We created Art Yetu because we witnessed the devastating intersection of extreme poverty, unemployment, and untreated trauma destroying refugee youth's futures in Kakuma and Kalobeyei settlement camps. According to UNHCR data, 68% of refugees in Kakuma live in poverty, with only 0.0003% possessing work permits—just one refugee out of 300,000 has legal authorization to work. This creates a crisis where talented, capable young people have no pathway to economic self-reliance.
Beyond economic barriers, we recognized that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) represents the most common mental illness in Kakuma, particularly among new arrivals fleeing ongoing conflict in South Sudan. Youth experiencing trauma, depression, anxiety, and stress had no creative outlets for healing or expression. Traditional humanitarian responses focused on basic needs but ignored the psychological wounds and creative potential of displaced populations.
As a refugee-led initiative founded by artists who understand displacement firsthand, we saw that visual art could simultaneously address both challenges: providing therapeutic healing from trauma while building marketable skills for economic empowerment. Art offers a non-verbal medium for processing traumatic experiences that may be difficult to verbalize, while also creating tangible products with economic value.
We also recognized that refugee camps are not merely sites of humanitarian crisis but spaces of extraordinary cultural production.
Art Yetu operates through comprehensive visual arts training programs delivered across refugee and host community schools in Kakuma and Kalobeyei. Our methodology combines technical skill development with psychosocial support using the Recovery Box's five principles: Safety and Stabilization, Remembrance and Mourning, Reconnection, Skill Development, and Economic Integration.
Training Structure: We conduct sessions across 12 schools, teaching 820 students fundamental visual arts techniques including pencil sketching, painting, coloring, stencil printing, and screen printing. Each training cycle runs for three months with weekly sessions, progressing from basic drawing concepts to advanced screen printing on various materials. Students learn equipment care, health and safety, color theory, image generation techniques, and professional studio protocols.
Partnership Model: Through our collaboration with Norwegian Refugee Council's Better Learning Programme, we specifically target learners experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, and stress. Schools select participants based on need, and we provide both artistic instruction and therapeutic support.
Progression Pathways: Successful participants advance through cohorts, with first cohort graduates (11 out of 17 enrolled, 65% completion rate) continuing to practice independently and leading art clubs in their schools. Second cohort trained 47 youth, with two securing paid internships (4.3% immediate employment rate).
Main Achievements (Last 1-2 Years):
- Direct Reach: Trained 820 students across 12 schools in Kakuma and Kalobeyei refugee and host communities
- Cohort Success: First cohort (2021): 11 graduates from 17 enrolled (65% completion); Second cohort (2022): 47 youth trained with 2 securing paid internships
- International Recognition: Organized two major exhibitions and competitions with online voting participation from 8+ countries, showcasing refugee artists globally
- Leadership Development: Top competition nominees became art club leaders in their schools, demonstrating peer mentorship capacity
- Global Connections: Jean Paul Itembya now participates in international art club in Australia; multiple participants engage with international creative networks
- Partnership Expansion: Formalized collaboration with Norwegian Refugee Council's Better Learning Programme, securing sustained funding and institutional support
- Community Impact: Graduates established three independent artist collectives, extending program reach beyond direct beneficiaries through peer education
Spreading Mechanisms:
- School-based delivery ensuring sustained access to target populations
- Word-of-mouth within refugee and host communities
- Social media visibility through Instagram (@artyetuofficial), Twitter, LinkedIn, and blog
- Partnership referrals from NRC, schools, and community organizations
- Documentation and case studies presented at conferences (AACOSE 2024, Tangaza University)
Contact Art Yetu Program Coordinator Mudadi Saidi at artyetuprogram@gmail.com. We provide: (1) Training curriculum covering Recovery Box methodology and visual arts techniques; (2) Partnership guidance for collaboration with education programs; (3) Exhibition/competition organizing toolkit. Requirements: commitment to refugee-led approach, access to target populations, basic art supplies.
