Bringing Art to Community

A grassroots group in Zimbabwe, Shingirirai Trust, is teaching paper-making as a source of revenue and creativity in their community. This slideshow shows the first class, a small group who will then become the trainers for others in their community. Classes are on the way for young people, a group of teachers, and volunteers from within the organization.

The class instructors are thinking outside the box from the start, encouraging participants to create entirely new designs. Shingirirai Trust chose a grassroots technique that limits the size of the paper, but makes the entire process, even the drying process, possible from back yards so they are not dependant on a source of electricity.

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Shingirirai Trust is a Firelight grantee partner in Harare, Zimbabwe. They work in the informal settlements of Mabvuku, Tafara, and Caledonia, where they offer an educational environment for children at six Early Learning Centers. Their program encompasses physical, social, cognitive, health, emotional, and moral development of the child. They are constantly adapting and improving their curriculum, seeking that, “apart from education it encourages inner strength for life.”