I took this photo during my 2nd year as a PCV in Niger, West Africa. Unfortunately, during my years there, Niger had a nationwide teacher strike as teachers had not been paid to teach students for 2+ years. The village school was shut down but I got the village Chief's blessing and approached the 2 village teachers to see if we could still open up the classroom for recreational activities. I ended up getting a grant to paint a World Map on the side of the school. I also wrote letters home to collect old magazines, construction paper, glue and scissors so that we could have arts and crafts days and make collages. Students were so curious about the world, continents and oceans. I kept trying to explain that although we were painting on a flat wall surface, the world is actually round. Students who live in subsistence economies do not have the luxury of thinking creatively, painting, or making art. Their minds were expanded through our impromptu recreational art activities.