By Emily Harris, Technical Writer, PLAN Rwanda

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then each piece of art created by students and community members in Tororo District deserves its own story – which is exactly what happened when Plan Rwanda partnered with American artist Hilary Wallis and Rwandan Artist Justin Igala during last summer’s innovative ‘art for development’ programme. As the newest member of Plan’s staff, I spent my first day in Rwanda accompanying Hilary to her temporary home in Tororo and discussed how she could best use her skills and time to share the power of art. By teaching drawing and painting to promote self-expression, provide psychosocial support, build confidence and expand potential income generation opportunities, we hoped this joint effort could make a lasting impact in the Tororo District.

Plan Rwanda, a branch of the worldwide child-centered development organization Plan International, is based in Bugolobi and has Programme Offices in four areas – Tororo, Luwero, Kamuli and Kawempe. Plan programs cover a range of issues including healthcare, education, water and sanitation, livelihood, microfinance and child sponsorship, each with an emphasis on protecting the lives and rights of children. While many individuals in Plan-supported communities already had experience using music, dance and drama to express themselves, the tangibility of artwork – both the process and the product – offered a new opportunity for development and empowerment. For many groups in Tororo District, July and August brought inspiration and confidence as hopes, fears and dreams materialized when paint met paper.

Using fine art as a method of self-expression, Tororo residents learned to share their sentiments about HIV/AIDS, poverty, violence, cultural traditions, gender inequality, pressures and celebrations through art and public speaking. After the completion of each day’s painting, secondary students at Tororo Girls School, members of Nyalakot and Kwapa Post Test Clubs (community support groups for people who have been tested for HIV/AIDS), patients at Mukuju Health Centre and outpatient families all had an opportunity to share the life experiences that inspired their artwork – a process that was both therapeutic for the artist and informative for peers.

During art sessions, Hilary and Justin held discussions about issues affecting lives in Tororo and encouraged the new artists to represent their experiences for others to see. As Hilary explains, “We address issues in a psychological way through visual art…participants begin by discussing their lives...we talk about art and the impact it can make in their personal lives and within the community. But the real magic comes when they begin to draw and paint.” And for many of these budding artists, the summer transition was a bit magical. While visiting an art lesson with the Nyalakot PTC group a few weeks into the project, I witnessed Hilary’s words come to life and was amazed at the progress of the groups. Mothers with babies on hip sat next to men and children, each individual intensely focused on the paper and paintbrush.

As I roamed the room, sharpening pencils and distributing supplies, images materialized on the pages around me – faces revealing anger or fear juxtaposed with illustrations of prized possessions and messages of hope for the future. Any initial apprehension of the artists was quickly transformed into enthusiasm and confidence. Familiar with Plan’s work in their district, these Tororo residents were quick to take advantage of this opportunity to share their lives. While some Post Test Club members had never held a pencil, let alone a paint brush, only a few sessions earlier, I watched as they eagerly sketched and painted with contemplative ferocity. While some worked diligently, others giggled and discussed ideas as colours filled their pages. Even one blind PTC member, eager to partake in the art project, was helped to depict images of his favorite foods – fish and chicken – to the astonishment of his friends.

As the weeks progressed, bright images covered walls at Tororo Girls School, the Tororo Youth Centre and the Mukujju Health center as students and PTC members opened up to themselves, and each other, through paint. Discussions, drawing and paint exposed daily struggles including rape, pregnancy in schools, refusing bribes from sugardaddies, caring for sick family members and issues of circumcision. Messages on the paintings include statements such as "We are people who have rights – Stop discrimination of AIDS patients – Show them love" and "Avoid bad touches from the opposite sex because they lead to danger.” When asked their favorite part of the process, students from Tororo Girls School gave a unanimous response – creation of the mural. Unlike their previous experiences in art class, this wall-sized artwork quickly became a source of pride for each of the artists involved. “Other students in the school are excited for us,” one student explained. “They want us to help them paint another mural.” When contemplating the future sustainability of this art endeavor, students who participated over the summer plan to teach their peers to use art for spreading critical messages about remaining safe, healthy and finishing school.

Without much artistic background myself, I eagerly joined on one of the art lessons and struggled alongside Tororo residents to mix colours and textures, hoping to represent the surf of a memorable beach scene with questionable success. As I learned, no matter how (un)professional each final product appears, we all gained confidence to openly share experiences and promote an environment of healing. Expressing oneself through paint is a new method of development in the Tororo area and using the art as a platform for verbalizing issues is what makes this project so unique.

Exhibitions in Tororo and Kampala, which enabled project participants to display their artwork, share their stories and bolster self-confidence and pride proved that this project can have a lasting impact. Enthusiastic after the final day of the Tororo exhibition, youth in Tororo repeatedly asked me the ultimate question – how can they continue this project and use their new skills to pursue art as a job in the future.