Aly Panjwani is a Senior at Hebron High School in Carrollton, Texas and the Culture Officer for the Dallas Aga Khan Foundation Youth Ambassadors. As a performer and an advocate for the fine arts, he took the lead for hosting AKF’s annual Art Competition in the Dallas Forth-Worth metroplex, which serves to raise awareness of global poverty and its solutions through artistic expression.

Rays of light hit the images of art valiantly bringing the array of lines and colors to life. As you viewed the display frames, you could almost see the yearning desire of hope from global poverty trying to break through the glass. The artists portrayed a powerful message. A message that says it is our responsibility as humankind to be the backbone of support for our neighbors around the world. We must be the catalysts and driving forces of change. But how can simply pigments and shades of color express such a powerful message?

In 2012, I joined the Dallas Youth Ambassador group that aims at raising awareness about the work of the Aga Khan Foundation through local projects and partnerships with corporations and metro area schools. In every project, the ambassadors are thinking globally and acting locally, connecting local projects to the Aga Khan Foundation’s global endeavors of eradicating poverty. My passion for the arts and its impact on society led me to take on a leadership role in hosting the Art Competition, an initiative of Aga Khan Foundation USA. To reflect the Foundation’s mission of ending global poverty, this year’s art competition was ‘Rays of Hope.’

From its roots at Colleyville Heritage High School in 2011, the competition has expanded to other high schools in the area. In 2012, the winning entry was a digital work of art titled, “A Leap of Faith” by Grigoriy Danilenko from Colleyville Heritage High School. The piece represents ascension from poverty to prosperity and the difficulties of the transition by contrasting a shantytown and a western urban landscape. This contrast effectively evoked a feeling of revelation within viewers, causing new thought processes to arise.

This year’s winning entry was primarily a watercolor piece titled “A Hand Up for Hope,” by Florencia Padilla from the Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy. Padilla wanted to highlight the struggles women face and was inspired by the Foundation’s commitment to increase access to education, especially for women, in developing countries. Her artwork depicts the accomplishments of Zuhura Khamis, the girl in the center holding a book, and the first girl to win a district level math and science competition through the Foundation’s program. Zuhura is in color and those inspired by her begin to turn color. On the left is Malala Yousafzai’s name, a young Pakistani educational activist who was shot for her beliefs and work in education. You can visually see through color how hope and opportunity are transforming the lives of rural youth.

The competition team organized its first art exhibit at Southern Methodist University. The formal setting attracted many visitors to view the art exhibition while getting a glimpse of the Foundation’s work in education for girls, better health and nutrition, and services that improve the quality of life.

The three winners together with their teachers were awarded prizes. Our Dallas Youth Ambassadors spoke passionately about some of the Foundation’s projects that drive integrated solutions to help communities create opportunities for a better quality of life in the midst of poverty.

Some may say that a material piece of art can have no true impact on the fight against global poverty. Others may say that the money used to create the art piece may just as well have been given to someone in need. However, the lasting messages that the works of art create are stronger than a monetary donation. Art provides a unique avenue that touches a different side of an audience. Although the tangible art itself does not affect the struggle against global poverty, its striking imagery and meaning creates a new realm of awareness, speaking loudly especially to those who appreciate artistic expression.

The 2014 Art Competition and exhibit have set the stage for further innovation in creating awareness through a form of fine arts.