You may not see such a colourful cow in any farm but that is only to be expected when tiny tots decide to wield the brush.

On Nov 11, a group of pre-school children, aged five and six, from the Modern Montessori International (MMI) school at Sengkang did their bit for charity by painting a landscape cow to raise $5,000 for the Home Nursing Foundation (HNF).

The cow will be displayed along with other cows painted by other organisations, including Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan’s sponsored cow, during HNF’s Charity Walk at the East Coast Park on Nov 14.

The presence of Dr T. Chandroo, chairman and CEO of MMI which currently has over 70 pre-schools and teacher-training centres spread across 10 countries, gave the young ones a boost and he too joined them in adding a few strokes with the brush.

Ms Wee Chun Ping, supervisor of MMI Pre-School at Sengkang, remarked: “I’m very touched to see the spontaneity and enthusiasm of the children to help the elderly and less fortunate.

“We have decided to take part in this activity to nurture in our young a sense of social responsibility and the importance of helping the community.”

“This painting exercise will help the children at MMI, even at such a young, tender age to show concern, care and respect for the elderly, apart from their grandparents.”

Added Dr Chandroo: “Through this activity, we would like to cultivate the right values among our students. At MMI, we do not just focus on academic development, but also social responsibility and care for the community we live in”.

The HNF is a charitable and non-profit organisation that offers professional home nursing care to the needy elderly in the comfort and privacy of their homes.

This article was first published in tabla!.