In summer 2022, Peter spent a week leading healing art workshops with high school girls from School of Leadership, Afghanistan (SOLA).
Prior to the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in summer 2021, SOLA was the only all-girls boarding school in the country. When Kabul fell, the entire school community – students, faculty and staff – fled, relocating to Kigali at the invitation of the Rwandan government. That same fall, several dozen of the students were placed in boarding schools in the United States. In summer 2022, SOLA held a session for all the US-placed girls, none of whom could return to their homes in Afghanistan.
Peter spent a week working with the girls in art workshops, focusing on the theme of “finding your inner oasis.” Each girl reflected on what their mental safe space is (their “inner oasis”), and in a guided process then made a painting of their inner oasis. During the concluding exhibition, the girls shared their art with peers and teachers, describing the inner safe space they have created to cope during sad or troubled times.
“My inner oasis is an empty room where I don’t physically exist. I don’t have any shadow nor do I have any color. It is where I find peace within me, away from the world around me and my everyday problems”
– S.
“The times that I am sad I love to go swimming and go to the beach because it makes me feel good.”
– N.
“Nature is my inner oasis, for every living thing. Especially winter, the snow comes and makes our house beautiful, our hearts happy, and our summers easy. This is my inner oasis.”
– S.
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