A Celebration of Art and Community: Anidan Children’s Home, Lamu, Kenya
In December 2024 the walls of Anidan Children’s Home in Lamu, Kenya, came alive with a vibrant new 60ft x 14ft mural that celebrated the island’s spirit with paintings of native flora and fauna, a mango tree, a vibrant ocean scene, and Lamu’s iconic baobab trees with butterflies dancing between them. Over eight days, this joyful project transformed Anidan’s courtyard into a place of color, creativity, and laughter. Home to more than 150 children and providing education, healthcare, and support to over 280, Anidan is a beacon of love and resilience on the island of Lamu. We finished the mural just in time for Christmas, marking the occasion with a big celebration for the staff and kids—complete with food, ice cream, gifts, and a local DJ. What a party!
This mural was more than paint on a wall—it was a gift of community coming together in an artistic effort to create something meaningful. Designed in collaboration with Anidan’s Art Director, Corrie Wingate, and donated on behalf of Big Sky Countries, the project reflects our mission since 2006: to transform children’s spaces worldwide with art that heals, inspires, and connects.
What made this project especially meaningful was not just the children’s involvement who left their brushstrokes and laughter on the wall, but the family who came along whom I got to share this special donation mural with. My cousins, Eliza and Sway, joined me in donating their own gifts to Anidan. Eliza, a professional musician, worked with the students in the music studio, recording songs and teaching them how to use new editing software. The students in turn taught us local songs, showed us how to eat their favorite foods, and played their native instruments for us. Sway rolled up his sleeves in the kitchen, preparing meals, doing dishes, painting on the mural, playing with the kids, and supporting Eliza during music sessions. The presence of my cousins brought an added layer of creativity, love, and connection that made this mural unlike any other I’ve painted.
The final mural reflects the beauty of Lamu - mango and baobab trees, butterflies, ocean waves, and native flowers - symbols of growth, community, and resilience. When the project culminated in a lively celebration with food, music, dancing, and face painting, we all beamed with pride at what we had created.
What I love most is how these projects bring people together. Kids, community, teachers—everyone is invited to pick up a brush. It’s not just about the mural; it’s about the laughter, conversations, and sense of pride that come from making something as a community. The name Big Sky Countries comes from a simple belief: no matter where we’re from, we all live under the same sky. In all the murals, there’s one thing in common—a sky. Each one comes from an actual sky I saw in the country I painted beforehand. The sky in the Lamu mural came from one I had seen after a rainstorm a few years earlier, while working on my last donation project in Colombia.
For me, these donation murals are never about creating perfect art. They’re about the joy, connection, and shared pride that fill the space when people come together to paint something they can call their own. A collective act of art, love, and family that will live on in the hearts of the children, staff and community who see it every day.
Special thanks to Corrie Wingate for your guidance, Fatima and Satan for your support on the ground in Lamu. With deepest gratitude to Eliza Roberts and Valorie Aquino for your generous support and volunteering your time. Thanks to Sarah Puppini-Zaft for the invaluable connection and travel arrangements. Thank you to Kristoff for painting with the community.
About Anidan Children's Home
Anidan Children's Home in Lamu, Kenya, provides shelter, education, and healthcare for vulnerable children. https://anidan.org/en/anidan-home/
