🎨 From Guns to Flowers: Mark’s Story, and Why We Need You

In 2019, a quiet boy named Mark walked into our community art center in Masanafu, Kampala. His first drawings spoke volumes: scenes of violence, destruction, and despair. We later discovered that Mark was a refugee from South Sudan, carrying trauma too heavy for words.

So, we gave him something simple but powerful — space, pencils, and someone to see him.

Over time, something beautiful happened. His art changed. Guns became flowers. Fire turned into birds in flight. Mark’s smile returned. He started engaging more at school. His confidence grew. His art didn’t just reflect healing — it was healing.

Mark is just one of over 11,000 young people we’ve supported through Faces Up Uganda, where art becomes a bridge to education, healing, and opportunity.

But there are thousands more just like him — young people with untold stories, hidden pain, and enormous potential.

At our “Theatre of Dreams,” we offer free arts education, psychosocial support, and transform children’s artwork into products that fund their school fees and well-being. Every sketch is a step toward wholeness.

🌱 Our dream: Reach 750,000 young lives by 2035 through school partnerships and in-house.
🎯 Our goal now: Keep the center open and serve more children a year.

To do that, we need your help. Rent, art materials, teacher support, and utilities add up — but so does your impact.

💛 Will you become a monthly donor or make a one-time gift to help us keep this space alive?

Because every child deserves a chance to heal, to grow, and to dream — and you can be the reason they do.