This week felt like a quiet reminder of why Painting for an Education exists.
We held an online art lesson. Elijah began selling eggs from his own cart. Peace started her new boarding school. Small moments, each on their own — but together they tell the story of how change really happens.
Art remains the thread that brings it all together. It is often where confidence begins: learning through art, sitting with paper and pencil, experimenting, and pushing ourselves to see the world through another lens. What starts there doesn’t always stay there.
Elijah had been working long days for someone else, earning very little. This week, he set off with his own cart, his first stock of eggs, and a sense of responsibility that belongs to him. Victor was there — quietly, steadily — offering guidance, asking questions, and letting Elijah lead. That kind of mentorship cannot be taught; it is shown.
Peace, meanwhile, took her first steps into boarding school. A big moment. She was supported by Nancy — I met Nancy in 2011 when she was 14, and it was meeting her that started this work. Today, she is a confident young woman working at NEPHAK. Over the years, Nancy has mentored many girls. Seeing her now guiding others is one of the greatest privileges of this work.
This is Painting for an Education.