A Celebratory Gathering under Symbols of Childhood

Traveling to the Senegalese capital, Dakar, to visit the newly opened Cuomo Cardio-Pediatric Centre, Ms. Maria Elena Cuomo met with members of the artists’ collective Group D-10 on February 16, 2017. A year ago, these young artists were enthusiastically employed using their considerable artistic skills to enhance the centre’s interior and exterior surroundings with childlike murals depicting colourful local scenes.

Just like the content of the murals visible on the CCPC’s walls, this warm informal meeting revolved around the theme of childhood. Some of the artists from Group D-10 are young parents and they brought their children with them. Under a sunny patio with ocean views, the children had the opportunity to admire their parents’ work and to share the warm and heartfelt congratulations by Ms. Cuomo for their parents’ artistic achievement.

The Artists’ ‘picture stories’ reflecting skies, seas, birds, butterflies and animals engage with the young patients arriving at the Centre and assist them to have a sense of calm and protection, especially when many are facing very uncertain futures. The CCCP performed its first paediatric cardio procedures on January 16th, 2017.

Since then, a further 30 fully successful operations have been carried out.