Varna Lahari by DREAM Trivandrum 

Thirty-nine artists from different parts of Kerala came together to create more than 50 paintings at Thampanoor KSRTC bus station, Thiruvananthapuram on 21 January 2023. Titled, Varna Lahari, the art exhibition was a creative initiative to advocate the prevention of substance abuse in society, organised by DREAM Trivandrum, Don Bosco Veedu Society (DBVS), and Creative Arts Trivandrum.

The programme was an amazing experience, through which, the Drug Rehabilitation Education and Mentoring (DREAM) team was able to create visibility for the initiative among people from various countries. The event successfully reached more than 500 individuals, of whom, more than 150 were tourists from different countries.

Taking the Varna Lahari campaign to more audiences, the DREAM team and DBVS collaborated with the Kerala Tourism Protection Development Council (KTPDC) to organise the exhibition of the thematic paintings at Hawa beach, Kovalam on 25 February.

The programme was inaugurated by Shri. Suresh Kumar (SI, Kovalam police station), and presided over by Fr. Jiji Kalavanal (Rector, Don Bosco, Manacaud). Members of KTPDC, Kovalam police station, and Fr. Saji Elambasseril (Director, DREAM Trivandrum) were also present.

The programme featured a spectacular Chendamelam performance by Ms. Tuesday from the United Kingdom, which captivated the audience. The attention of the audience was held by various dance performances and the paintings conveyed the anti-drug message to the public. Overall, the Varna Lahiri campaign showcased the effectiveness of Art to communicate important messages to large audiences impactfully.