What is the Oromo Mental Health Study?
In the Spring of 2024, in collaboration with Bontu Ambo, an undergraduate student at the University of Minnesota Rochester, Professor Yuko Taniguchi, Dr. Kathryn Cullen, and study coordinator Eyerusalem Abebaw developed a creative arts program with the local Oromo community in mind. The four-week program was designed to spark inspiration, imagination, and creativity while also exploring topics related to mental health and well-being. The weekly program sessions were held at the Minnesota Oromo Community Center and consisted of different art experiences, including an abstract self-portrait, a multimedia collage capturing participants' safe spaces, beading, clay, Oromo dancing, and a community mural depicting themes connected to participants' Oromo identity. Before and after the workshops, the study team interviewed the participants to learn about their experiences and insights, to inform future iterations of these creative arts programs. At the end of the study, the participants, their families and friends, the study team and broader University community gathered at the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain to exhibit and celebrate participants' artwork, converse about mental health and well-being, and enjoy Ethiopian food together.
Hidda Hawaasaa Kenya (The Roots of Our Community)
Read more about this project in the Brief!
The ‘art’ of supporting youth mental health
A University of Minnesota Rochester student sparks a creative arts program to support mental health in East African immigrant youth.
Bontu Ambo's Reflection
“Sometimes words say a thousand more words than a picture. On the branch, there are three ants following behind an ant. This represents the leadership we shared with the Oromo youth and the companionship between us. The ants also represent teamwork and effort. This is not just among the research team, but the teamwork among all of us. The river in the middle represents my emotions and the spontaneity of this project. There were times when that river was raging with emotions. I was overwhelmed, inspired, curious, and stressed. My emotions are the flow of the water.”
