Rwanda
Known as the land of a thousand hills, Rwanda is a small, landlocked country in central Africa. In 1994 a civil war and genocide tore the country apart, and since then, it has been healing, rebuilding and making immense development progress.
School of Leadership Afghanistan
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November –December 2022
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500 people reached
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Celebrating Afghan Culture
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50 youth
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15 youth sessions
School of Leadership Afghanistan
In 2021, this boarding school for girls in Afghanistan fled to Rwanda with its students and staff to escape oppressive Taliban rule. Colors of Connection worked with these girls who had managed to escape and access a life offering education and opportunity. The project offered the chance for girls to process the recent traumatic experiences of their lives through art and yielded a mural celebrating their Afghan homeland.
This project was made possible with support from our partner, SOLA.
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SOLA – the School of Leadership Afghanistan in Rwanda houses and educates girls from Afghan provinces.
Afghanistan is the only country that has banned girls' education after 6th grade. The girls- only boarding school was formerly based in Kabul. The Taliban takeover in August 2021 forced SOLA to relocate girls, staff and teachers to a new home in Rwanda. The Taliban are increasingly more repressive towards women and girls, and this exiled school became a beacon for Afghan girls, protecting and nurturing the future female leaders of the country.
Colors of Connection worked with SOLA students, helping them develop their expression and leadership skills, while students built relationships with each other. Still processing the life upheaval they recently experienced, art sessions were a space to process their experiences and express their ambitions for a brighter future.
Murals created
Students created a mural depicting a girl dancing the traditional Attan dance, celebrating Afghan culture and heritage and paying homage to their now-distant homeland.
Spotlight: Celebrating Afghan Culture
The Attan dance was chosen for the subject of the mural because it is the national dance of Afghanistan that girl participants know well and is close to their hearts. Originating from the tribal Pushtun regions of Afghanistan, the Attan is performed by other ethnic groups across the nation. The dance was traditionally performed at significant life events including weddings, childbirth, and to prepare warriors for battle. Typically, the dance is performed by as many as 50 people, who dance in a circle around a musician beating a double-headed drum while waving scarves in the air.
A girl dances the national dance of Afghanistan, the Attan.
Above the dancer are tiny butterflies bearing the colors of the Rwandan flag: yellow, blue and green. They symbolize a hopeful future with freedom for women and girls and commemorate the generosity of the Rwandan people for hosting the SOLA school.
