Art & Craft Lessons (Digital Download)

How your gift has helped Laughter Africa children in the past:

Osman, one of the young people whom we have worked with over the last 6 years, is becoming a famous artist in Salone. Over the last two years he has taken part in a lot of art exhibitions. In fact, this December 2023, he has paintings in two separate exhibitions. One of the exhibitions is taking place at Freetown City Council while the other exhibition is taking place at Mango Peak, a local bar.   

Osman lived on the streets for 4 months in 2017 when he was 15 years old. He was maltreated by his grandmother who threw him out of the house and said that she never wanted to see him again. While staying at the Interim Care Centre in September 2017, Osman learned how to make shoes, carpets and bags and discovered a natural flair and talent for creativity. Over the last 6 years, Osman has been selling bags, shoes and paintings to raise money for himself and his future university fees.

In 2018 Osman started to teach the children in the Interim Care Centre how to make bags and shoes every month. He energises the children and his shoe making and bag making sessions are one of the most popular activities at the centre. He spends hours teaching the children and has a great deal of patience. He is a real inspiration to them. Osman says,” I really enjoy teaching the children. Every time I teach them it helps me remember my past and gives me the courage to continue and not give up despite all the daily challenges I face. Art gives my life meaning. I can escape from my life in my art. When I start painting I lose myself in the work. I am an orphan and whenever I start to get sad when I think about my mum, I just start to draw and it comforts me somehow.”

Osman’s dream is to become a doctor, “I particularly want to save the lives of street children. When I lived on the streets, I saw so many street children suffering from different illnesses – HIV, STIs, malaria, stabbings. I saw girls having to give birth in the streets. In fact one of my friends died while living on the street. His name was Suliaman. He was 15 years old and died of elephantiasis on 18th August 2017. He died in agony. He was always kind to me. We would play PS (PlayStation) together after sweeping the streets. I just wish that I could have done something more to save him.” This memory drives Osman and still haunts him to this day. Osman started university in December 2022 - he is studying ‘ Diagnostic Laboratory Technology.’ He is just about to start second year. This is one way for him to start his medical training to become a doctor. 

To see an interview with Osman, please watch our Laughter Africa documentary.

Meanwhile Ibrahim Sorie found a passion for making jewellery while staying at the Interim Care Centre. We have worked him since 2019 and are super proud of him and his determination to make life better for him and his family. He was homeless in 2019. We reunified him with his step mum in August 2019 as he is an orphan. His step mum had a disability and was unable to provide for the family so every day he made jewellery which he then sold in Lumley. He provided everything that his family needed while still attending school himself. Without him, his family would have suffered. His step mum was plagued by ill health since we met him. He learnt how to make the jewellery while at the Interim Care Centre in the arts and crafts lessons. In June 2020, we bought him all the materials he needs to make jewellery. He saved up all the profits to pay for his step mum to have an operation which was very expensive. He could have spent that money on anything but he chose to spend it all on his step mum. Sadly in September 2021, his step mother died despite all of Ibrahim’s support. However, Ibrahim is a survivor and is determined to make his step mum proud. He is just in the middle of applying to university. He wants to study international relations.