FIC Artist Nyeko Ben Ivan Shares of Freedom
WAR-AFFECTED COMMUNITY
“Africa’s longest war” has been raging for 23 years in Northern Uganda. Recently it has been pushed into neighboring countries. During the course of the war millions of people have been displaced to overcrowded internally displaced persons camps with unconscionable weekly death rates. Children are overwhelmingly the most affected victims of the conflict. Some 65,000 children have been abducted by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and forced to participate as soldiers, sex slaves, and laborers. Long-term healing demands increased psychological care, basic water infastructure, and access to education.
CONSULTING THE COMMUNITY
In the summer of 2006 Andrew E Briggs worked in Northern Uganda with U.S. and Ugandan counselors and music therapists at Gulu Support the Children Organisation (GUSCO) to counsel and help rehabilitate former child soldiers. During this enriching experience and successful implementation of art as therapy, Briggs met with leaders of the Koro Abili internally displaced persons (IDP) camp community.
In December of 2006 Briggs returned to Northern Uganda and organized a free “Christmas & Hope For Peace New Years Concert” as a gesture of solidarity for the 12,000-14,000 people living in Koro Abili. It was seen as a great gesture and success in the eyes of the community.
Briggs cast the vision of an art program and dialogue about healing through the arts. Supported by local tribal and church leaders, teachers, and counselors, he began art clinics later to be known as Freedom in Creation. Working with the voluntary support and facilitation of these local leaders, Briggs was able to introduce therapeutic art classes to 25 former child soldiers from Koro Abili. The children demonstrated that they enjoyed themselves, felt safe, and were happy to have a new activity. The community agreed that the program was of great benefit to the childrens’ psychological health and education.
With encouragement from the community, Briggs helped organize an art exhibition whereby the children’s artwork was shown to the greater community. The event, unlike any they had before, was well received and attended. When it came time for Briggs to depart Uganda, he asked the community, “Is this something that you want to keep?” The resounding answer was affirmative and the program, now known as Freedom in Creation (FIC) has continued weekly art classes led by local volunteer leaders and caregivers ever since.
SUSTAINED BY THE COMMUNITY
The aim of FIC is to empower the community with psychosocial care. The term psychosocial care refers to a system inherently relying on a community’s ability to identify and tend to its wounds.
FIC operations have been led by volunteer community leaders since the program began in January 2007. Resourced with enough materials to sustain the weekly program, FIC leaders oversee the 65 child participants. Within a healthy peer environment and the oversight of caring leaders, participants are able to express themselves freely, be affirmed, and receive counsel and art instruction from trained caregivers and art teachers. The purpose is to encourage the children’s psychological health while providing them with an enjoyable opportunity to learn through arts. During weekly activities, program leaders can assess the health of the children and offer insight to parents and guardians.
Here, Deputy District Education Officer Akena Caesar from the local government speaks before an FIC exhibition and the formal opening of our new art center.
SUPPORTED BY THE COMMUNITY
Odong Margaret reflects upon Freedom in Creation efforts to increase access to safe drinking water.
