Home's 2010 calendars features children's rights

What say you on the issue below?

THE stark black-and-white photos look simple, but each highlights a message – that children have the right to love, healthcare and education as listed in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The Rights of the Child is the focus of Shelter Home for Children’s 2010 calendar.

Shelter executive director James Nayagam said after nearly a decade of producing desktop calendars with themes centring on children, the calendars had gained popularity for several reasons.

“They’re practical because one side features a calendar and image, and the other, a planner. Each month has a little story based on true accounts of the children under our care, and the purchase benefits the children and helps change their lives.

Calendars for a good cause: Shelter Home for Children public relations officers Dr Elaine Wong and Anthony Arul discussing Shelter’s calendars from previous years. Wong is also holding several black-and-white images that will be used in next year’s calendar to highlight issues on children’s rights.

“Proceeds from the calendar will go towards the four homes and services that we run. We provide care for victims of abuse, abandonment and neglect, as well as refugee children,” he said.

“Having the calendar will remind us to be thankful for what we have today, that we’re helping another child, and are involved in children’s rights.”

Nayagam said they had chosen to focus on the Rights of the Child as its theme next year to tell people that children, too, had rights, of which they were often deprived.

“Children need love and affection. It’s something they’re starved of and spans across all types of racial and financial backgrounds,” he said.

“Children have a right to play and recreation, as many spend time in front of the computer and not enough time outdoors.

“They also have the right to good quality healthcare, clean water, nutritious food and a clean environment so that they will stay healthy.”

Shelter’s 2010 calendar features 12 images highlighting some of the articles mentioned in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

On how they selected the issues from among the 42 articles listed, Nayagam said the issues were chosen by the photographer and designer, in close collaboration with the team at Shelter.

He noted that the calendars would make great gifts, in addition to helping children in need.

“Our previous years’ calendars were well received and all were sold out,” he said, adding that 20,000 copies would be printed for next year’s edition.

“The images used in previous calendars included children’s paintings depicting their interpretations of love and artists’ paintings.”

Shelter’s 2010 calendars are priced at RM8 per copy.

They can be personalised to carry a company’s corporate logo at an additional cost of RM60 (for gold or silver stamping) and with a minimum order of 200 copies.