“My Album”

Editors: Chaste Uwihoreye, Jean Marie Zivugukuri, and Emmanuel Kigundu

My Album is a poignant collection of artworks by children and adolescents engaged in “Mobile Arts for Peace” (MAP) clubs across multiple schools in Rwanda. The artworks vividly portray painful pasts, current challenges, and aspirations for the future. The vibrant tapestry of colours, symbols, and metaphors encapsulates the resilience and courage of these young people.

Art can be an expressive and transformative medium through which young people can articulate their thoughts, emotions and experiences. This not only facilitates self-expression but also plays a crucial role in promoting mental health and wellness. Metaphoric expression through visual art can be particularly effective for externalizing problems. The sharing of artworks creates collaborative environment that encourages empathy and support among peers, creating a network of shared experiences.

Since its initiation in 2020, teachers and students from 45 schools in Rubavu, Huye, Kigali City, Gicumbi and Rwamagana have been trained to establish healing clubs. Ten of these MAP clubs have received grant funding to change community and school mindsets about mental health. An additional eight schools have been selected to work with girls to use imigongo (a traditional Rwandan artform) to express out their past, connect themselves to the present and envisage the future. Research and evaluation has been carried out in partnership with University of Brighton, Lincoln University and Janaki Women Awareness Society.

Link to original publication: https://dulwichcentre.com.au/my-album-by-chaste-uwihoreye-jean-marie-zivugukuri-and-emmanuel-kigundu/