Iowa boy receives prestigious youth humanitarian award named after Princess Diana
A young Iowa artist who has raised thousands of dollars for charity and teaches nursing home residents how to paint received a prestigious youth humanitarian award in memory of the late Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales.
Arsh Pal, 12, of Dubuque was presented with The Diana Award Friday morning in a livestreamed ceremony that honored him and about 180 recipients worldwide.
The U.K.-based award is given to people between the ages of 9 and 25 who are "selflessly creating and sustaining positive social change" in honor of the late princess, according to the website, which says it's the longest-running award for young people across the world through a retrospective nomination process.
Arsh told the Des Moines Register that he's overwhelmed to represent his home state.
"I'm from Iowa and everybody else is from everywhere else," he said. "I feel really happy that I'm getting it because it's a pretty big award. Princess Diana represents charitable work and helping the community, so that's kind of what I do."
'Why not ... be kind?'
Arsh said he started watercolor painting when he was little and got painting supplies on his eighth birthday. His colored canvasses started stacking up quickly, so he started giving away some of his art to his family and friends as gifts.
At around the same time, Arsh often accompanied his mother, Divya Pal, to a local nursing home where she works as an occupational therapist.
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He said he saw residents who looked lonely and often had no one to talk to, so he began striking up conversations and playing games with them. He later asked his mother if he could sell his paintings and donate the money to charity.
"I thought, why not help people to be kind?" Arsh said.
Far exceeded initial fundraising goal
Initially, he set a goal to raise $1,000 to donate to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. And in less than a year, he exceeded his goal, his mother said. In four years, Arsh has raised more than $15,000 and given to at least five charities, including St. Jude, Easterseals, Compass to Care, the Riverview Center and the Make-a-Wish foundation.
"He's never said, 'Can I use this money to buy a video game for myself,'" Divya Pal said. "He keeps his life very balanced, like playing outside, playing electronics, and playing with friends, spending time with family, and he's really good with his studies."
Arsh said giving back to organizations, particularly those that help children battling illnesses, is meaningful.
"There's a lot of young kids who have cancer and it's kind of hard to feel what they're going through right now," he said.
Watch 2022 Diana Awards
Arsh has already been recognized for his art and volunteerism. Earlier this year, he received the High Flyers 50 award in India, a recognition for achievements in a number of fields including art, culture and entertainment. He also is a board member of the Loukoumi Foundation, a New York-based non-profit that highlights youth participation in community-building.
Arsh was nominated for The Diana Award by Divya's former professor from her master's program in occupational therapy, who has known Arsh since birth.
To be considered for The Diana Award, the youth must demonstrate an impact in five areas — vision, social impact, inspiring others, youth leadership and service journey — and must be carrying out their activities for a minimum of one year. They must be nominated by an adult who knows the young person in a professional capacity.
There are 20 Diana Award Judging Panels, consisting of three judges, representing each region or nation both in the U.K. and internationally, according to The Diana Award organization.
In a statement, The Diana Award CEO Tessy Ojo, CBE said, "We warmly congratulate our new Diana Award recipients from the UK and across the world who are changemakers for their generation. These young people demonstrate that young people have the power to change the world; a belief also held by Princess Diana. It is especially poignant as we remember Princess Diana twenty-five years on. We know by receiving this honor they will inspire more young people to get involved in their communities and begin their own change-making journey."
Up next: Free art lessons for kids?
Arsh still goes to the nursing home where his mother works, and now spends time teaching painting lessons to the residents with help from his 6-year-old brother, Yuvan, who hands out the brushes and painting supplies.
Arsh said his painting style has evolved over the years, and he's experimented with other forms of art, including mixed media like 3-D clay and jewelry; resin and abstract art.
"I tried many different things just to find out my favorite," he said. "So far, my favorite is doing abstract pieces because you can express your emotions with abstract pieces."
Lately, he's been sketching architectural designs, as well as superheroes from movies and animals. He posts his art on Facebook at facebook.com/artbyarsh and on Instagram at @artbyarsh.
When he's not painting or sketching, Arsh loves being outside and playing with his friends. He's also a Boy Scout, he says.
Next, he wants to teach children free art lessons, particularly to kids who are going through anxiety and other emotional struggles.
When asked what he loves about helping others, Arsh simply says: "It just makes me smile, and the other people happy."
"You can use your skills and time to help the community — and it doesn't have to be with money," he adds.
Divya says her son's giving nature is more important than ever.
"I am very proud of him," Divya said. "I hope they keep (this) up because the world needs a lot of kindness."
Arsh isn't sure if he will pursue a career in art when he's older, or if it'll remain a hobby. Animal scientist and doctor are also top career contenders.
For now, he'll stick to school. This fall he'll be a seventh-grader at Dubuque's Eleanor Roosevelt Middle School.
Virginia Barreda is a trending and general assignment reporter for the Des Moines Register. She can be reached at vbarreda@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @vbarreda2.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: 12-year-old Dubuque artist among 180 kids to receive The Diana Award
