Rhino Art Project

Rhino Art Project – Mkuru slums, industrial area Nairobi

On 6th of July I used a donation of the Elfu Bob (Ksh 12,000) to buy materials for the Rhino Art Project in Nairobi. This project is based in the Mkuru slums, a couple of informal settlements in the Industrial Area of Nairobi (off Entreprise road). It targets youth from these slums who have a talent for art, to train them and see if they can improve their live by selling some of their work. Currently there are around 25 boys (age 16 – 24) participating in the project, which started last January. John Silver, an artist himself, initiated the project and trains them in several techniques.
The boys have no further formal education than primary school. Some of them were engaged in criminal activities (robbing, drugs) before joining the project. Some girls also participated, but according to John, they are shy or afraid of the majority of boys. He hopes to offer them a separate training in the near future. In my modest opinion, some of the boys are quite talented. They were delighted with the materials for the project, especially because we bought oil-paint. They looked forward to working with this technique.
A big issue for the project is how to market some of the works produced. If they can sell some of the works, they can use this income for new materials. In that way, the project could be more sustainable. There are close contacts with the RAMOMA art center at the Go-Down and once a month (I think the last Saturday?) there is an exhibition there. However it would be good to organize some more exhibitions or other forms of marketing. Anybody suggestions? Let me know.

I will go back to the project in a couple of weeks, to see what they made with the paint and other materials provided. At that time, I will also make some pictures.

Arjan Spit arjan_spit@hotmail.com