Graffiti lends a splash of color to health messages
Editor's note: This news column showcases stories from around the world that bring a touch of positivity to the fight against the deadly coronavirus.
Youth groups are pooling their talents — especially with eye-catching graffiti — to get the message across to Kenyans on the safe practices needed to counter the coronavirus.
The Wahenga Youth Group and the Kushites Kreations Youth Group decided to work together on a public awareness campaign in the capital Nairobi. Since April, their members have been attracting attention with graffiti and murals to make their point, along with social media posts.
Samuel Omare, a leader of the Wahenga group and an advocate for the Public Space Network in Kenya, said the group’s members have been rehabilitating public spaces since 2018. Once the pandemic struck, they decided to use their expertise to alert the people gathering in such places.
“Our work has been recognized globally and the youth in our community see us as pace-setters,” Omare said. “That is why most of the messages we spread through our art attract attention, and our main aim is to make our community pay attention to the directives that can keep them safe.
“We work on a volunteer basis and when the government challenged the youth to use their skills to help in the fight against coronavirus, we decided to convert our beautification work into a medium through which we can remind members of our communities about the threat posed by the virus.”
In April, Kenya’s health chief Mutahi Kagwe called on young people to put their energies and organizational skills to work in helping the country in the fight against the coronavirus.
Kagwe urged them to join with the government in building up awareness among Kenyans on the need to obey government directives.
Antony Kihoro, an artist from Kushites Kreations who has painted most of the murals appearing in neighborhoods, said that art is the main contribution his group can make.
He said that while he and his peers might not be able to help the poor with sanitizers, face masks or even food during the crisis, they can at least remind people of what’s needed to stay safe.
“Our art is unique and it captures attention, especially among children, and that is why we use it to spread such messages,” Kihoro said.
“People get attracted to the art but once they read the message, some awareness is raised in them. Our messages contain the regulations given out by the ministry of health but in a form that our community can consume.”
Kenya said it would start mass testing in a bid to better control the virus. However, the public’s response to the plan in the East African country has been lackluster and groups like Wahenga and Kushites Kreations hope they can sway opinions.