Let's use arts to drive out poverty among youth - Bismark Mborchie

Bismark Mborchie, a Visual Arts Tutor at Benkum Senior High School, is using arts to help create business mindset and opportunities for students through the power of visual arts.

Mborchie employs concept drawings to facilitate the business minds of his students. Ghana's education system, being largely objective-based, results in graduates who struggle to find jobs, contributing to increased poverty and social vices in the country.

In light of this, he has decided not only to teach the subject but also to create a platform to harness the talents of his students, making them aware of how they could earn a living through it after school. Considering the current state of the world, every individual needs to learn something that can earn them a living. A study of the rise in global unemployment and economic hardship led him to think of creating a platform to serve as an antidote.

Alarmed by the rise in the negative lifestyle of the youth after completing Senior High School, Mborchie advocates for a shift in approach, emphasizing the effectiveness of visual arts as a platform for skill development.

"Visual Art is everywhere, and art cannot be taken out of our daily activities. Everything we do has art in it, and parents and individuals should not look down on the subject," he explained, highlighting the need for more impactful ways of making the course relevant to students.

"Parents and the government are doing their best in terms of finding long-term and short-term opportunities that could help these young girls and boys, but it seems youth unemployment is still on the rise, leading to diverse forms of poverty and economic hardship. So, I am of the positive view that using visual arts as a firsthand tool to provide job opportunities for these young girls and boys will salvage youth unemployment before they enter tertiary education. It is not 100% certain that all students who complete senior high school will be able to proceed to university," Bismark Mborchie told the media during the interview.

Mr. Mborchie's vision is to develop the skills of the students through artwork to build their confidence level and boost their interest.

"As a teacher and artist, I believe parents should be ready to support their wards in their study of Arts," he urged. He encouraged the public to debunk the idea that visual arts is not a good subject. "Art is life, and everything about us is art, so parents and teachers should study and duly teach it."

He is of the view that teaching the subject as a major practical work will have long-term positive impacts on the students, with the potential to make them fruitful and prevent joblessness and even curb social vices. He assumed that visual arts have the power to help students from poor and needy homes, as the course provides firsthand training for students. He said his department is doing all it can to intervene in the waywardness of students due to financial problems, which has become a menace in Ghanaian society and schools.

Bismark Mborchie, a former science student at Senior High School who turned artist, followed his passion to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Arts and Education with a specialization in painting at the University of Education, completing it in 2015.

The influence and impact of Mr. Bismark Mborchie's art teaching go beyond the syllabus work.

The Benkum SHS Visual Art Department has become more than just a place for artwork; it is an avenue for refining and redefining talents through artwork. The department has transformed into a venue for skill development, mental training, and physical development to aid students after completion before entering tertiary education. These fine arts showcases feature beautiful paintings on various themes, including climate change, water protection, community harmony, and depictions of popular Ghanaians.

In the sphere of Arts, Mborchie aspires to secure a viable opportunity to showcase these works globally, placing them on the international stage of arts and training for students to attain professional status through artwork.

His dedication to harnessing the talent of visual students and addressing societal issues through art exemplifies the transformative power of creativity in education and poverty alleviation.