by Sr. Liana de Jesus  MMM     Brazil/Kenya       17.05.2022
I am discovering that one of my strongest gifts is art. I was not even aware of how much I can be creative through art. This has enlightened me about the young people as I work with the youth here in Nairobi. I now see how powerful this type of work can be, and make a difference in people`s lives. It also brings beauty to where ever it is displayed. Besides beauty, it helps to bring awareness of how one can use recycled things and use them creatively in art work in order to bring colour to our environment. It helps to release stress and bring out positive emotions. It can also help to improve, in a way, one`s self-esteem.

With art, people can express their feelings, show beauty, bring happiness and develop other people’s creativity. Being poor is not the end of the world, and it doesn’t mean that one should remain idle, doing nothing. It might be an opportunity to explore other gifts that may be inside of them. This can be art. It can be an awakening experience so that people can speak out creatively.

I am experiencing this myself since learning throughout my work and interactions with the youth. It has brought me back to my own experiences and where I am coming from, Brazil. Even though the poor may come from a very disadvantaged background, people do not sit back doing nothing because they are discouraged in one way or another. I am learning to express the MMM healing charism using artwork, teaching the people about what they have and their own resources.