儿童生态公园

When Ruganzu Bruno was still a student at the Kyambogo University fine art school, he wasn't interested in just crafting artworks that would only satisfy his creative needs. Instead, he wanted his art to have a positive impact on his community.

Driven by a desire to influence his surroundings, Bruno then became involved in eco-art projects. In 2010 he founded Eco Art Uganda, a collective of artists promoting environmental awareness by transforming anything from discarded bottles and cast-aside metal to broken TVs and computers into contemporary and functional pieces of art.

"I was looking for materials that were not expensive and easily available, and this trash and rubbish could actually become a really positive way of communicating to people," says Bruno.

In April last year, the idea of using an array of recycled materials to create an amusement playground for children living in Kampala's congested slums won him the City 2.0 Award at the TEDx summit.

Bruno went on to transform a school yard in Kampala's Kireka community into a fun and safe place where children can play and learn.

The eco-park, which was completed last September, is dotted with whimsical structures attracting dozens of children each day -- from a colorful helicopter and life-size board games made of bottles to recycled swings and climbing frames crafted from old tires.

Bruno says the entire community embraced the project wholeheartedly.

"I talked to the head of the school, and together with the parents and the students, they are the ones who collected the bottles," says Bruno, who is also a lecturer in the department of Art & Design at Kyambogo University.

"So we built the playground together as a team and they know how to repair it -- this is very important in terms of sustainability."

But more importantly, Bruno, who was orphaned at a young age, says the project has a positive impact on the children.

"The attention of children in class has improved; the number of children who are dropping out [is falling] because now they have something to keep them busy there, " he adds. "There is a really good progress and it has also helped them to express themselves in class."

Bruno says his goal is to recreate "as many as 100" similar amusement parks in other parts of Uganda.

"I think a man will always be remembered by his work, "says Bruno. "I'm an advocate now of the environment; I'm an advocate for play for children; I'm an artist ...who wants his work to have an effect on the people.".

当Ruganzu仍是大学美术学院的学生时，他就希望自己的艺术能对社区有积极影响。2010年，他创办了Eco Art Uganda，把废弃的瓶子、电视和电脑转化成当代功能艺术品，推广环保意识。2012年4月，利用再生材料在坎帕拉贫民窟创建一个游乐园的想法为他赢得了TEDx峰会城2.0奖。而他最大的希望是在乌干达的其他地区建立100个类似的游乐园。