Townsville student recognised nationally for artwork depicting respect to girls 

Aitkenvale State School student and participant in the local program for the spiritual education of children, Innocent Muhindo, has been awarded $250 cash and publication of his art as part of the national Violence Against Women: Let’s Stop it at the Start campaign. 

The prize was awarded for Innocent’s cartoon storyboard titled The Mirror of the Heart, a story about boys showing respect to girls. The story and Innocent’s art is also being turned into a book for publication. 

The award winners were congratulated for the great creativity and thought put into their entries. The website stated that each entry strived to “demonstrate the importance of standing up for and being respectful to one another at home, in the classroom, on the sports field and online”.

A boy of diverse artistic talents, Innocent starred in the locally made move Glimmerings of Hope earlier in 2024. The movie, about a young boy in a war-torn country who learns about choices that lead to despair and choices that lead to hope, had its inaugural screening in Townsville in August 2024. As a result of his work on that film, Innocent and other actors from the film travelled to Rockhampton in November to present at a regional arts conference. 

Opportunities to use his artistic talents for the betterment of humanity have arisen through Innocent’s involvement in the program for the spiritual education of children – a global initiative of the Baha’i community run in various locations in Townsville, including Aitkenvale. 

When Innocent learned he had won a large cash prize, his first thoughts turned to his family, teacher and friends. Manifesting selflessness and generosity, Innocent bought gifts of ice-cream for his friends; mangos, chips and chocolates for his six siblings; gifts for his parents; and an end of year thank you gift for his classroom teacher. 

You can read and listen to Innocent’s entry here.