A Kid's Journey of Healing Through Art
An Artist's Walk of Commemoration
ASYV students connect with professional artists during the Walk with Me event.
In early April, our kids returned to their home communities for the term break and Kwibuka, the annual commemoration of the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Just before their departure, we hosted an event called Walk with Me, exploring the healing power of the arts and artistic community. During the event, created by Rwandan artist Jemima Kakizi, students made their own art and discussed the feelings brought up by that act of creation. They also discussed paintings made by Rwandan women artists, including Jemima. At the end of the experience, each student was invited to enter a quiet room, take a moment to connect with themselves, and then write whatever they felt called to on a wall. At the end of the day, the wall was covered with their words. We sat down with first-year student Ikuze Keza Brise Nina to discuss Walk with Me and how the experience continued to impact her during the term break.
Were you involved with artistic activities before Walk with Me?
Before coming to ASYV, I was interested in photography, dancing, and visual art, but I didn’t get the chance to do any of them. Now, I am involved in traditional dance, piano, and photography.
Ikuze Keza Brise Nina, ASYV Class of 2026
Could you describe your favorite part of the Walk with Me experience?
I enjoyed the coloring activity, but the Convene with Selves wall was the best part. Entering the room, I didn’t know what I was supposed to write, so I wrote what was on my mind. I wrote a short poem to my dad, who passed away, telling him that I am thankful and I missed him a lot. I also wrote a short note to myself: Be silly. Be crazy. Be happy. Be humble because you're worth it! I felt so open and honest with myself. Before, I was afraid of speaking about my feelings and my burdens even though they were mine. I wanted to be, and live, like other people and do as they do. But through Walk with Me, I released some burdens. I understood that I am better by doing what my soul feels like doing.
Did this experience continue to impact you after the event was over?
During break, I was part of the youth protocol team that volunteered at a Kwibuka event in my community. My community is a place that has struggled with healing. As a kid, I attended Kwibuka events, but this time, it was different. I felt like I knew what I was doing and why I wanted to participate. I wanted to help my village and my family heal, and show respect to those aunties, uncles, and grandparents that I never had the chance to meet.
During Walk with Me, I was able to express my feelings and talk to the inner me. Due to this, I was able to give words to feelings connected to the Genocide Against the Tutsi. This helped me learn about myself and how those events continue to affect my actions and my life. I was also able to help my mother, who has always struggled in this time of commemoration, be open with our family.
Framing the Future
Cinematographer Ngabonziza Libens, ASYV Class of 2018 (second from left), teaches Media Club students during a workshop hosted by Envision.
This spring a contingent of Rwandan filmmakers and photographers, including three ASYV alumni, arrived in the Village. The visiting artists spent the afternoon teaching the students of the ASYV Media Club tricks of the trade and offering them professional guidance. “We came with big names in the industry that the kids always see on the media platforms,” says Ngabonziza Libens, who was a member of the Media Club before graduating in 2018. Libens now works as the official cinematographer at Envision, an arts and media collective in Kigali started by former ASYV Fellow Peter Lee. “ASYV’s programs made me the person I am today, including my career choice,” says Libens. “I find giving back and contributing to the development of future filmmakers incredibly rewarding.”
The kids, in turn, found the experience of learning from their older siblings just as fulfilling. “The ASYV Alumni inspired me. They are very serious in what they are doing,” says second-year student Mugisha Boris. “I enjoy photography and film because they give me a platform to express my emotions while also documenting various events in Rwanda. I wish to be professional like the alumni after graduating.”