An artistic development center for children on vacation – 2024-08-19 19:28:05 – 2024-08-19 19:28:08

The Art in life center in Rumonge welcomes talented people in painting and sculpture. During the vacation period, it offers supervision to the winners with particular skills in these disciplines. Among its objectives, the center aims to establish agencies in all the provinces of Burundi.

Painting and sculpture are among the activities practiced by members of the Art in life center in Rumonge. During the holidays, the center welcomes laureates to help them develop their talents. Dany Kasembe Bindabiye, head of this center, collaborates with disciplinary officials at the municipal level, as well as with heads of establishments and parents in order to identify children who are talented in art.

“We have about 20 children, some of whom are on vacation and others who have never had the opportunity to attend school. Among these children, two boys have never been to school and cannot write a single letter. However, they excel in drawing,” says Mr. Bindabiye. Before teaching them painting and sculpture, the center makes a point of providing them with an education focused on the importance of these arts, both for their personal development and for the well-being of their families and the country as a whole, he adds.

Supporting children’s talents, a necessity

Salima Nahimana, a 19-year-old girl and pre-finalist at i Teba High School, is one of the artists being mentored during these holidays. She highlights the dedication of the centre’s manager, who invites talented sculpture and painting graduates every summer to help them develop their skills. For Nahimana, even though she is part of a group of 19 boys, she has no problem working with them. She also encourages other girls not to hesitate to pursue their passions when a talent emerges within them.

Alain Jossin Mugisha, winner of the 7^th fundamental cycle, expresses his pride in being at this center during the holidays. He believes that this experience will benefit both himself and his country. “Even when I am in my study period, I come to the center on weekends and it does not disrupt my academic performance, because it is my talent,” he says.

An expanding artistic center

Initially, there were three of them in 2010. The task was not easy, but in 2019, they created the “Art in Life” center. Today, it has about 16 people, as indicated by the manager of this center. “When we discover competent people, we open agencies. We have already established four branches in Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania, in Buyengero, in Matana and in Bururi and all these branches contain workers from here,” revealed Bindabiye.

Among the centre’s ambitions is to establish branches at border posts, particularly in Gatumba and Kobero, where the passage of many tourists could be an opportunity. “If we produce items in these areas, it could generate resources that contribute to the development of the country,” Bindabiye says.

For him, the profession of painter and sculptor deserves to be valued throughout Burundi. He also calls on the government to support this initiative in order to achieve more ambitious objectives.