Mindframes – Uganda

Current projects

The Mind frames is a two-year art-based education initiative designed to
support healing, creativity, and environmental awareness among refugee
children in Uganda. It combines art, education, and sustainability to foster
resilience and holistic development for over 5,000 children living in some of the
world’s most challenging humanitarian settings.
Through an integrated approach linking arts education, psychosocial healing,
and climate awareness, the project seeks to restore hope and strengthen
learning outcomes among school-aged children who have endured trauma,
displacement, and educational disruption.
The project works directly with primary schools serving refugee and host
communities near Uganda’s borders with the Democratic Republic of Congo
and South Sudan regions marked by social, economic, and educational
disadvantage.

Rationale

Uganda currently hosts 1.4 million refugees, with over 61% being children. These
children face overlapping challenges trauma, interrupted schooling, and
limited access to psychosocial or creative education. Schools in these areas
are under-resourced and overcrowded, with few opportunities for emotional or
creative expression.

The Mind frames project addresses these needs through two core strategies:

1. Healing through the Arts: Using art as a therapeutic and educational tool to help children’s express emotions, build confidence, and foster mental well-being.

2. Sustainability and Environmental Education: Integrating art-based learning with environmental awareness and climate resilience, inspired by Doughnut Economics, which promotes social equity and ecological sustainability.