ATD gives the poor food for the heart through art

Every morning, cigarette vendor Jose Pangilinan drops by the ATD (All together in Dignity) Fourth World office in Pandacan to paint and do various handicrafts and art works before he goes to work.

Along with other poor families, he makes penholders, ashtrays, vases and candleholders. Jose said this gives him a sense of purpose and belongingness at the ATD community.

“I like that I go here to paint. It’s nice to interact with the other poor families and share ideas on art. I feel fulfilled whenever I finish a piece of art because it gives me a sense of worth and dignity,” Jose said in an interview.

ATD is an international non-government organization with full-time and part-time volunteers who work together with the poor in developing and industrialized countries so they can overcome poverty. Founded in a shantytown near Paris, France by Fr. Joseph Wresinki in 1957, the foundation is now in 24 countries around the world.

But unlike other charitable organizations, ATD Fourth World does not hold feeding programs nor provide money, housing, scholarships and infrastructures to alleviate poverty.

Instead, ATD encourages and hones the artistic inclinations and talents of the less fortunate through art and music.

“ATD is different from other NGOs because we don’t give basic services like money and food. It’s interaction and exchanging of ideas and knowledge with the poor. We let them express themselves through art and music. It’s building a relationship with them and although they are poor, they have talents. When they pursue their talents, you can see that changes the way they view themselves,” said Elizabeth Lavrand, a French volunteer at ATD who has spent five years in the country.

ATD’s regular programs include a “street library,” where they engage poor children in reading books, storytelling, drawing and painting; adult workshops where the poor share their life experiences through dialogues; and the festival of learning, where they gather the poor during the summer months for book reading, storytelling, arts and crafts workshops, drama sessions and presentations.

Graphic artist Robert Alejandro, a long-time volunteer of the foundation, said a lot of the poor he trains at ATD are very talented in art.

“Even though they are poor materially, they have talents to boast of and we want to hone that so that they can have pride and confidence in themselves,” Aventajado said.

On Nov. 29, ATD will feature the artworks of the poor through a fund-raising activity dubbed “Creative HeARTs… Celebration of ARTs against Poverty” at the Museo Pambata on Roxas Boulevard from 1 to 5 p.m.

ATD volunteer Sana Sta. Ana said that through Creative HeARTs, ATD aims to create public awareness on the poverty situation in the country through arts and music.

“ATD has always use art as a medium to express the plight of families living in poverty.   Thus it will feature these families’ artworks, to showcase their artistic skills,” Sana noted.

The friends of ATD – potter Lanelle Abueva, illustrators Robert Alejandro and Beth Parrocha-Doctolero, photographer Jetro Rafael, and artist Nina Yuson – have donated artworks and volunteered their services for free.

The event’s highlight is a concert by pianist Ma. Regina Montesclaros, first prize winner in four prestigious Philippine competitions. The proceeds from the event will finance the Christmas workshops and street libraries of ATD.