Project Launch:

A $497 grant from World Connect’s Kids to Kids Program in 2010 supported the Kin-Folk Art initiative, which was a project that provided children in Rwanda with an introductory series of creative arts classes focusing on the topic of families and history. The art classes included brief art history lessons and stories from traditional folk art from around the world. The children received guided assignments to narrate their own histories through both creative writing and visual arts. Each child received an art pad and supplies to document their experiences related to their family. At the end of the project, the children shared these books to the students in nearby schools. Kin-Folk Art was beneficial to children as it educated the children in visual arts and creative writing, and, more importantly, provided a space where children could practice art therapy while having fun. The focal topic of family was chosen because of the great loss of family members during the 1994 genocide, that continues to have significant adverse effects on the whole population of Rwanda, especially orphans and vulnerable children. The project provided psycho-social support to child-led households by giving the children a space to express their emotions through various modes of creative art.