Maryam Zharifa Khairul Anuar at the Maybank Championship.
YOUNG Maryam Zharifa Khairul Anuar is an amazing person. At the age 12, she is making waves with her paintings and at the same time she has won many hearts by proving to be an incredible young philanthropist.
Despite being born with down syndrome, Maryam has showcased her paintings in various art exhibitions and charity fundraisers in the country. And she is also on a mission to raise funds to assist children with heart conditions.
Maryam and her mother, Sharifah Sarah Syed Mohamed Tahir, 42, has won many admiration from art lovers in the country and at the same time the duo are also making great strides in her mission to raise funds for the needy ones.
And the young lady and her mother hopes to make a positive impact with the initiative, Maryam Saves A Heart (MSAH) and her paintings, showcased in various art exhibitions and charity fundraisers across the country, have garnered widespread attention and support.
MSAH was created by Maryam’s mum, Sharifah Sarah Syed Mohamed Tahir, 39, a bank officer, and her husband, Dr Khairul Anuar Abdul Aziz, 39, a paediatric cardiothoracic surgeon at IJN, in 2018.
While the action on the greens at the recent Maybank Championship was fast and furious between the top golfers, Maryam, also won many attention during the last day of the event thanks to the Heart2Heart (H2H) Initiative by Maybank at the tournament held at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club from Oct 24-37.
To date, Maryam has raised over RM250,000 through the sale of her artwork, with 80% of the proceeds going to charities and 20% allocated to a fund for Maryam’s future.
Maryam with her mother Sharifah Sarah and host (Nadia Heng) at the Maybank event in Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club.
She has partnered with organisations such as Yayasan Chow Kit and Tiny Gold Hearts, reflecting the strong support she has received in championing her cause to save children’s hearts.
Before the Maybank Championships, Maryam has sold over 80 paintings so far, a testament to her talent and dedication to making a difference in the lives of others.
The numbers are growing too. Maryam sold 14 of her paintings during the Maybank Championship event. The buyers included from Maybank BOD, fellow Maybankers, Edelman PR, Big Events, Cheojeom International.
At the event, the young Maryam, was elated at the huge response she received: “I feel so happy today. Thank you so much.”
Her mother Sharifah was also very happy with the support her daughter's painting had received.
“She started picking up painting at six years old, as a form of therapy and then she just didn't stop," said Sharifah.
"The support that Maryam has received so far is really wonderful. We are truly blessed. So many people have also helped and supported Maryam in her journey and I would like to thank them all."
Sharifah said they couldn't have achieved all these without the help and support of so many kind people who has so much faith in her abilities.
"We have been very blessed because we connected with the right people, organisations, and people who share the same passion.
"We started Maryam Saves A Heart so that we can champion a cause that we truly believe in, which is to save children's hearts," she added.
Sharifah also said that it also helped that Maryam's father works as a heart surgeon at the National Heart Institute (IJN). In fact, her father's job is also a big inspiration for the young lady.
"Her father is a surgeon who saves children’s hearts and that inspired her to use her talent to raise funds for children with heart conditions. She also actually paints for me a lot, so every week it’s a surprise for me as her mother.
"She likes to paint rainbow skies and flowers. As you can see these are the mixture of colours in her paintings.”
Maryam Zharifa Khairul Anuar.
It was also noted that Maryam could sit for four hours straight just to finish her paintings.
She loves painting so much that her artworks is seen nearly every corner of Mayam's house in Ara Damansara. The paintings are displayed on walls, shelves, and near the staircase.
"The journey with Maryam has so far has been incredible, to say the least. I just hope it keeps going for a long time. Painting makes my daughter such a happy person and the encouragement she has received to this stage has been so good." said Sharifah.
"And I believe Maryam just wants to continue doing the job and getting funds for such a good cause. It is a good cause for all."
Maryam’s artwork is shared on Facebook and Instagram (#maryamsavesaheart). Each piece sells between RM100 and RM5,000.
For the record, Maryam works with acrylic paint, using different techniques including finger painting, swab painting (using cotton buds), brush painting and sponge painting.
Maryam’s beautiful paintings feature different facets of nature, ranging from rainbow skies, oceans, flowers to trees.
At with such a golden heart at such a young age, many art lovers are hoping this young lady will continue to make big strides in her career. And with the encouraging support she has been receiving thus far, one will always hope for the best for this young brilliant painter with so much kindness in her heart.
