Veteran artist Patricia |Ochurus, in collaboration with the Daures Constituency and the National Arts Council, hosted a week-long workshop featuring vocal cord training, arts, and crafts in the settlement of Okombahe.

The initiative aims to address the pressing social challenges that the youth at the settlement face.

Unemployment is taking its toll in the community of Okombahe and is said to be driving some young people toward drug and alcohol abuse.

The workshop aimed to provide an outlet for creativity and a sense of purpose for the youth, equipping them with practical skills in arts and crafts. 

Project Manager, Sendelly !Gonteb highlighted the importance of initiatives like these in fostering hope and encouraging self-reliance among the youth. 

"Basically, this initiative was aimed at building togetherness within the community of Okombahe, so we looked at rural communities to create awareness of drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and teenage pregnancies and have some structural informative sessions with the community at large. So the Daures constituency stood out, and we did not think twice. This is an opportunity that we should grab with both hands; we need to reach out, and we know a few people who are talented, from the young to the old, so people can learn something educative."

Artist Patricia |Ochurus echoed these sentiments, emphasising the role of the creative arts in addressing social ills.

"The Okombahe Creative Festival was formed by the eagerness of this community. Okombahe people want to know more about alcohol and drug abuse because it is really hindering them and the growth of the nation here and also what they can do with their creativity and arts, vocal cord training, and handcrafting."

Participants expressed gratitude for the initiative, sharing how the workshop inspired them to think differently about their potential and their community's future.

The collaboration between the veteran artist, local leaders, and the National Arts Council is part of a broader effort to promote sustainable development and uplift marginalised communities through the power of art.

As the workshop concluded, the organisers expressed hope that this engagement would spark lasting change, not only by reducing social ills but also by nurturing a generation of creative and empowered young leaders in Okombahe.