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Orphan Art was developed from a previous art venture, Hues and Stencils. Vera started to design shirts that promoted Ghana through arty, fun, and relatable designs.
While exploring ways to make a meaningful impact, Vera was invited to a solo exhibition by a former art teacher at the Noldor Art Residency in Accra. She was fully immersed in the creativity of the pieces, and it occurred to her that she could use art to raise funds for care homes in Ghana.
Inspired by this realisation, Vera consulted with her former art teacher and together they organised the first ‘art outreach’ at Motherly Love Orphanage in Accra. They watched the children create freely, pressing painted palms onto blank canvasses. That moment marked the beginning of Orphan Art.
Through Orphan Art’s gallery, Vera now sells unique mixed-media pieces, combining handprints with paint, fabric, African beads, and more, designed to hang in homes, foyers, and reception halls.
She reflects on her journey and says:
“My education at Loughborough shifted my mindset deeply in the sense that nothing ever again seemed impossible or unachievable. Once I thought it and envisioned it, with proper planning and coordination, it could be done and done well.
“Coming back home to Ghana with this renewed perspective and working at my two passions of construction cost engineering and building art-for-good business simultaneously, has been nothing short of fulfilling.
“My time at Loughborough instilled a kind of grit and discipline in me that helped me even in my work as a quantity surveyor. It also helped me to see the potential of this project and the many opportunities I could carve out for myself by simply showing up and doing what needs to get done.”
Vera gained support from the University’s Validator programme and LU Inc.’s startup course. The support equipped her with entrepreneurial skills to guide Orphan Art in the right direction.
Orphan Art has now reached over 200 children across four orphanages, providing food supplies, stationery, building materials, and other essential items. One of its current projects includes the renovation of the rental property where Great Mission International Rehabilitation Centre and Children’s Home houses children in Accra.
Vera graduated from Loughborough in 2023 with a master’s degree in Construction Project Management with Building Information Modelling.
Find out more about Orphan Art.