Kenya
Location
Kakuma Refugee Camp & Kalobeyei Settlement
Project Name
BRIGHTER
Organizations
RECAN (Refugee Changemakers Network) • Generation Aid / Senga Gallery • T-SHA Films
Where is beauty here?
Throughout months and months of planning, various refugee-led organizations in the Kakuma Refugee Camp joined together. They saw beauty in the artists in their community, who were painting and creating powerful visions of hope and healing.
They saw that they were underresourced and not recognized, so they wanted to do something about it.
I hope people remember that refugees are more than their circumstances. We are artists, creators, and dreamers with valuable stories to tell.
— Marzia Mohammadi, painter“I loved making art before coming to Kakuma, and living here has strengthened my desire to use art as a tool for storytelling, healing, and positive change.”
— juma phillip, painter
"I hope that when people see my artwork, they will feel a sense of hope, strength, and connection.
I want them to remember that every person has a unique story and that creativity can thrive even in difficult circumstances.”
— Marzia Mohammadi
What they built
50+ stakeholders at community consultations
85 artists applied for the workshop
15 artists accepted
1 community exhibition
100+ residents attended
3 dozen artworks displayed
3 artworks sold
5 artworks donated to RLO offices
What changes when beauty has a place to grow?
Brighter, on canvas
A selection of work by Brighter artists — painted, gathered, and shown at the public exhibition in Kakuma.
Generation Aid & RECAN Kenya
Generation Aid and RECAN Kenya are refugee-led organizations working in Kakuma Refugee Camp and Kalobeyei Settlement — home to more than 200,000 refugees. Kakuma means "nowhere" in Swahili, but the people who live there refuse to accept that name. Together, the two organizations founded the Brighter Project: a space for the artists already telling their stories on canvas to paint, gather, and be seen.
Initiated and funded by Home Ground Lab
“When people begin to see their shelter as home, something shifts, they invest, create, and care. Beauty becomes the catalyst for healing, dignity, and a future they can shape themselves.”
-Justin Mahamba