Soul of Nations Foundation

The Soul of Nations Foundation (SONF) has received a $30,000 grant from the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya for the Indigenous International: Green Architecture Project to facilitate a nine-month exchange between 18 U.S. and Kenyan female artists and architects culminating in three online exhibitions.  The application process for artist participants begins online on October 7, 2021.

In partnership with U.S. Embassy Nairobi, the Soul of Nations Foundation is excited to further expand the art engagement facet of our mission through the Indigenous International: Green Architecture Project (GAP). Indigenous International is the umbrella program created through the Soul of Nations Foundation’s Indigenous Arts Expansion Initiative which aims to connect Indigenous youth from the Americas and Africa with boundary-pushing cultural and artistic experiences around the world. The Indigenous International program also operates in Rwanda, Nigeria, Bolivia, and the United States.

Traditional forms of Indigenous art and architecture have often been misrepresented in mainstream media and academia. The majority of Indigenous communities in Africa and the Americas reside in rural areas where they often build and live in structures constructed with materials that have been obtained locally and are considered “green.” These structures are created through the use of architectural techniques that have been utilized for generations. Through the Indigenous International: Green Architecture Program we work to dispel common misconceptions that Indigenous vernacular architecture is substandard, temporary, and for the impoverished but rather sustainable adaptation to environmental and resource constraints.

The Indigenous International: Green Architecture Project coincides with the U.S. Embassy Nairobi Public Diplomacy Section’s  goal to strengthen cultural and educational ties between the U.S. and Kenya through programming that highlights shared values and promotes bilateral cooperation. The project also aligns with the U.S. Embassy Nairobi Public Diplomacy Section’s mission to facilitate academic exchanges between the United States and Kenya.  The U.S. Embassy in Nairobi conducts diplomatic relations with the government of Kenya and strives to strengthen mutual understanding between the people of the U.S. and Kenya.