The middle circle, our initial model, connected art as therapy for former child soldiers with providing clean drinking water for underprivledged communities as the art was exhibited and funds were raised to drill wells. This met Uganda needs for alleviation of trauma and potable water while enabling children to speak for themselves through art and participate in the process of bringing a vital resource to their community, water. This also helped associate the children with contributing as opposed to destroying their communities which proved to reverse stigmas.

The right circle, intersecting the original model, came with an understanding of education needs that regard bridging the classroom with the real world to make global education real and personal. We determined that we could utilize our unique real life experience and extensive global education to offer educational services that could generate paid contracts. We also realized that a great way to let our artists speak for themselves and help fund our programs was to create products based on their art.

The left circle, the most recent addition to our model, came as we articulated the need for our community in Uganda sustain themselves financially that they would rely less and less on international aid and more and more by revenue generated from a successful model farm. Involving the children in participatory interdisciplinary learning, affirms, inspires and teaches them about their agrarian cultural context so that they know the value of water and means of sustaining themselves but are also not afraid to explore new methods, crops, technologies, etc.

Maintaining balance and integrity to mission is a difficult thing for any organization intent on working cross-culturally, especially in historic conflict region. To forgo the ease of oversimplification and marginalization of people and issues, is to identify a complexity of needs, interdisciplinary relationships at play, and commit to long-term relationships characterized by empathy. It is particularly easy to regress to oversimplification and dishonoring people by succumbing to campaigns to raise funds for humanitarian assistance, celebrating victimhood to keep the organizational lights on. “Pulling heart strings” is the media and most relief agencies’ default and what marketing experts identify as the most successful means of raising money. To appease their short attention spans, people need soundbites and short videos that will “hook them” otherwise they will lose interest.

At Freedom in Creation we are well aware of these difficult philosophical and cultural tensions. Work on the ground with local leaders over the course of six years has enabled us to develop a model that meets immediate human need alleviating trauma while facilitating inspiration, a sense of dignity and watering seeds of peace that germinate in the international community, inspiring involvement and financial support that is honorable and sustainable.