We're launching a powerful international project that connects children in rural Malawi with kids here in Vermont through art, music, and the shared language of human rights — and we need your help.

Through our local arts nonprofit, River Arts, we are partnering with a sister school in Malawi to co-create a 12-week art and education exchange focused on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Each week, children in both countries will explore themes like the right to education, safety, identity, and freedom of expression — and bring those ideas to life through hands-on art projects, music, and mural-making.

Meagan De Clerck and Jenn Lindorff are spearheading this project from Vermont. At the heart of this collaboration in Malawi is Ishmael, a passionate educator and father of three who has worked with Save the Children and created impactful youth projects in Malawi. Ishmael will be working with a group of 6–12 year-olds in a rural Malawian school, guiding them through the same curriculum we’ll be using in Vermont. His students will reflect on their land, homes, culture, and dreams through artistic expression and connecting with children’s rights as well as to the children in Vermont.

What Will This Project Do?

Help children understand their rights and responsibilities and see their voices as powerful.

Build cross-cultural friendships and solidarity through shared creative work.

Create a collaborative video series where children will talk about the rights being covered, and what it means to them. These stories will be compiled into one moving multimedia piece to be shared between Malawi and Vermont students.

Why We Need Your Help

While we’re able to run the Vermont side through River Arts, we’re raising funds to support Ishmael and his students with:

Art materials for the workshops including the materials for their mural

A tablet or smartphone for video recording

Sharing materials for the final art show

Even a small contribution goes a long way in Malawi. Our total goal is $700, which will fully support the 12-week program.

When children understand their rights, they begin to see themselves as valuable — not only in their own communities but in the world. This project is a bridge between our students and theirs. It will help them all feel seen, heard, and connected.

This is more than an art program. It’s a chance for children in both countries to learn that they matter and that their voices can shape a better future.

Please donate if you can, and help us share this project widely. Thank you for believing in the power of creativity, connection, and justice.

With gratitude,

Meagan, Jenn, Ishmael and all of the Students