09.06.23
PPG has completed a colorful and transformative makeover at the OS Skroetjie primary school in Nickerie, Suriname, through its global New Paint for a New Start initiative, part of the company’s COLORFUL COMMUNITIES program. The project brought together 60 volunteers consisting of PPG employees, customers, teachers and members of the local community, who painted the school with a fresh new color scheme.
The company provided around 265 gallons (1,000 liters) of HISTOREX paint by PPG, including Historex Aqua-Lak wear-resistant paint, to create a colorful space for the school’s 200 students and 26 teachers. PPG experts chose colors from a special palette that pair with specific learning objectives and local, cultural influences. The exterior of the school was painted with Vining Ivy, the PPG 2023 Color of the Year.
The school’s facade was decorated with a mural designed by local visual artist Wikaas Girdharie, which shows a caterpillar turning into a Monarch butterfly under the watchful eye of a skroetjie, the black-bellied duck from which the school gets its name. “The subject matter is very important,” Girdharie said. “The metamorphosis symbolizes the growth of the school children into mature individuals."
“Everyone has done a great job,” said Sharita Ramdas-Autar, head teacher of the OS Skroetjie school. “The roof had leaks, ceilings and walls were not good. This has all been addressed by PPG, so on October 1 we will have a very good start with a cheerful environment where everyone can enjoy coming to school.”
In the second year of New Paint for a New Start, PPG employees around the world are volunteering their time throughout the months of June, July and August to transform more than 25 schools. Using PPG paint products and color expertise, each project aims to create engaging spaces for students to learn and grow.
“We are pleased that the company can provide support to schools like OS Skroetjie through the Colorful Communities program,” said Ramesh Dwarkasing, PPG director, Suriname, Architectural Coatings. “Painting is beautiful, but if you give a broken building a color, it might be beautiful for a few months and then it’s nothing. So, we’re tackling it thoroughly.”
The company provided around 265 gallons (1,000 liters) of HISTOREX paint by PPG, including Historex Aqua-Lak wear-resistant paint, to create a colorful space for the school’s 200 students and 26 teachers. PPG experts chose colors from a special palette that pair with specific learning objectives and local, cultural influences. The exterior of the school was painted with Vining Ivy, the PPG 2023 Color of the Year.
The school’s facade was decorated with a mural designed by local visual artist Wikaas Girdharie, which shows a caterpillar turning into a Monarch butterfly under the watchful eye of a skroetjie, the black-bellied duck from which the school gets its name. “The subject matter is very important,” Girdharie said. “The metamorphosis symbolizes the growth of the school children into mature individuals."
“Everyone has done a great job,” said Sharita Ramdas-Autar, head teacher of the OS Skroetjie school. “The roof had leaks, ceilings and walls were not good. This has all been addressed by PPG, so on October 1 we will have a very good start with a cheerful environment where everyone can enjoy coming to school.”
In the second year of New Paint for a New Start, PPG employees around the world are volunteering their time throughout the months of June, July and August to transform more than 25 schools. Using PPG paint products and color expertise, each project aims to create engaging spaces for students to learn and grow.
“We are pleased that the company can provide support to schools like OS Skroetjie through the Colorful Communities program,” said Ramesh Dwarkasing, PPG director, Suriname, Architectural Coatings. “Painting is beautiful, but if you give a broken building a color, it might be beautiful for a few months and then it’s nothing. So, we’re tackling it thoroughly.”
