Teach Arts & Crafts (DIY Projects) Uganda

Support the education and development of vulnerable children by volunteering to teach arts and crafts or DIY projects in Uganda. Arts and crafts teach children problem solving skills which lead to success. Arts and Crafts can teach perseverance and patience. Using arts and crafts can also be an excellent way to facilitate language learning with young children.

Arts and crafts can be a great way to include cross-curricular activities in the language classroom. Children can incorporate drama skills using masks they have made for role plays. They can use their knowledge of geography to make flag posters. We ask volunteers interested in this program to commit at least 28 days (4 weeks) in order to ensure a worthwhile experience. But we accept volunteers from a minimum of 2 weeks’ duration. 

Program Introduction

At Ssamba Foundation we understand that children learn best when they can use all their senses, and crafting is one teaching tool that allows children a wide variety of experiences. Making crafts help children improve their manual dexterity, and give them the opportunity to discover how to use new tools, materials, and methods. Crafts and other artistic endeavors can help children achieve success in all areas of their lives.

Making things and coming up with new ideas about how to accomplish a task teaches children how to solve problems for themselves. When they accomplish small tasks, they gain confidence to accomplish even larger tasks.

Arts and Crafts can teach perseverance and patience. Children learn that things don’t always turn out the way they imagined, but if they keep trying they may find a new way to accomplish a task. So, in this way, even simple coloring or cutting and pasting activities are considered to be arts and crafts.

Benefits of Arts and Crafts Uganda Volunteer Program

Self-Expression and Managing Feelings: As with all creative pursuits, arts and crafts activities are a fantastic creative outlet. Through art, children can express themselves freely, and sometimes without realizing! Subconsciously, children will be expressing their inner thoughts and feelings through their artwork. Art is a great way for children to reflect and manage their emotions. The process of turning a thought into a tangible piece of art is a brilliant way of allowing us to manage our internal thoughts and feelings, moulding them into something real. Moreover, art and creative pursuits are proven to have a positive impact on mental health and wellbeing.

Improves Confidence and Self-Esteem: Art can improve confidence and self-esteem in a multitude of ways. For one, children will gain confidence in expressing themselves through the medium of art. Being able to channel thoughts and feelings into their artwork will, in turn, help them feel more confident in communicating how they are feeling. Moreover, art involves peer assessment and feedback. Receiving positive or constructive feedback can only boost self-esteem and allow children to recognize their own strengths and accomplishments. Art is a truly unique concept which differs greatly from one person to the next. This serves as a validation of each person’s individuality and their unique existence. Moreover, as with most things, children will grow in confidence the more they engage with art. Improving their techniques, understanding the underpinnings of great art and recognizing how art makes them feel all contribute to their sense of self-worth. 

Patience: We all know that perfection takes time. Whether that be the length of time it takes to complete a piece of art or successfully executing an artistic technique, it takes patience and dedication. Once their artwork is completed, children will feel a huge sense of accomplishment and will learn that hard work and dedication is very much rewarded. It can be tempting to rush things to get them completed quicker or to give up completely if it is taking longer than planned. But, with time, children’s levels of patience will increase and they will realize good things take time! 

Organizational Skills: In a similar vein to planning, organizational skills can be developed through arts and crafts. Making sure they have the equipment they need close by, a good workspace and getting timings right can contribute hugely to the success of an art project. Being organized is, of course, a fantastic quality to have and can make everyday life that tiny bit easier.

Why Is Creativity Important? 

Creativity goes hand in hand with imagination! Imagination underpins creativity and vice versa. Imagination is crucial to problem solving, thinking outside of the box and being able to immerse oneself in many pursuits, such as art, literature and film. Being able to think creatively as well as creative expression helps to broaden the imagination.

Being creative helps children to understand themselves. Creativity is a valuable form of self-expression and the ways in which children’s creativity comes out helps them to understand their inner thoughts, feelings, likes and dislikes.

Creativity helps build resilience! Being able to think creatively helps us to look at setbacks and challenges in different ways, which then leads to being able to move past them or solve any problems.

As a volunteer you can appeal to the competitive urge in many students by getting them to produce art work for competition, e.g., design a Christmas card or school magazine cover. This also looks good on the walls as do posters, photo stories, and all other finished products that can be displayed.