Online exhibition What Would You Buy with $50? features more than 150 works by East African villagers and students from the Circle of Peace School in Uganda, where that price covers a year’s tuition.
The project is the brainchild of artist Jiashan Wu and Joyce Meng, CEO of the volunteer-based online organization Givology. On a recent volunteer mission, they asked the local kids to draw what they would buy with $50, and now each drawing is being sold to help provide continuing education for students at the school.
The online exhibit of the kids’ work provides a clever, touching, and thought-provoking look into an imagined world in which the same amount can buy a book, a kettle, an iPod, or even a plane ticket to New York. The drawings are each available to purchase for (you guessed it) $50.
Read about the $50 Campaign Exhibit, browse the full collection of drawings online, and join the campaign group on Facebook to show your support.
Click through below for more images and profiles of their artists.
Chocolates by Bbaale Irene, age 10
“Irene lives in the Circle of Peace School. Both of her parents died of AIDS when she was a baby. She’s always having fun, even when she’s playing by herself. She told me she would buy a box of chocolate so big that it would take three whole days to eat all of them.”
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Video Camera by Luzze Kevin, age 10
“Kevin saw me shooting interviews with my camera many times. He asked me to let him borrow it so he can draw it. He told me he will become a filmmaker, and his first film will be called The Good and the Bad. It’s going to be an action movie.”
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Cell Phone/Shoes by Namayanja Sharifah, age 12
“Sharifah grew up in the Circle of Peace School. She loves to play with the other kids. The older kids consider her their little sister.”
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Kettle by Nadibawaki Agnes, age 16
“Agnes is an alumni of the Circle of Peace School. She dropped by with her friends one day, and also wanted to draw what she would buy with $50.”
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iPod by Matoyu Josh, age 16
“Josh lives at the Circle of Peace School. He came to the school when he was 12 from the village. He said it was very hard for him at first because he didn’t understand English, and it was very difficult for him to catch up in class. Now he can communicate easily in English, and goes to a nearby high school.”
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New Outfit by Mukasa Ibra, age 16
“Ibra loves art and American pop culture. He’s taking art class in high school, and dreams of coming to the U.S. to study design. He said he would buy an outfit exactly like the one he drew if he had $50.”
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Guitar by Kakeeto Farook, age 16
“Farook grew up in the Circle of Peace School, and comes back every long vacation from high school. He said he would buy a guitar with $50 because he likes music. When I asked him if he ever played a guitar before, he said: ‘No, but I think I would be very good at it.'”
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Crocodile by Dean Rahmon, age 17
“Rahmon is a student from the Circle of Peace School. He came to visit during long vacation on the day Joanita, the founder of the school, was giving out gifts. He first drew a race car, then decided he would buy a crocodile instead.”
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Laptop by Nalwoga Racheal, age 17
“Racheal is an alumni of the Circle of Peace School. She lives around the area. She dropped by with her friends one day, and also wanted to draw what she would buy with $50.”