Alfajiri street Kids’ Art (Mathura, Nairobi)
A Tree of Life Unfolding

Out of many hands and colors, hope rises in Mathare, one of the oldest and largest informal settlements (slums) in the city — a Tree of Life.

After Lily Yeh’s TED Talk in 2024, she received a message from Lenore Boyd, director of Alfajiri Street Kids Art in Nairobi. One of the ways her organization helps children once living on the streets find new life through art.

The young artists had become skillful in painting their own works, but they had never learned how to create together. Lenore invited Lily to guide them — to help weave their individual gifts into a shared vision of beauty through public art.

Through online workshops, Lily guided them on design, color, and rhythm. She also designed a Tree of Life, painted in bright colors, simple, radiant, and alive. Barefoot Artists provided them with best quality paints to ensure the success of the mural.

Patrick Muindi (left) who has been with Alfajiri for 12 years, painting his own colorful mural. Mural painting in progress (right).

The boys, once wanderers of the street, painted with joy and focus, their energy lifting the whole neighborhood. The mural was still unfolding when the school decided to replace the metal wall with a new brick one, yet the spirit of creation remains, ready to grow anew.

An amazing Transformation of a stairway in a public building

To spark the young artists’ imagination, I shared many vibrant images from Thierry Mauger’s Impressions of Arabia. The colors and bold patterns lit a fire in them.

Simon took the lead in painting the stairway, with support from Steve and Reuber. What began as a dark, narrow passage slowly transformed into a lively, welcoming walkway filled with rhythm and color.