraising event for the benefit of ARS DOR and the orphans of Moldova. If you are interested to learn more about this program please contact michaelbeer@150cherryst.org.