Most university science students have their plates full just keeping up grades. But Sinthusha Kandiah also wants to make a difference in the world through her passion for art and so created a non-profit organization, Divinart Foundation.

Sinthusha’s long term goal of her non-profit organization is to travel to Sri Lanka to help underprivileged children access education. Through her foundation, all the funds raised by providing henna service and artworks to the Montreal community will be used to cover costs that may arise for a child living in poverty to go to school.

But like many she was moved by the plight of Syrian refugees and wanted to make a contribution to the integration of Syrian kids in Montreal. And so she offered her time and dedication to the Montreal community with professional henna service as a way to raise money for Camp Cosmos and Syrian Kids at Camp – to welcome 30 Syrian children this summer at a summer camp organized by Montreal City Mission.

The Montreal City Mission is a community organization and has been established since 1910. For over a 100 years, MCM has been helping many refugees, immigrants, and children with low income family by providing them resources and the help they need for an easier integration into a new country.

Daughter of Sri Lankan refugees who came to Canada in the 1980s, Sinthusha is aware of the struggles faced by families arriving in a new country, and is particularly concerned about the well-being of children.

Through her dedication and perseverance, Sinthusha made a generous donation of $600 to buy art supplies for Camp Cosmos. She wanted to make a positive impact in her local community so she chose to help children and in particular Syrian refugee kids. Seeing war and violence at a young age, she believes that having a way to express their inner thoughts and feelings through art is a therapeutic way to heal their souls. And thus, donated her time and energy to raise money through her form of art, henna.

“Through art, we can make a difference” – Divinart Foundation

Check out Divinart Foundation‘s Facebook page for more information.