A budding artist wins international acclaim
The dark unfathomed caves of ocean bear
Full many a flower is born to blush unseen
And waste its sweetness on the desert air.
--Thomas Gray, English poet (1716-1771)
This verse springs immediately to mind when one goes to see nine-year-old Rahima Akhter, one of the 12 winners of the 1st Intervida National Painting Competition, arranged by Intervida, a Spanish NGO. Though the visitor has to precariously negotiate a boat to cross a lake to her BRAC primary school in Korail, the effort is well worth it.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Here is a group of 36 bright eyed children who welcome the visitor and introduce themselves. As for Rahima, she is bubbling with excitement over her recent accomplishment. As she says, "I am delighted at the award and want to pursue art."
Rahima's award winning picture depicts a nobo-barsha-mela, or a Bengali New Year fair. Ironically she has never been to a fair and the work is created entirely through her imagination. Her picture depicts the fair with people enjoying a variety of rides.
The young Rahima has to juggle her studies with hobbies and household chores. Fifth among her six siblings, she attends the Intervida (which works for the welfare of underprivileged children) after-school drawing and reading programmes. This is a welcome breather after the rigours of housework and caring for her younger sibling.
The credit for recognising Rahima's creative skills goes to BRAC and Intervida. Her father is a fruit seller and her mother a domestic aide. On their meagre incomes, they have never been able to send her to a formal school to learn drawing. The BRAC school gave her the opportunity to explore and discover her potential in drawing through various extra-curricular activities at the school.
With her drawing published in Intervida's calendar for 2006, Rahima has a dream to become an artist when she grows up. And that dream may just come true given her artistic skills.