What We Do
Mosaics in the slums - an art project with a message
This is a short art project designed to brighten up the surroundings of an urban slum in Butwal, southwest Nepal, and in the process warn of the perils of human trafficking in an area which frequently falls prey to trafficking agents.
The project is part of our larger community work bringing education to impoverished rural communities. It involves the siting of dramatic mosaic murals at a school in the slums which bring colour and beauty to an otherwise bleak and barren landscape. One will depict an intimidating skyline of a city skyscape (a likely trafficking destination) while the other shows the rural beauty of Nepal.
Concurrently the mosaic will bring a message to children from impoverished families on the dangers of human trafficking and the importance of education in empowering them to prevent their becoming vulnerable to the traffickers.
The mosaic will be created by trafficking survivors and deaf young people we have trained in our flourishing art workshop (see left), before being assembled at the school with the support of the local community. This in itself sends a message to the community; all of the artists are marginalised young women in Nepal who have found employment opportunities.
