Our favorite large scale street artist, JR, has just left his mark all over Kibera, Kenya. In his most ambitious move yet he created a series of shifting images that sit on a hill. The eyes of the faces (pictured) are on a moving train, giving each a different pair of eyes as the train passes by. Just the thought of sitting on a roof top in Kenya to watch the train go by to complete the photographs makes us smile. JR has enlisted the help of the locals to create the images, as well as a massive series of photographs that spanning several roofs of the village. The water-resistant fabric helps with the structural condition of the poor village. Supposedly these rooftop photographs are visible from space. We haven’t heard any vertification from NASA. Check out his full gallery for the latest project and a few additional pictures over at the Wooster Collective.

The first time Common Threadz caught our eye they were utilizing talented artists to help less fortunate children of Africa afford school uniforms. Fortunately, they haven’t stopped supporting creative minds and the cause of needy kids in Africa, they’ve only expanded their reach. The Orphan Collection raises money for the cause by featuring the children’s own artwork and designs. Each T-shirt sold goes to feed one child for a month. How many tees in your closet are feeding malnourished children?

One of the most compelling projects at this year’s Sundance Film Festival was Nollywood Babylon, a movie about Nigeria’s film industry (after Hollywood and Mumbai-based Bollywood, it’s the third largest in the world but has the highest volume). With Lagos as the backdrop and against a soundtrack of ’70s African underground music, the documentary highlights passionate producers and directors (with Lancelot “Da Guvernor” Imasuen as a special treat) as they put together popular low-budget stories that frequently include drama and voodoo. Written and directed by Montreal’s AM Pictures partners Ben Addelman and Samir Mallal, the team behind the documentaries Discordia and Bombay Calling, the movie does a fantastic job of making viewers feel like they’re on site at the colorful sets. Showing an industry that creates 50 films a week is no small feat and well worth a watch.

It’s great to see a classroom project launch a social enterprise company that is then able to provide for increased educational opportunities. That’s the case for Better World Books, “the online bookstore with a soul” founded by three Notre Dame alums that collect used books and sell new ones to help fund literacy efforts worldwide. Their newest partner is Invisible Children, a program that uses multimedia to discuss the ongoing war in northern Uganda and the need for improved classrooms and resources. The two organizations have invited high school and college students to host book drives as part of the “schools for schools” initiative and have raised more than a million dollars with the involvement of 2,000 schools. By visiting the Invisible Children partnership page on BetterWorld.com, online book buyers can have the proceeds of their purchases benefit Ugandan school children while helping inspire action education and hope in a place that desperately needs both.

Kehinde Wiley is approaching superstar attention levels in the art world with his continuation of The World Stage series. Wiley’s first installment was centered around China’s urban youth and propaganda art. This time he’s moved to Africa — Senegal and Nigeria to be specific. By setting up shop abroad Wiley lived and worked with his subjects and their surroundings. The style mimics 19th century royal portraits, and even though he is clearly channeling some Victorian art styles, the pattern has nice modern touch. The World Stage: Africa, Lagos ~ Dakar is now showing at The Studio Museum in Harlem and will continue until October 23rd. Seeing Kehinde's paintings in person (they’re huge) gives you a better understanding why he’s getting so much attention.

We write about T-shirts a lot on this blog. And, why not? They’re in our closet, they fit — our jeans would be lost without them. However, we’re much more keen to write about tees that help African children get much-needed school uniforms. Common Threadz uses the same spiel other hip T-shirt moguls do about about up and coming artists creating eco-friendly shirts for celebrities that like their shirts arty and eco-friendly. But, the cash you’re dropping on these shirts directly funds children who can’t afford this expensive necessity. And these kids aren’t going to expensive prep schools — the fact is without a school uniform, they’re not allow to get an education. If you’re thinking about heading over to Threadless this morning (of which we’re big fans), detour and spend the same amount to do a bit of good.

Many well-meaning organizations seek to make people aware of world issues through largely unsuccessful methods, like badgering people on street corners to sign petitions or sending a constant stream of spam. The forward thinking folks at Bantu Republic have come up with a successful way of fostering social awareness where so many other organizations fail. How do they do it? T-shirts, of course. Signing up for the Bantu Republic newsletter doesn’t mean you’ll be receiving pamphlets destined for the recycling bin. With your modest membership fee, you will receive a new T-shirt every month, designed specifically to highlight a pressing socio-economic issue. In their own words, it’s “like an activist newsletter you can wear.” In addition to your new shirt, you’ll receive Bantu Republic’s electronic newsletter The Conscious Dresser. While you can’t wear this, you should at least pay them the courtesy of reading it. After all, they did send you a sweet tee.

For those Renaissance people out there who enjoy the past time of putting their daily musings to paper, Rebound Books is a nifty outfit based in Cape Town, South Africa that essentially ‘reclaims’ neglected old books into truly one-of-a-kind journals full of creamy, matte, environmentally friendly paper. The binding is done by a master book binder, and he thread-sews sections by hand. The blank “book-block” is then glued to the cover to make a durable book that will last for decades. Since Rebound Books is not in the business to mass produce, but rather to create unique and quality journals for the design-discerning scribes of the world, they offer a pretty limited selection. That said, they seem willing to work special orders–so if you have a special hardback collecting dust that you want to resurrect, this might be the answer. No word on whether they’ll ship to the States, but it’d be worth an inquiry. If you’re in Cape Town, BIBLIOTEQ book store on 41 Kloof Street has them.

Pieter Hugo is a South Africa-based photographer who is on the up and up. Recent accolades include Pieter’s inclusion in ReGeneration: 50 Photographers of Tomorrow, 2005-2025 (an exhibition identifying 50 young photographers who will be considered great by 2025), first prize in the Portraits section of the 2006 World Press Photo competition, and a selection as the Standard Bank Young Artist for Visual Art 2007, with an exhibition touring South Africa until July 2008. His most recent monograph, The Hyena & Other Men includes some striking photos Pieter took in and around Abuja, Nigeria during the past several years of some locals ‘taming the beasts,’ if you will; it would be an understatement to say that it offers an impressive and candid look into Nigerian culture. I’m not sure how many readers we have in South Africa at this point, but if you’re around and about Cape Town this week, head over to the BIBLIOTEQ bookstore on Kloof St. this Thursday, March 6th at 6 pm to meet Pieter at his launch and signing event.

Last year I wrote about the Invisible Children in war torn Uganda. Josh was moved and immediately pledged his support. On April 28th, in 15 cities across the U.S., thousands of people are leaving their homes for camps in a united front called Displace Me, sending a message to politicians and media to end the longest running war in Africa. If you’ve seen the movie, and I urge that you do, you will immediately recognize the significance of this symbolic act. Displaced by their own government, in hopes of protecting them from the ruthless warlords, 1.5 million Ugandans have been displaced from their homes and were forced overnight into camps. These are the lucky ones. Similarly, thousands of children, many under 10 years old, have been abducted from their villages, their family slaughtered, and forced to join the rebel cause. With fifteen major metropolitan cities spanning the entire nation, there is no excuse not to give up one night that could change the future of a country and its people. Check out the website to find a city near you and also if you’re a Fall Out Boy fan, see what Pete Wentz has to say about the issue.

Can I get a ‘hip hip hooray’ for Charlie Engle, Ray Zahab, and Kevin Lin? The three ultra-endurance athletes just completed an 111 day run across the Sahara Desert. They ran the equivalent of 2 marathons per day to cover the whopping 4,000 mile breadth of the world’s largest desert. Their foot voyage took them across 6 separate countries– Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Libya and ultimately Egypt, where they submerged their hands in the Red Sea to signify the completion of their feat (and probably the completion of their feet as well). Upon completing their pan-Saharan jaunt, the three seemed to agree: this was a once in a lifetime type of thing; none are eager to attempt it again. Congrats guys! I love to see people push the boundaries like this– it’s truly inspiring. I also want to point out that H20 Africa is the charitable component of the adventure. It’s a clean water initiative for Africa– you can donate here if you’d like.

We’re having a great day at the JoshSpear.com offices– we received a package from South Africa, covered in 10 Rand postage stamps, with airmail stamps front and back. The contents of the mysterious package were some samples from Mickey and his bitches at Los Cojones Del Perro, a South African clothing label that has some serious balls. The first thing I noticed about these t-shirts was the insane comfort level they offer– beautifully tattered collar lines included. The next thing I saw was the ‘in your face’ messages and graphics on the t’s. You have to see them to believe them– take my word for it, you will feel humored, surprised, and traumatized all at once. I then read the press kit, and learned the no holds barred theory behind the label, as well as the company’s commitment to the unemployment problem in South Africa (specifically involving those who haven’t had the opportunity to receive job training, or have sought refuge in South Africa from other African countries and are faced with a language barrier). After each garment is printed, it is sent to the ladies at Umojo@Afridite (who live in townships in South Africa) for unique customization– they bring the clothes to life with custom bead work and stitching, and earn some much needed cash in the process. Los Cojones Del Perro is available in South Africa, and is looking to break into the U.S. market soon.

I recently participated in a showing of the documentary Invisible Children, which left me in an indescribable and confused emotional state. Only one thing was clear – something has to be done. The movie was created in Spring 2003 by a group of three students from Southern California. They travelled to Uganda to document, learn, and share about the plight of the children who commute nightly from their village homes to bus stations or hospitals where they sleep in large communities. Why would anyone, let alone children, do this on a daily basis? In short, the rebels of the Lord’s Resistance Army regularly raid villages and kidnap children between the ages of 5 and 12 (they are strong enough to carry the guns and machetes but still small enough to sneak into small spaces) in order to join the fight in the bloody civil war against the Uganda government. Anyone who tries to escape or refuse is shot or butchered, often at the hands of other children already indoctrinated in the ways of the LRA. The numbers are staggering and the stories are frustrating and depressing. Colin Powell is quoted as saying, “…America has leadership responsibilities around the world, and nowhere is more important than here in Africa.” Please visit the website and read about what you can do to help. This stuff is truly breathtaking, be sure to check out the trailer and spread the word!