By: BOB ODALO

I dream, I dream, I could see my dad, that he sat on a cloud, watching me. I wish to fly to a cloud, hugging dad. I wish I could come back to life, I wish I could touch the cloud and see dad and grandpa...is one of the poems that strikes visitors as they enter the hall where diaries containing both visual and written communications made by children with disabilities are exhibited.

Students with teachers from the Machakos School for the Deaf and Mark Scheflen 
Artistic Director of the Visual Arts Programme, St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery, New York

A dozen students from the Machakos School for the Deaf and others selected from secondary schools in the exhibition which was staged at the Anglican Church of Kenya Cathedral hall in the town.

The diary, a project which includes artworks from about 60 American children alongside those from their Kenyan counterparts contain poetry, short stories, biographies, graffiti, icons, paintings and short stories. It was a good eye opener for children from the Machakos deaf community while for visitors a clear message was sent home: people with disabilities should never be denied opportunities. One of the Kenyan young talented artistic Daniel Muriuki of the Machakos Deaf School had a good painting entitled the "Bright Sun?. The brightest of colours selection, the green healthy plants with the rising morning sun gave the message how good life can be in a quiet, war free environment.

Mr. Mark Scheflen, Artistic Director of the Visual Arts programme at St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery, New York, describes the week long event as a success story. "The cultural exchange programme between city students and rural school children enable them to share, through their artwork, a look at their daily lives and provided an opportunity for them to explore the unique perspectives of their world," Mr. Scheflen said. Last year the children's collections were exhibited in museums, art centres, libraries and galleries including United Nations in commemoration with the "Day of the African Child", sponsored by the United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF)

Kenya's ambassador to the US Njuguna Mahugu was among the guests who visited the galleries to see what Kenyan children could do alongside their US counterparts. Mr. Scheflen says the Kenyan/USA children works' next destination is South Africa for a series of exhibitions, exchanges and workshops before the entire project turns to the USA in the year 2000.

The project was made possible through grants and product support of the Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation, Daniele Agostino Foundation, Trinity Wall Street, New York University Community Grant, Nikon, Agfa Corp, Polariod Foundation and the participating organisations