200 kids +  paint brushes + squirt bottles + every color of paint  = a BEAUTIFUL mess!

One of our favorite parts of every year is getting to paint canvases with the children at Ithemba.  Usually, we design one canvas, using cups, or blocks or squirt bottles, something easily replicated and let the kids go to town.  With this method, all of the canvases look roughly the same

But this past summer, we decided to take a risk and give the kids the freedom to use whatever colors they want to and add whatever “finishing touches” that their creative little hearts desire!  Our only request was that they paint only vertical strokes (we tested this and they looked amazing!!)  So this year, we are SO excited to offer our first line of individually personalized, hand painted canvases!  The kids did an incredible job…their creativity was able to shine and they had a blast doing it.  I just wanted to share a few pictures of the “creative process” with you…Now, when you purchase a canvas, you get a little glimpse into the personalities of each child and like always, it is signed with a hand print or foot print and sent with a picture of the little one that created it!

For just $250 you can CHANGE A LIFE.  The purchase of a canvas provides nutrition, academic education, medical care and a Biblical curriculum for one child for one year.

If you are interested in purchasing one of these canvases, please click over to our store!

Valentine’s Day seems to be a very important holiday in South Africa…EVERYTHING turns pink and red- the stores were decorated, the restaurants were celebrating for a full week, and all of the kids at Ithemba were so excited about the holiday…mostly because they know it means an ice cream party and day of heart shaped arts and crafts…but also because every year, they have an Ithemba pageant!  The kids get SO excited for the chance to walk down the home-made “runway” and show off their best “model walk!”  The girls walk with so much attitude and the boys walk trying to show off their muscles…mean while all of the other kids are cheering them on from the audience.  It might have been one of the cutest things I have ever seen, so I figured I would share some pictures!

When we arrived in J’Bay, we were so excited to meet the new children.  We have 26 new kids in the morning program at Ithemba and they are all wonderful!  We got to see all of their personalities through painting canvases with them and each child has such a sweet heart…here are a few pictures of the new babies!