The Memory Project Anonymous

Ten bodies pressed shoulder to shoulder huddled around a laptop screen. Our giddy excitement all fell to a hush with the click of a play button. Suddenly, children’s laughter and thick Tanzanian accents filled the room, soon echoed by our own laughter. Megan points quickly at a-minute-thirty, “Hey, that’s my kid, Kafil!” “And that’s Aadila!” One by one, we each recognized the individual children we drew portraits for. Being able to associate their faces with their voices and reactions felt like we were seeing them for the first time. Their excitement burst through the computer-screen and filled the air, a palpable testament to the fruits of our labor.

As Vice President of Art Honor Society, I was awash with feelings of accomplishment for successfully bringing a group of independent-minded people together for something meaningful -- The Memory Project. As artists, we all more or less fit the stereotype of introverted hermits busy working on our own things, but starting the Memory Project made me realize the value of this club’s creativity and artistic prowess when we work together.

When I first presented the idea of creating portraits and raising donations for underprivileged children in Tanzania, I was bombarded with...