Reflection on the Spirit of Ndanifor

With ‘working from home’ spirit brought about by Covid19, it is great to see our own artistic creativity flow. By simply reconnecting with the Earth, grabbing crayons, paint, glue, glitter, and scissors, done alongside our African songs and dances, the sparks of imagination and inspiration in Better World youth to create their own little artworks begins to flourish.

When reading biographies or talking to western artists, nearly all of them refer to their childhood and how they already, from a very young age, started to paint, draw and create. The need to create and the joy of creating was instilled in them from a young age. But in Africa, our Art academies were burnt and looted, and Art has been banished from our school curriculums to date.

By reintroducing Art in Ndanifor through non-formal education programs, our new breed of change-makers might be future artistic stars. Our African celebrities in the Global North have proven that it is African Art that holds an enviable place in western museums. But for now, we simply enjoy and have delight in rejoicing our beautiful Ndanifor window displays.