COVID Creative Eye in Ghana
My husband Sampson and I are living in a village in the Volta Region of Ghana. Since the country has encouraged social distance and the closing of schools and businesses, we decided to start a creative art challenge while the children are away from their studies.
We started a challenge called the COVID Creative Eye and simultaneously started a hashtag with the same name on Instagram #covidcreativeeyeghana for artists outside of Ghana to join.
The original challenge started at the end of March and was only supposed to be for two weeks, yet the young artists in the village are asking for more. The details: each morning we paste a prompt to our front door and participants will come to read and create the project for that day. All of the topics are people, vegetation, animals or objects that are common in the everyday lives of Ghanaians.
I have been overwhelmed by the ingenuity and brilliance of the young artists as the projects have exceeded into the realm of invention and fabrication as well. For example: one of the prompts was a Veronica Bucket (as we do not have running water this bucket is helpful as it has a metal faucet attachment). In response, a boy named Stephen created his own version out of petrol containers, another boy Joshua made a hand washing device with a wooden foot pedal and a gallon container.
For the prompt "house" --instead of drawing, many participants made small models of their own houses out of cartons. Drawings and sketches of the prompts: mango tree, batik fabric, and a mother goat and her kid. My favorite project was for the prompt "standing fan." Stephen (who also invented his own Veronica Bucket) and a boy named Prince constructed fans out of a carton and attached a small motor that, when wired to a battery, really work!
As the work has been posted on Instagram, a Colorado artist Christiana Joy Fanaro and her son Celden also participated.in the challenge. Through the work of the artists, especially the "Stephen Bucket," Christiana was prompted to start a fundraiser to raise money for more Veronica Buckets for the village. Enough money was raised for eight Veronica buckets, rice and art supplies for the youth of the village. Sampson and I are excited as we have all the buckets assembled and ready to distribute next week. Moreover, the art supplies will keep the COVID Creative Eye going strong until the restrictions surrounding the virus are lifted.
If you want to see more pics and information follow @mawufemorhool on Instagram.
