Mural Brings Color, Creativity and Cultural Exchange
Water Tower, Water Tale
Earlier in August a very exciting project began at the SEGA school. The school’s water tower began its transformation from a simple structure to a beautiful mural illustrating the importance of water in daily life. Meg Saligman, a renowned Philadelphia muralist, began months ago collaborating with the girls at SEGA to design the “Water Tower, Water Tale” mural. Meg asked the students to draw pictures of their lifeline that led them to SEGA and learned about the significance of water in daily Tanzanizan life. From these inspirations Meg focused the mural content around the importance of water and how it interacts with all beings. As Meg’s daughters concisely said, “Water Tower, Water Tale will both visually and verbally communicate the story of water, the seasons, and how people and animals live their lives in response to these natural cycles.” In August, Meg and her daughters arrived at SEGA, and with the help of the students, the painting began. Although this project is a huge undertaking, the painting progressed quickly and soon the water tower was bursting with life and color.
Students add their own touches to the mural
While the visual appeal of the water tower will be incredible, the creativity and cultural exchange behind its completion cannot be understated either. The interaction between Meg’s daughters and the students brought smiles to everyone’s faces; the girls took turns teaching each other short phrases in Kiswahili and English… and as in any good language lesson, laughter filled the air.
Students and volunteers enjoy painting and each other's company
This fall, work on the mural will continue as Annie Sarachan, Meg Saligman’s associate, stays on to manage the project and establish an official art program at SEGA. Everyone at the school is very excited about these developments! To read more about the Water Tower, Water Tale check out these sites:
Meg Saligman’s blog: http://megsaligman.com/blog/page/3/
Fox News Report: http://www.myfoxphilly.com/story/23360702/muralist-helps-tanzanian-students