Self-Portrait Project at The Home Project

The Home Project undertook the self-portrait project with about twenty teens from various Home Project shelters. First, the teens were asked to draw their self-portraits on precut paper faces. They were then asked a series of questions:

Where are you from? 

How old are you? 

What’s your favorite food? 

What’s your favorite sport or hobby? 

What would you like to be when you grow up? 

What would you change about the world? 

The teens who did the project were between 15 and 20, from a large variety of countries. Most were from Syria, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. There were also some from African countries, including Somalia and the Ivory Coast. Some kids chose to use a lot of colors while others stuck with one color. Some kids were experienced artists, while others looked like they didn’t have much experience drawing. When asked about favorite food, some chose a favorite dish from home like Biryani, a rice dish popular in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Others mentioned loving souvlaki which is a popular in their new home, Greece. Others liked pizza and hamburgers, popular among kids around the world. Each child mentioned a different career choice from a doctor to a teacher to a policeman. When asked what they would change about the world. The answers fell into two categories. Some talked about wanting to end wars and violence. Other talked about wanting there to be no racism.