Slum Art Foundation marks world skills day with art exhibition

In commemoration of United Nations Youths World Skills Day, Slum Art foundation, in collaboration with we FOR GOOD organisation and One Delta Africa, has engaged in an online art exhibition to showcase the unique works of art done by children living within the Slum in Ijora Badia, Lagos.

The online exhibition by the foundation whose sole focus has been to empower children living within slums through mentorship, restructuring of mindset and helping to build their creative talents and skills, is geared towards showcasing and auctioning the various paintings with magnificent storytelling to art lovers and donors looking to purchase the art pieces and support the foundation.

Speaking on the project, Co-founder, Slum Art Foundation and four-time Guinness World Record holder, Adetunwase Adenle, said the online exhibition is driven by the present reality of digital and online engagement in a COVID-19 era in ensuring that art lovers worldwide are able to experience the paintings done by the children living with the slum.

He further stated that, in line with the recent government policy which has maintained the closure of schools aimed at protecting the vulnerable whilst combating the pandemic, it was imperative to drive an online sales exhibition where funds received would be redirected to the educational development of children involved in the paintings, their families and their immediate community in showcasing their exemplary character and the benefits of diligent works.

Also speaking on the exhibition, representative of One Delta Africa, Shade Oni Faari, expressed gratitude to the efforts by Slum Art foundation team in empowering children within the ijora badia slum with useful skillsets and taking them off the streets.

She further stated that, the partnership with Slum Art Foundation is one geared towards raising funds to provide educational tablets and solar set-up within its training facility in ensuring that the children in the slum have access to mentors and training manuals while schools remain closed.

Rising youth unemployment is one of the most significant problems facing economies and societies in today’s world, for developed and developing countries alike. The latest Global Employment Trends for Youth 2020: Technology and the future of jobs shows that since 2017, there has been an upward trend in the number of youth not in employment, education or training (NEET).

In 2016, there were 259 million young people classified as NEET – a number that rose to an estimated 267 million in 2019, and is projected to continue climbing to around 273 million in 2021. In terms of percentage, the trend was also slightly up from 21.7 per cent in 2015 to 22.4 per cent in 2020 – implying that the international target to reduce the NEET rate by 2020 will be missed.

Designated by the General assembly in 2014, the World Youth Skills Day is an opportunity for young people, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions, and public and private sector stakeholders to acknowledge and celebrate the importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship.