Art Yetu, Overviews

 Overviews

Who is ART YETU?

It is owned by local Visual Artist and Entrepreneur MUDADI SAIDI well known as GuiArt, Founder of Mudadi Saidi Arts which is a well registered business company that provides painting and printing works.

Mudadi's vision is to empower young artist through visual Art and enable them building their capacity and careers. (Access to education.) #SDGs4Education.

Art Yetu is placed around the community in purpose to enable Artist to contribute to their Industry by displaying their artworks and gain profits (access to employment.)

History 

In 2019, Art Yetu program starts in kakuma refugee camp under the shade of Ethiopian library, it was not an easy work, the program had 11 students among them one female, later on the program failed due to lack of support and some of the challenges were due to students they weren't committed as well, some of them dropped out and remaining with 6 students, others were coming twice a week while our program was 5 days a week, One year later, which is 2020, art yetu program resumed it activities in kakuma refugee camp, in Burundi community at Exile Key Record with co-operation from Abdul Patient who's an awarded filmaker and music video director in kakuma refugee camp, after reopening this program we had challenge of working space was not allowing our students to draw in good shape, I brought the class back to my compound whereby we have been using at least tables to draw, after 6 months of classes we organise a graduation ceremony which was the first in kakuma refugee camp to have been organized by a local artist, 

First graduation at Jitegemee Center

we invited the seniors artists from kakuma and Kalubeyei Settlement camp, also some NGOs were presented by their staff, the event took place at Jitegemee Center near Lutheran World Federation LWF Compound but before reaching this place we had first planned to take this event at Kakuma Guest House in kakuma town but the management refused because we had many people, 14 artists have been graduated in presence of their parents and relatives.

@Chriatian Baobab from BKE Creative giving a speech during our first graduation

Exhibition, during graduation ceremony, the drawings which has been drawned in the past six months of studies were exhibited and sold at lower price and the income will facilitate us to purchase materials for the next cohorts.

©Yannick Unk and Mudadi Saidi during exhibition time after graduation

A commission artwork, a pencil art of © Jean-Marie from Inkomoko the former EAC

After our first cohort we find a time to request a place to Lutheran World Federation, Youth and Sports department if they can give a space in youth center one, we had chance to be allowed by Radjabu who is a center supervisor to start our program in their center.

In 2021, we have been taking classes at youth center one located in kakuma one, we had more than 100 students (young refugee artists) with two differents sessions one in morning hours and the other one late afternoon, this initiative is the result of self support from Mudadi Saidi, at the end of the program because of insufficient fund cohort 2 has never been graduated but it is in the agenda of Art Yetu. 

So far, Art Yetu has empowered many refugees and hosts in kakuma, a part from education the program has been playing the role of cohesion between all the nationality which has joined us, kakuma is a big place of diversity and us as art yetu we take this opportunity to bring peace through visual art people became one thing because we have some group works whereby you'll find a Nueri working together with Dinka or any other without problem.

In 2022, Art Yetu organized it first competition in Kakuma Refugee Camp, this event was in partnership with stakeholders Soundforlife, Kitale Multimedia, Season of the Time Media Productions STMP Studio, Mapenzi Studios, Heritage Handcraft, Rey Films and BKE Creative. 

Djuma Philip, the winner of ART YETU, first edition

Before organizing this event we do advertisement in social media platforms and posters to enable young artists in kakuma Refugee Camp be aware of the competition and give them chance to apply, children responded for the auditions 38 artists were presented, 28 were eliminated from first Roundup and 10 nominees for the competition, artists were putted in 5 group each to compete, they choose alphabet letters and they were given drawings and 45 minutes each.

Artists ALPHA MUKANGE known as well The Best who's a Photo-Realistic Artist with more than 10 years of experience based in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Alpha has been exhibiting his artworks in different galleries in Kenya and participated in more than 30 events in Nairobi, the program has been seconded by  MAKETH EDDU who's a Visual Artist, cyclist and comedian from South Sudan, Maketh his normally express is talent through ART, and he has attended in more than 50 comedy show in Nairobi. 

Services

Art Yetu offers services: Art for purchase,  Membership, Art classes, Art seminar, Art shows .

Market Strategies

Art Yetu will use different market Strategies to arrive direct to the community:  Advertising, Promotion, Social Medias, Backstories, Word-of-mouth.

Art Yetu target people with passion who are ready to quickoff. 

Impact 

Since 2019, Art Yetu is beneficial to many young teenagers host and refugee artists in kakuma, some of our graduated are now self employed, they're earning money from commissions works, adding on that 3 of our co-participants have been awarded and participated in some articistic competition in kakuma refugee camp and emerge WINNERS.