Mansur Kabera, Nakivale Young Talents Community Artist

He Dreamt of Becoming a Professional Artist. His Dream Is Coming True.

It’s Day 33 out of 61 days of Small Art Big Heart. Today, I chose to highlight Mansur Kajib Kabera, one of the artists who is also a teacher of art for youngsters at Nakivale Young Talent Community (NYTC) in Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda. This is a celebratory post and a short one so I can catch up with writing!

Mansur (left) with student Moses… who drew Mansur.

Mansur is the first artist to have made a sale of original artwork since I’ve been working with this group. The income generated from the sale benefits both NYTC and Mansur’s family.

NYTC artists pose with Mansur’s recently sold original. Mansur is standing far left with the red sweatshirt.

You can purchase a print of Mansur’s painting or even have it printed on merchandise (like cups, bags, pillows, and tshirts) at the Nakivale Young Artists Red Bubble site that I set up for the artists just after our June 1st Online Artist Expo which featured the work of ten of the NYTC artists.

Look how nice this looks on a tshirt!

He Dreamt of Becoming a Professional Artist

Mansur was born into a family of 10 in the midst of war-torn DR Congo. In 2015, at just 10 years old, Mansur and his 9 siblings fled their homeland without their parents, who tragically lost their lives during the conflict.

Despite the immense hardships, Mansur's unwavering passion for art burned bright. He studied in Congo and later continued his secondary education in Uganda as a refugee in Nakivale settlement. However, his dream of becoming a professional artist faced opposition from loved ones who urged him to abandon art for more conventional paths.

Undeterred, Mansur's artistic spirit persevered. In 2018, he joined Nyanbja group, honing his skills. By 2020, he courageously embarked on his artistic career. His pivotal moment came in 2023 when he joined Nakivale Young Talent Community, an organization championing refugee talents and skills development.

Today, Mansur stands tall, fueled by an unbreakable determination to achieve his goals (bio written by Mansur and

AKON DEOGRACE

of NYTC).

Where in the World is Mansur?

Mansur lives at the Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda, home to over 180,000 refugees from Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, South Sudan, and other countries facing conflict, war, disease, famine, and impacts of climate change like flooding and drought.