Art and Development walking hand in hand
by Stewart Paul
I was fortunate to be amongst those who helped organize and participate at the workshop on “Exploring the role of Arts in Development Projects” held in Lilongwe at the beautiful Child Legacy International premises on 17th of January this year. As part of the Sustainable Futures in Africa (SFA) network, this workshop was amongst the many activities done in Uganda, Malawi, Botswana and Nigeria where SFA members are based. For Malawi, I felt it was high time that artists and development practitioners work together on sustainability issues. This will help them to think out-of-the-box and come up with new and creative ideas to solve sustainability challenges. As part of Abundance, I attended the workshop with Abundance’s Director, Ruth Mumba and felt that it was very well organized and participants appreciated this endeavor. Initially, we had no clue what the workshop outcomes would be as it was such a novel concept. But after the workshop ended and when we reflected on it, we have realized that it was indeed an enriching experience.
Elson Kambalu, a visual artist who is also a film-maker introduced the workshop and talked about the need for artists and other partners in the development sector to work together and he explained his plan to produce a documentary of the workshop for the next SFA meeting which was to be held in Lagos, Nigeria. The ice-breaker session was interesting and Sharon Kalima got the participants to play games and get to know each other. I had a chance to present about the SFA network and share some views from the SFA meeting I attended in Botswana last year.
Helen Todd of Arts and Global Health Center Africa (ArtGlo) introduced the World Café method of participants working together and developing ideas. We all sat in mixed groups of artists, development practitioners and academicians and brainstormed on sustainability topics and how arts can play a role in such work. Some of the ideas that emanated were that Government should incorporate arts into basic education, introduce more art trainings and provide funds to artists. Organizations must include art through engaging creativity of artists into development projects, we felt.
One challenge discussed was that of how art could solve ecological and social challenges Malawi faces. Solutions aired by participants were many including composing traffic jingles for civic education, imparting knowledge through art on cultural heritage and importance of ecological sites, documenting cultural art and disseminating it through libraries, etc. Overall, participants agreed that artists must be included right from inception of any project, after all art is close to people and people can relate to art. We must promote arts as a platform for discussion of development issues. Local songs, dramas and creative messages can help advocate for sustainability issues such as promotion of renewable energy.
Ruth Mumba got a chance to present about Abundance’s work and Helen Todd presented about how ArtGlo had successfully incorporated art into development projects in Malawi. The participants were treated to a tour of the Child Legacy International premises which is a sustainably-built center. On our way back to our homes, we all felt that we made new friends and learnt a lot. I hope this is just a starting point and a lot of projects can be generated from the ideas generated from this workshop.
Africa in Motion (AiM)
Africa in Motion (AiM) is an annual African film festival, taking place in Scotland, consisting of film screenings and complementary events. It was founded by SFA partner Dr Lizelle Bisschoff. Now in its twelfth year, AiM brings the best of African cinema to Scotland—making it possible for Scottish audiences to engage with African stories and industry professionals from the continent. Our 2017 festival was a great success, attracting diverse audiences to events in both Edinburgh and Glasgow. We presented a varied programme with a range of genres and events, with over 80 films from 28 countries. The programme included a number of dine-and-view events that paired food with films from the continent, community screenings, films accompanied by panel discussions and Q&As, workshops and even a club night!
Diversity and inclusion is at the heart of Africa in Motion, and at the 2017 festival we further developed our efforts to create an inclusive festival programme. This is hugely important for AiM as 27% of our audiences come from a BAME background. Many of our events were free, and we offered free tickets for refugees and asylum seekers for paid screenings (in particular we partnered with the Unity Centre offering free screenings to their members). Our programme was also inclusive in terms of gender, with 18 of the films in the programme being F-rated, meaning they were directed by women and/or have a strong female focus.
For more information, see: www.africa-in-motion.org.uk
https://www.facebook.com/aimfilmfest/
https://twitter.com/AiMfilmfest
Art & Global Health Center Africa (ArtGlo)
The Art & Global Health Center Africa (ArtGlo) fosters creative leadership and implements innovative, arts-based, health-oriented programmes that inspire and mobilise. We believe in the transformative power of the arts to facilitate experiential learning, strengthen communities and foster empathy and cross-cultural understanding. Our vision is to serve as an “incubator” for arts-based approaches to actionable social change, creating replicable models that challenge barriers to healthy living.
Three programmes, MAKE ART/STOP AIDS, Students with Dreams and 'Umunthu', are the core of the Art and Global Health Center. MAKE ART/STOP AIDS brings together uses participatory arts to address issues of stigma, fear, prevention, testing and treatment, culminating in the creation and execution of action plans. Students with Dreams empowers young leaders to create and implement innovative programs in response to challenges they see in society, such as: gender inequality, education, human rights, HIV/AIDS and more. The 'Umunthu' Programme uses the arts to catalyse reflection and discussion, providing a platform to address issues of stigma and discrimination through the lens of “Umunthu.” Art and Global Health Center Africa also ran a successful project in 2016 and 2017 in partnership with World Food Program using Theatre for Development as a methodology for engaging communities around issues relating to food security and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene.
For More information:
https://www.facebook.com/aghcafrica/
http://www.aghcafrica.org/
Read the ArtGlo 2017 annual report here: ArtGlo Annual Report 2017 (low-res)
https://twitter.com/aghcafrica1
32° East | Ugandan Arts Trust
32° East | Ugandan Arts Trust is an independent non-profit organisation, focused on the creation and exploration of contemporary art in Uganda.
Our multi-purpose resource centre is based in the capital city Kampala and includes studios, accommodation for artists in residence, a contemporary art library, computers & editing suites, meeting areas and outdoor workshop space. Our programme offers artists in residence and members one on one drop in sessions for critique and professional development, workshops for practical skills and our regular discussion series, Artachat, for social engagement.
For more information
- https://www.facebook.com/ugandanartstrust/
- http://ugandanartstrust.org/
[vimeo 127914137 w=640 h=360]
KLA ART 014 Trailer from 32º East | Ugandan Arts Trust on Vimeo.
Reproductive Health at Mbando Village: Dispelling Myths
Making informed choices regarding reproductive health is something that is taken for granted in developed countries with good access to health services. This is often not the case in developing countries, and particularly so at Mbando village which is located by the shores of Lake Chilwa, in Machinga District, southern Malawi. Being one of the poorest countries in the world, Malawi faces a number of challenges, including poor access to reproductive health services and inadequate awareness. Mbando is a small village with 95 households consisting of mostly subsistence farmers and fishermen. It is vulnerable due to being prone to droughts and having few livelihood options. However, there is a vibrant youth community at the village. They have organized themselves into a club called “Wonderful Youth Club”. Being concerned about the high number of teenage pregnancies and many misconceptions regarding reproductive health, this club requested Abundance to hold a training session to discuss sexual and reproductive health.
Stewart Paul, Secretary of Abundance and a person of multiple talents, offered to undertake the training and was the right choice, being a youth himself (22 years old). On the 22nd of July 2017, Stewart joined Ruth Mumba (Director of Abundance) and others to Mbando village to meet with the youth to discuss this important yet often neglected topic. The youth face many challenges including poor access to contraceptives. They said that the nearest clinic was 3 km away and contraceptives were often unavailable and when it is available they were distributed to more established youth clubs in surrounding villages. Youth could not access any “counselling” or knowledge on sexual and reproductive health. Often girls were uncomfortable approaching older women to request for contraceptives at the clinic because they feared being judged immoral.
- Stewart Paul talks to the youth, as Ruth Mumba (left) looks on.
It was surprising for Stewart to hear about the myths and misconceptions regarding this topic from the youth:
“Artificial contraception methods lead such as using pills lead to sterility or infertility.”
“When boys use contraception, over a given period of time they lack sexual prowess and stamina”.
Through the training Stewart dispelled some of the myths and provided much needed information to youth about sexual and reproductive health and how contraceptives work. The need for family planning was emphasized and he explained that good sexual and reproductive health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being in all matters relating to the reproductive system. The importance of taking care of the reproductive system to avoid injuries and infection was also emphasized.
The session was only for a few hours and the youth requested for more such sessions to be organized for continued awareness raising on these matters. The access to contraceptives remains a challenge to be overcome. Abundance hopes to collaborate with organizations that provide these services and work towards improving access for youth at Mbando village. We envision a Malawi where all youth will be free to take informed decisions regarding reproductive health. This training was a small step towards that vision, but many more needs to be taken.
For more information visit: http://www.abundanceworldwide.org
@abundanceworldwide
@Abundance_ww
Periods; Let’s talk about it!
Menstruation is the most dreaded time for adolescent girls and women in poor communities such as those in Mbando village, Machinga District, Malawi, where Abundance works. Why is such a natural health cycle, so difficult for them? The girls describe it as a time of anxiety and worry.
“When I get periods, I use pieces of cloth and am worried that it will fall off when I walk. That would be so shameful! So I don’t go to school those days. Also, it is difficult to sit on the floor while having periods, as our school does not have desks and chairs and we sit on the classroom floor.”
-A girl in Chirimba Secondary school, Mbando village.
Our rapid assessment in the village revealed that lack of access to and inability to afford proper sanitary napkins, caused the girls to resort to poor menstrual hygiene practises. Only three out of 53 girls surveyed at Mbando village have ever used proper sanitary pads. Lead by Abundance Director Ruth Mumba and her team, a one day training workshop (22 July 2017) was held at Mbando village on production of reusable sanitary napkins. The training was in response to a request from mothers in the village, who were concerned about young girls’ menstrual hygiene and related impacts.
Abundance Menstrual Hygiene Training
Grace Moyo began the training by first removing the “social stigma” on menstruation. “It is healthy to menstruate and you should not be ashamed of it. If you are a girl, you will menstruate”, she told the girls. She reiterated that being teased by their peers should not let them down, in fact, menstruation should be viewed as a sign that they are fit. Reusable sanitary napkins are made from used cloth and shaped like proper sanitary pads, but have an addition of buttons on the sides to secure them. Thus the worry that the cloth may fall off is no longer there and this gives confidence to the girls. Furthermore, the pads are something the girls can make on their own with a little training. They can be washed and reused, thus being an inexpensive and sustainable solution.
In the large classroom of Mbando village’s Community Based Child Care Centre, girls grouped themselves into groups of 6 and began making the pads with help from Ruth Mumba and Grace Moyo. Used cloth was sourced by Ruth from the local markets and sewing kits were purchased which was distributed to each group. Every girl got a small sewing pack which she could take home with her and continue making pads at her home. Care was taken to include aspects of washing pads with soap and drying them thoroughly before use, in the training.
Present at the workshop was the “Mothers Support Group”, which is a volunteer group of women in Mbando village who support women and children and help bring back children who drop out of school. They welcomed the training as a means to reduce girls’ absenteeism in schools. But there were also a pleasantly surprising cascading effect from the training. The Chairlady of the group said, “Because of this workshop, I believe that not only will the girls help themselves, go to school during periods, but, they can also use the skills to make pads and sell them for an income.” The possibility of income generation movement from this workshop was a positive spill-over that Abundance’s training did not expect, but happily welcomed.
Making reusable sanitary pads is not just a menstrual hygiene project, it has multiple benefits of improving confidence in girls, reducing absenteeism of girls in school and possible income generation venture. This is one small way Abundance is trying to help communities in Malawi. Let us break the silence about menstruation and promote dignity for girls!
Written by Deepa Pullanikkatil (PhD)
Founder & President of Abundance.
Art House Africa
Art House Africa is an artistic initiative by SFA partner Elson Kambalu based in Lilongwe, Malawi. It was established in 2005 with the purposes of serving as a hub for artists. The organization also works as an employment bureau for artists. The organization was founded after realizing that there is no formal structure of information channels among artists in Malawi.
Today, the company act as a resource centre where all artists plying their trade in Malawi visit to obtain different kinds of information related to their work. Some of the services provided by the organization include: organising art exhibitions, cultural events, advertising and promotion using drama, dance and music, interior and exterior designing and events management.
The organization contributes to the development of art in the country by increasing interaction between artists and their clients.
Read more about Art House Africa here: https://elsonkambalu.wordpress.com/tag/art-house-africa/
Like Art House Africa on Facebook
In Partnership
Abundance: The “Giving and Training” Event
One the 24th May 2017 Abundance held a 'Giving and Training' event at Mbando Village, Machinga, Malawi. This was an event to showcase the skills acquired through the recent training programmes ran by Abundance. Attending and participating in the event alongside Abundance included the Wonderful Youth Group, Mothers’ Support Group, Home-based care, and Gogo Group, and the following guests: Representing the ward councilor: Mr Erik Kazithe, Senior Group Village Head Mbando and other Development Committee members and village heads.
The Abundance team received a very warm welcome as songs were sung as women danced around as the materials were being offloaded from the vehicle. An opening prayer was made, followed by a poem by a member of Wonderful Youth Group. The poem highlighted some problems the youth are facing. The poem also hinted at massive deforestation that is happening in the nearby Chikala Mountain.
Abundance
Vision:
A world of Abundance where there is plenty for humans and where nature is thriving.
Mission:
1. To create abundance for people through improvement in their well-being
2. To enhance resilience of natural resources through restoration and conservation
"Our vision is a world of abundance... plenty of food ....opportunities to realize your full potential .... make a good living..... lush green forests.....thriving ecosystems.... plenty of habitats for wildlife....clean water ...clean air.....abundance everywhere! "
D.Pullanikkatil, Founder, Abundance
Abundance has ambition to cover all needy countries in the world starting with Malawi in 2016. How wonderful it would be to spread abundance worldwide.
What we do
1. Improvement in human well-being in needy areas.
2. Enhancement of natural resources resilience in degraded areas.
Care, Share, Empower.
Women Environmental Programme
Sustainable Futures in Africa is delighted to partner with Women Environmental Programme (WEP). Women Environmental Programme (WEP) has partnered with SFA for the upcoming scoping research trial that will take place in Nigeria, Autumn 2017.
Below you can find information about the organisation, its mission and values.
History
Women Environmental Programme (WEP) was officially registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission in 2003. WEP is a non-governmental, non-profit, non-religious and voluntary organization whose vision is to see a society where the environmental, economic and political rights of women, children and youths are protected. Our mission is to empower women and youths to effectively address the environmental, economic and political issues that affect them. WEP has United Nations ECOSOC Special Status, Observer Status to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). With the Observer Status, WEP is also an organizing partner of the Women’s Major Group at the United Nations. WEP is also a member of the Global Environment Facility Civil Society Network and the regional focal point for West Africa.
Vision:
WEP envisions a society where the environmental, economic, social and political rights of women and youth are protected.
Mission:
WEP is committed to empowering women and youth to effectively address the environmental, economic and political issues that affect them.
Goal:
The overall goal of Women Environmental Programme (WEP) is to promote a sustainable society while addressing issues of gender injustices relating to environmental, economic and social rights of women, children and youth.
Our Thematic Areas of Work:
The organization works in two thematic areas viz; Environment and Governance. WEP tackles issues relating to the environment such as Gender & Disaster Risk Reduction, Water, Sanitation & Hygiene and Natural Resource Management. Concerning Governance WEP strives for Women and Youth Empowerment, Budget Tracking and Monitoring alongside Peace and Conflict Transformation.
strategic objectives:
- To sensitize and raise awareness of the general public on the impact of climate change particularly on gender and its mitigation and adaptation;
- To stimulate the management of natural resources within the framework of national and international policies/convention for sustainable development in the environment;
- To advocate for the rights of the rural and urban dwellers to land, housing settlement and basic social infrastructure within the framework of The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR);
- To build capacity of the general public on the management of environmental conflicts, renewable energy, water and sanitation and organic pollutants;
- To empower women and youths in their civic rights and responsibilities, electoral processes and democratic governance in Nigeria
Our Strategies:
- Advocacy
- Capacity Building
- Community Mobilization
- Research and Development
- Publications (books, newsletters)
- Networking
Our Values:
- Accountability and Transparency
- Team Work, Hard work and Commitment to work
- Honesty and Integrity
- Gender Justice and Fairness
- Trust and Confidentiality
- Excellence and Cost Effective
PARTNERS AND NETWORKS:
WEP collaborates with agencies and community based organisations in the implementation of its activities and projects. Some of the activities implemented range from women political participation, promoting communities participation in slum development, environment protection, empowerment of youth and career development etc.
Follow WEP on Facebook
