Promoting development through art

‘Hawa’ is the Kiswahili word for Eve. With a passion for art, the ladies have made it their mission to promote art talent by networking with painters, sculptors, designers, artisans, musicians and others around the country and their activities include workshops, exhibitions, and other creative activities such as public art with a message. These activities not only create fora through which the girls and women can bring out their creativity, beauty and pride but they also promote integration of key issues that affect family and society, such as gender inequality, cultural change, environmental protection, basic education and health.

Hawa Artists consists of eight members, some in their late twenties and others in their late thirties or mid-forties, most of whom have professional training in areas other than art. The group’s programmes coordinator, for instance, has a degree in education and experience in entrepreneurship. The workshops coordinator has a background in painting, sculpting and design whilst holding a degree in gender studies. The exhibitions coordinator, not only has two degrees in meteorology but is also a painter and collagist. Some members have extensive experience in teaching art, printing, accounting and farming. Yet others are pursuing degrees in international business administration and sociology. In spite of the diverse educational background of the group, only half of the members have steady jobs. This is the scenario with many people in Kenya, owing to the high unemployment rate.

Nevertheless, the Hawa Artists have held together for over six years, through close friendship ties, loyalty to the group and a dedication to its mission statement, even in the face of lack of funding for their projects, no office space to call their own and countless personal challenges. At its inception, in 2000, Hawa artists dreamed of a studio of their own, where they could have their offices and workshop space, as well as a library with art reference material. This was not to be, however, as the funding for it was not forthcoming. For several years the group had to make do with holding its meetings on the grass in public parks and members had to dig deep into their own pockets in order to cover administration and project costs.

The group has not been completely alone in its noble endeavor. They have received support and exhibition space at the Gallery of Contemporary Art at the National Museum in Nairobi, for their annual ‘Reaching Out’ Exhibition, which promotes art by women artists. The ‘Reaching out’ exhibition attracted so much attention, sometimes being held at the Goethe Institute, Gallery Watatu and Caltex Plaza, that it came to be expected as a major feature on the Hawa art calender. The idea behind these exhibitions was to promote artists by displaying and selling their work with Hawa retaining a small commission from the sales, to help cover running costs. The themes of the exhibitions ranged from environmental conservation concerns to thought-provoking philosophies such as “God must be a woman”. Though the turn-up for the openings was almost always good, sales were never satisfactory. Eventually, Hawa decided to concentrate on organizing workshops through which it could offer training in art related skills to marginalized groups in the society.

Sourcing for money to run workshops has proved quite difficult. Some funding was received from the Heinrich Böll Foundation in February 2003 for a workshop on Women in Conflict Resolution held in Limuru. The Department of Culture and Social Services has also provided financial support for a short workshop the group held with Turkana ladies in Turkana District in August 2004. Hawa members have often held workshops without receiving any allowances themselves. All the group has asked of the people it is helping is to provide basic art materials and a space in which to hold the workshop. Hawa Artists has worked with the Rescue Dada Rehabilitation Centre (a rehabilitation center for street girls) in Ngara, Nairobi, 2001 and the youth of St. John’s Community Centre in Pumwani (2004). It has also offered training to the Kyanika women of Kitui (2001) and supported the Black Marimbas – a local dance troup.

On top of all this Hawa Artists has collaborated with other individual artists and AFRICOM – the regional center for African museums, in a beautification project that involved making two large mosaics on the walls of the bridge adjacent to the National Museum, in 2004. This was a one-week volunteer event. The artists had to contend with the heat, dust and exhaust fumes from cars from morning till evening but they did so cheerfully, knowing fully well that their art-work would be seen by the public for many years to come!

Having worked together for so long made the Hawa artists think that an office of their own was in order. In 2005, with money earned from an anti-corruption poster job, Hawa Artists set up their little office in Kituo cha Sheria House, located behind the National Museum. And as though this was a sign that they were now ready for greater things they recently, with the assistance of a friendly catholic Priest in Lodwar, received funding from DorcasAid for a five-year capacity building project with Turkana Ladies based at Elliye Springs. This has been the group’s biggest achievement yet. With this interesting turn of events has come the added responsibility and challenge of ensuring that the project has enough substance to be self-sustaining.

Unlike past workshops where the training was a one-time event, this five-year project requires that Hawa artists make a broad and detailed assessment of the group they intend to assist. Hawa has to determine the group’s financial and socio-culture background, the environment in which they live, their needs, wants and challenges, and their potential for future growth. Establishing a good rapport and maintaining contact with the Turkana ladies are also important factors in ensuring that this project progresses smoothly.

One of the fears that always preys on the minds of the artists concerning the Turkana project is the issue of insecurity both on the road to Lodwar and at Elliye Springs. The bushy vicinities along the road to Lodwar harbor bandits who frequently car-jack buses and off-load passengers of their possessions. Sometimes shooting ensues and killings are not un-common. Elliye Springs, though a beautiful and relatively peaceful site, is not without its share of robbers especially at night. This has meant that services of a local night-watchman have always been engaged. These are some of the trials and triumphs of the Hawa Artist Group.