Talking through Art was founded in 2015 by Petr Kočnar, a young professional from the Czech Republic.

 

Walking the streets of Kigali, Petr kept noticing destitute people with disabilities. Since he had a previous work experience with disabled people and an art background, he decided to approach them and organize an art therapy program. After the success of his program, Petr officially established his NGO in February 2015 with the dream of helping disabled people gain new skills, confidence, and a place in the job market.

 

Talking Through Art now has over 80 members in Rwanda. We have also been able to identify sponsors, to support children of our beneficiaries to attend schools.

 

Our vision for the year of 2021 is to support over 50 children with parents with disabilities. We believe, that education is a key to a better life and a bigger chance for these kids to support their parents when they grow up.

 

Our main activity is vocational training in traditional basket weaving. We also provide art therapy, English classes, family planning, and other life skill classes, all in an effort to build confidence of our members, strengthen their self-esteem, and help them become independent and active participants of the Rwandan society.

 

Our main activity is vocational training in traditional basket weaving and craft-making.

All of our members are provided with a comprehensive training and with raw materials to begin their work. Upon completion, they are paid an above-average market price for each product. Completed items are sold locally, in our gallery and all over Rwanda in different places. The remaining profit is used to support the running of the organization, to purchase raw materials, and for member transport fees. Our accounting is run transparently and is available for inspection at any time.

At our headquarters in Kigali, we provide weekly English classes for our members. Classes are led both by local and international volunteers. Students are divided into three groups according to their proficiency. First group currently consists of two students who have not had any formal education and are learning to write and read both in English and Kinyarwanda. Our intermediate class has four members who have a basic knowledge of English and work on improving their vocabulary. Our advanced group has three members and focuses on practicing conversation skills and improving their grammar.

Theatre is an important part of our art therapy. Our theatre group Inshuti performed at Ubumuntu Arts Festival in the passed years and also performed at different events. Our mission is to share the message that disability is not an inability, and that love and friendship overcomes all.

Some of our members have children and we work to identify sponsors to cover their school fees. Currently, we help to support over twenty children and hoping to support many more in the future. $25 a month covers the school fees, school materials and uniforms, management fees and extra private education for school subjects that the child needs to be helped with.

Our volunteers are nurses from local universities who come and teach about reproductive health and family planning. Other volunteers come to make presentations using a projector on various subjects. Most presentations are done by foreigners talking about their countries and cultures. We have also had presentations about sport, food and health as well.