Sanaa Gateja is the founder of Kwetu Africa Art and Development Centre based in Lubowa, Kampala, Uganda. He started the centre 22 years ago to research, innovate, and create art using easily available materials. He trains mainly rural communities in skills using art to fight poverty. One of his unique contributions is the innovation of recycling paper into beads in 1990 at his Kwetu Africa Studio Kilembe in Western Uganda. The paper beads have spread throughout East African communities providing a livelihood to as many as 50,000 especially women and youth.

An Artist and Social Entrepreneur Sanaa was groomed into the community work after he worked with the Ugandan Ministry of Community Development from 1...