Art was never simply about paint, brushes or making something beautiful for Thabo Mthombeni. It was a way of giving children in Riverside View somewhere to go, something to create and a reason to believe in themselves.

After seeing children spending their afternoons on the streets with little to do, Mthombeni started his Riverside View Arts initiative to give them a different option.

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“They were in the streets, and the streets teach you fast – drugs, crime, fighting,” Mthombeni said. “I know art saved me; it gave me focus and a way to express myself when I had nothing. So I thought, if I can give these kids a brush, clay, anything to create with, they will have a reason to stay in one safe place.”

The programme eventually became a regular part of the children’s weekends, with workshops held at Riverside Block 37. Mthombeni remembers that period as their ‘golden time’, when many children would attend the workshops and create art from waste, including bottle-cap sculptures, as well as working with clay, colouring and painting.

“The kids were so proud. They became creative in a way I cannot explain.” For Mthombeni, the biggest reward was seeing changes in the children themselves. “I saw shy kids starting to speak up and lead. Their families told me they were doing better at school because they had more confidence,” he said.

Parents also began attending the workshops, while the children’s creations gave the wider community something to be proud of. “We were not just keeping them off the street; we were giving the community hope.”

But keeping the programme going became increasingly difficult. Mthombeni said the initiative had no funding and depended largely on money from his own pocket and help from a few people who donated paint, glue and transport.

With the cost of art materials rising, along with broken gazebos and the challenge of providing lunch, the programme eventually had to be paused.

“At some point, I was exhausted,” Mthombeni said. “I was trying to be the teacher, the fundraiser, the parent, all at once. We had to pause, not because we wanted to, but because we had no choice. It broke me to tell the kids to stay home.”

Yet the children have not forgotten. “They still stop me in the street and say, ‘Malume Thabo, when are we starting again?’”

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His answer remains the same: “Soon, my top artists, I am working on it, keep drawing at home.” He admits the question hurts, but also reminds him that the programme mattered.

“It makes me feel guilty and sad, like I let them down. It also reminds me that what we did mattered – they still remember it, and they still want it.”

Mthombeni hopes to restart weekly classes and expand them. He wants to introduce mural painting, teach children how to sell their work, bring in reading through his collection of children’s books and expose them to exhibitions and other art events.

“We don’t need something big; we just need the basics to start again.” Mthombeni said those willing to assist in his projects for the community can reach out to him. Details: 076 639 2688 or Mthombenithabo140@gmail.com

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