Arts for Development

Arts for development are one of the programmes of FAPEFE. Created in 2001, art in all its forms is used as a tool for communication and sustainable development. We work with children aged 3-16 in schools, orphanages and street children.

We use arts(cooking,painting,drawing,dancing,writing etc) as a means for children to freely express their views on key issues surrounding them, be they positive or negative. It is also a means of promoting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) within local communities we work with, breaking barriers of differences and fostering meaningful dialogue and sustainable development through the interactions between children from different strata of society. We also do exhibitions of their works in public places to make known their ideas.

We do regular art workshops/sessions and we supply all working material for the children. Arts for development also offers the opportunity for school drop outs to learn a trade in the field of arts thus cutting down juvenile delinquency in our towns and cities.

We have, since the creation of this programme , actively taken part in important days like; the day against child labour; June 12, the day of the African child; June 16, Earth Festival every third week of June, and International Peace day; 21 September just to name a few. We have also initiated lots of other art competitions and exhibition to awake the attention of the public in art as a real tool for sustainable development.

Nevertheless it is not easy running programmes of this nature, as learning is not sufficient. We need to provide starting kits for the children. For some like the street children, after teaching them we need to take them off the streets by creating them a small working space / lodging and all these is financial demanding.