Case Study: Rafiki Art Space – Empowering Youth Through a Digital Platform for Art & Community

Client: Rafiki Art Space (Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya)

Rafiki Art Space is a non-profit community art center located in the heart of Kibera, Nairobi's largest informal settlement. Founded by Clinton Artisto — a self-taught composite realism artist who grew up in Kibera and began painting at age 7 to fund his own education — the organization is dedicated to lifting children and youth out of poverty through the transformative power of art, education, and creative mentorship. The space offers art workshops, after-school tutoring, exhibitions, a volunteer residency programme, and a unique Kibera Art Walk experience, all aimed at fostering creativity, confidence, and opportunity in one of East Africa's most vibrant yet underserved communities.

Project Summary

Objective: Build a modern, visually compelling website that serves as Rafiki Art Space's digital home — enabling online donations, artwork sales through an e-commerce shop, workshop and gallery showcases, volunteer residency applications, and the Kibera Art Walk booking system, while amplifying their mission to a global audience.

Challenges

• No existing website or digital presence to showcase the organization's work and mission
• Need to integrate donation functionality (GiveWP) alongside a WooCommerce-powered art shop
• Required a booking system for the Kibera Art Walk — an immersive, guided community art tour
• Must represent a non-profit with a compelling visual identity that reflects African art, culture, and community
• Needed to highlight multiple program areas: workshops, gallery, residency, impact, and an online shop
• Limited budget typical of non-profit organizations, requiring a cost-effective but scalable solution
• Must be easy for the client's team to manage and update content independently

My Role & Responsibilities

As the lead web developer and designer, I was responsible for:

• Full website design and development using WordPress + Elementor Pro
• Setting up WooCommerce for the online art shop (merchandise, paintings, recycled art)
• Integrating GiveWP donation plugin for fundraising and campaign management
• Building the Kibera Art Walk booking page with a custom booking plugin
• Designing visually rich pages: Homepage, Workshops, About, Residency, Gallery, and more
• Implementing Revolution Slider for dynamic homepage hero sections
• Integrating social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Tumblr)
• Setting up SEO optimization for discoverability and organic reach
• Configuring WooCommerce product categories: Merchandise, Paintings, Recycled Art
• Ensuring mobile responsiveness and fast page loading
• Ongoing maintenance and support — the site is maintained by Bret Oreta

Technical Stack

Key Features Implemented

Non-Profit Donation System

The site integrates GiveWP — a leading WordPress donation plugin — enabling Rafiki Art Space to accept online donations, run fundraising campaigns with goal tracking and progress bars, and display donor activity. The donation system is seamlessly woven into the site's navigation and footer, ensuring visitors can contribute at any point during their browsing experience. Campaign-specific pages showcase fundraising goals, donor comments, and progress statistics, building trust and transparency with supporters.

E-Commerce Art Shop

A full WooCommerce-powered online shop was set up with three main product categories — Merchandise, Paintings, and Recycled Art — allowing Rafiki Art Space to sell artwork and branded merchandise globally. The shop includes a responsive cart experience, secure checkout, and a product gallery that beautifully presents each piece. Revenue from art sales directly supports the organization's programs and the artists who create the work.

Kibera Art Walk Booking System

The Kibera Art Walk is one of Rafiki's signature experiences — an immersive guided tour through Kibera's vibrant street art scene led by Clinton Artisto and the Rafiki Collective. I built a dedicated booking page with a custom booking plugin that captures the visitor's full name, email, phone number, preferred event date, time, and additional details. The page also showcases gallery images from past walks and clearly communicates that proceeds support Rafiki Art Space and local artisans.

Workshop & Program Showcase

The Workshops page highlights the breadth of Rafiki's community programs, including hands-on painting sessions, photography and film production, modern dance and music, fashion shows, recycled art initiatives, and mural installations. Each workshop is presented with a description that communicates both the creative activity and its broader social impact, helping volunteers, donors, and participants understand the depth of programming offered.

Volunteer Residency Programme Page

The Residency page communicates Rafiki's artist residency and volunteer programme, inviting local and international artists, creatives, and institutions to collaborate. The page outlines the residency's goals — strengthening existing workshops, creating a robust activities programme, and fostering inter-generational cultural exchange — while providing clear calls to action for prospective volunteers and partners.

Gallery & Visual Storytelling

The site features a dedicated Gallery section anchored by the Kibera Art Walk experience. Vibrant imagery of community murals, local artisan workshops, dance and music performances, and street art is woven throughout the site, creating a rich visual narrative that draws visitors into the world of Kibera's creative community.

Business Results

The website has transformed Rafiki Art Space's ability to connect with the world:

• Established a professional digital presence for a grassroots non-profit that previously had none
• Enabled global online donations through GiveWP, expanding their fundraising reach beyond Nairobi
• Created a revenue-generating art shop where paintings, merchandise, and recycled art can be sold to international buyers
• Provided a streamlined booking system for the Kibera Art Walk, converting website visitors into tour participants
• Amplified their mission and visibility through SEO-optimized content and social media integration
• Attracted volunteer and residency applications from artists and creatives worldwide
• Strengthened brand perception with a modern, culturally authentic design that reflects the energy and creativity of Kibera

Ongoing Engagement

I continue to maintain and support Rafiki Art Space's website:

• Hosting management, backups, and security monitoring
• Content updates, plugin maintenance, and WordPress core updates
• Performance optimization and ongoing SEO improvements
• Adding new features and pages as the organization's programs evolve
• Collaborating with the team to ensure the website continues to serve their growing community

What I'm Most Proud Of

This project represents the intersection of technology and social impact. Building a website for an organization that is genuinely changing lives in one of Africa's largest informal settlements is deeply meaningful. Every feature — from the donation system to the art shop to the Kibera Art Walk booking — was designed with the specific goal of expanding Rafiki's reach and resources, enabling them to do even more for the children and youth of Kibera. The site stands as a testament to how web development can be a force for good in the world.

Client Feedback (Paraphrased)

The website has given Rafiki Art Space a voice on the global stage. We can now reach donors, sell art, and invite people into our community in ways we never could before. It's more than a website — it's a platform for change.

Let's Build Your Digital Success Story

Got a project or an idea? Want to amplify your mission and elevate your online presence?

Send me an email: [email protected]

Start Your Free Consultation: bretoreta.me/contact — No upfront payment

Visit Rafiki Art Space: rafikiartspace.org