Street art or "graffiti" is an ancient form of art, communication, and historical documentation through animation. In recent years, public art is being embraced for its ability to inspire creativity, display beauty, and express individuality in communities.
This project was in collaboration with Nancy Bartosz of Hope for the Day (HFTD.org), Ugandan artists Sparrow and Rach, and numerous friends from around the United States.
It served to connect distant communities to support local Ugandan artists, for the purpose of creating colorful pictures and messages to inspire HOPE for people living in hardship.
Ugandan Sparrows
There are eight species of sparrows in Uganda, but there’s one Sparrow uganda. He walks with a black cap and a spray can filled backpack, beautifying the walls of Kampala to give back.
He's part of a community of young innovators who breakdance, beatbox, graffitti, and emcee; but, more importantly, use their craft to engage and uplift the community.
The takeaway from Uganda and Rwanda is the spirit of creativity and resourcefulness is strong. The artistic expression of Hip Hop is pure, reminiscent of the early-mid 90’s. But most impressive is the interconnected community culture we’ve been fortunate to witness and, in small measure, be invited to participate in.
There are a number of initiatives and efforts in motion and it was clear early that Sparrow was to become a valued project partner and friend.
Art was survival for Rach. He’s a Bboy whose graffiti art game is represented on walls from Uganda to Rwanda. He says, “60% of youth are unemployed and art is a tool that kept me from negative things like drugs.”
He wears a cloak of appreciation. His demeanor is kindness. He gives what he has and spends himself giving back to the community - teaching art to the youth and the older kids how to make art their hustle so they can survive like he has.
Rach’s art communicates hope to the community on walls, and he hopes to collaborate with more local and international artists. For us, he communicated hope by extending friendship through partnership in the “HOPE Murals project” and taught us you receive the most when you give.
There are over 120 boys living at Les Enfants de Dieu (The Children of God) in Kigali, Rwanda. All of them have "hard knock" stories that boil down to not having families and communities to care for them. But they’re resilient. Brave. Playful. And thanks to mentors like Jean Claude (Center) who grew up at Les Enfants but now serves as staff; they have a place to live, to learn new skills, and to get an education. And they have a community of brothers and a few sisters to lean on.
Close to a hundred and fifty spray cans and over a dozen cans of paint were locally purchased for the nine murals and a painted skateboard park (collaboration with Kurema, Kureba, Kwiga of Rwanda).
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By committee, we pointed fingers at the store's shelf. "Black, red, blue. Some of the green and that lighter color green right there. And that pink...” And with a sack of spray cans from Central Kampala, we hopped motorbikes for the neighborhood of Kitintale.
Kitintale’s arms have openly embraced art and other initiatives. It’s evident by the scores of community home walls that are adorned with diverse and colorful artistic expressions by Sparrow, Rach, other local and international artists. It's also a testament to Jack Mubiru who is the foundation of influence in the neighborhood, that extends through Uganda and beyond.
This day, the neighborhood project was expanded to another barren wall. While curious kids and neighbors watched admiringly, Sparrow and Rach demonstrated chemistry and conversation with paint. Like symphonic conductors guiding notes, as storm clouds rolled in, they still took time to thoughtfully direct their colored strokes. The end result is a mural with a message, “Have hope - it's ok not to be ok.”
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If you Google Kohei and Mio Yamada, you will see an impressive digital footprint filled with notable accolades and accomplishments that span the globe. Among many things, they are successful entrepreneurs, authors, foodies, adventurers, and parents. Most impressive, however, is their dedication to community enrichment, sustainability, and social entrepreneurship.
Kohei gave a Ted Talk where he discussed the phenomena of his number one hit song in Malawi that served to educate people on HIV. Mio is an accomplished cyclist who has traversed much of Africa and supported efforts of rangers who protect African wildlife. Together, they own Kiseki Authentic Japanese Restaurant, a restaurant that provides a nurturing work environment while training in the disciplines of Japanese cuisine and sushi. They’ve fashioned their courtyard as a community center to give local artists a place to sell goods and services; and their major focus is on supporting local single parent families.
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'Some people become cops because they want to make the world a better place. Some people become [street artists] because they want to make the world a better looking place' ~ Banksy
Seeking approval for our activities led us through a series of NGO, camp, district meetings and paperwork. All worthwhile, but we were running out of time. Instead, we set up on a porch close to Kiryandango Camp to watch kids, moms, taxi-motos, and everyone else stop out of curiosity and wonder as a respirator-clad Sparrow, with earbuds in and a journal sketch, added color to our lives.
"See that - all the people stopping? That’s the power of art man.” ~ Sparrow
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