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One of the biggest national social needs in South Africa at present is for support
during and healing from traumas within our current and historical socio/political
context. Using creative arts therapy as a medium in dealing with trauma and atrocity
may support the healing process. In Wellington, ZA a creative arts project - the
blossom project - is doing just that. Using creative arts as a medium to restore
trauma. This workshop will give you a background understanding of how
communities regain equilibrium, restore resilience..
Creative arts as medium in restoring trauma in
communities
The South African story: Blossom – where hearts are
transformed
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Copyright reserved: this is a working document and for presentation
purposes only
Prof Retha Bloem
North West University: Potchefstroom
South Africa
Retha.bloem@nwu.ac.za
Mrs Wendy Slabbert
Blossom project : Wellington South Africa
Wendys.new@gmail.com
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1. Introduction
Geographical background: The blossom Project is situated in Wellington in the
Western Cape, South Africa.
Halfway between the bright lights of Cape Town and the statuesque mountains of
the Western Cape, lies the hidden valley of Wellington, full of surprises and variety,
heart and soul.
With a population of approximately 62,000. Wellington's economy is centred around
agriculture such as wine, table grapes, deciduous fruit and a brandy industry. The
town is located 75 km north-east of Cape Town, reached by the N1 motorway and
R44. Due to the growth of the Mbekweni township south of town, it now forms a de
facto urban unit with Paarl, just 10 km to the south.
The Berg river flows along the western border with two smaller streams, the Spruit
and Kromme and the mighty Hawequas stands guard on the eastern side. The
Bainskloof Pass, built by the famous Scot, Andrew Geddes Bain was (before Du
Toitskloof Pass) the only gateway to the north.
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The flipside of the coin…. Is another side… a darker side. The side tourists does not
always see.. the poverty side, violence, neglect, abuse…
The South African Society is generally viewed as extremely violent in contrast to
other countries. The experience of violence is viewed as a normative feature of life in
both urban and rural settings (Hamber & Lewis, 1997). As pointed out by Emmet
(2003), South African children have had extensive exposure to violence and are
often primary victims or witnesses to violence.
General statistics regarding violence are difficult to locate and generally it is crime
statistics that provide some indication of the levels of violence in a society.
Yet establishing the extent of the problem, specifically in relation to children is
difficult given that crime statistics rarely report the age of the victim and of the
perpetrator (Palmary, 2003). In addition when stats for women and children are
reported, they tend to refer to individuals under 18 and do not specify age beyond
this distinction.
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The Victims of Crime Survey (Statistics South Africa, 2011b) revealed that
housebreaking or burglary was the most common crime experienced at least once in
2010 by 4.5 percent of households in South Africa, followed by home robbery (2.6
percent) and theft of livestock (1.4 percent). For individuals the most common type
of crime experienced was assault (1.7 percent) followed by robbery excluding
home/carjacking (1.6 percent). Available evidence shows that the majority of people
involved in these types of crimes are young people, as Leoschut & Burton concluded
their 2005 National Youth Victimisation Study:
… close to half (49.2%) of the [4 409 respondents aged 12-22 years were
personally acquainted with individuals in their communities who had
committed criminal acts,, including stealing, selling stolen property and
mugging or assaulting others. More than a quarter (28.8%) of these
participants were also familiar with community members who made a
living by being involved in criminal activities (Leoschut & Burton, 2005:20).
The same study also revealed that 18.3 percent of the young respondents reported
that they had in the past considered committing what they knew would be a criminal
offence, while 50.2 percent admitted that they had already committed what they
knew was a criminal offence (Pelser, 2008).
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While there are various theories on the cause of youth crime, the general consensus
is that it is primary the outcome of multiple adverse social, economic and family
conditions (Farrington, 1996; Salagaev, 2003; Muhammad, 2008):
Children who for various reasons—including parental alcoholism, poverty,
breakdown of the family, overcrowding, abusive conditions in the home,
the growing HIV/AIDS scourge, or the death of parents during armed
conflicts—are orphans or unaccompanied and are without the means of
subsistence, housing and other basic necessities are at greatest risk of
falling into juvenile delinquency (Salagaev, 2003:191).
While the proportion of people asked to pay bribes to access family-related services
such as visiting a family member in prison or receiving pension or social welfare
grants decreased between 2003 and 2010, this type of corruption still exists, and
indeed corruption in efforts to acquire ID documents, schooling, housing and
healthcare, among others, shows an increasing trend.
Gender-based violence
Although its precise dimensions are not known as result of under-reporting due to
fear, shame, lack of adequate services etc (USAID, 2006; Bendall, 2010), gender-
based violence, described as the physical, sexual, and psychological violence
against women (USAID, 2006) is prevalent in South Africa, and is a cause for public
concern as it permeates every level of society. For example, a 2010 research study
conducted in Gauteng by Gender Links and the South African Medical Research
Council, for example, found that 18 percent of women had been abused at least
once in the 12 months preceding the survey, while 29 percent of men had abused
their partner in a similar time period. However, although 25.4 percent of women
experienced rape at least once in their lifetime, only 3.9 percent had reported it to the
police, and just 2.1 percent of women raped by an intimate partner reported the
incident to police. Women that experienced sexual or physical abuse in their
relationship were more likely to be diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection,
test positive for HIV, suffer from depression or consider suicide. In South Africa four
(4) woman is killed daily by an intimate partner.
Child abuse and neglect
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Despite been regarded as having an exemplary child rights environment, South
Africa has some of the highest reported cases of child abuse, neglect and
maltreatment which takes many forms, including physical and mental abuse, sexual
abuse, exploitative work, trafficking etc (Richter and Dawes, 2008). While it is difficult
to establish the size of ‘the problem’ of child abuse in South Africa, partly because,
complexities and variation in definition, community understanding and reporting
levels, one gauge of the problem is to examine crimes against children reported to
the police, and summarised in the annual reports of the national Department of
Police Services (Richter and Dawes, 2008). The lasts such figures shows that 51.9
percent of social contact crimes committed against children were sexual offences,
which is also the only recorded type of social crimes that has shown an increase in
the time period shown. The South African Police Services also reports that most of
the victims of crime committed against children are between 15 and 17 years old,
and that “it is disturbing to notice that in the case of the most prevalent crime against
children… sexual offence … 60.5% were committed against children below the age
of 15 years. It is even more disturbing to note that 29.4 of these sexual offences
involved children aged 0-10 years” (South African Police Service, 2012).
2. Social development focussing on families and family life (adapted from
the RSA White Paper: 2013)
Overall the family, through its instrumental and affective roles has the potential to
enhance the socio-economic wellbeing of individuals and society at large.
Instrumental roles are concerned with the provision of physical resources such as
food, clothing and shelter while affective roles promote emotional support and
encouragement of family members (Peterson, 2009). The table below shows how
these roles fulfil important functions for their members and for society, such as family
formation and membership; economic support; nurturance and socialization; and
protection of vulnerable members
Family function Ways each function benefits to
Individual family Society
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members
Membership &
family formation
Provides a sense of
belonging
Provides personal and
social identity
Provides meaning and
direction in life
Controls reproductive
function
Assures continuation of
the species
Economic support Provides for basic needs
of food, shelter, and
clothing and other
resources to enhance
human development
Contributes to healthy
development of
members who contribute
to society (and who need
fewer public resources)
Nurturance, support
and socialisation
Provides for the physical,
psychological, social and
spiritual development of
children and adults
Instils social values and
norms
Prepares and socialises
children for productive
adult roles.
Supports adults in being
productive members of
society
Controls antisocial
behaviour and protects
society form harm
Protection of
vulnerable
members
Provides care and
support for young, ill,
disabled or otherwise
vulnerable members
Minimizes public
responsibility for care of
vulnerable, dependent
individuals
Source: Adapted from Patterson, J.M. (2002). Understanding family resilience,
Journal of Clinical Psychology, Vol. 58 (3): 233-246
Despite the foregoing basic functions of the family, it is noteworthy that family
structures and functions as well as intra-family roles and relationships are in a
constant state of flux (Belsey, 2005). This is due to two basic factors: (1) long-term
historical shifts in technology, modalities of production, population migration, the
population structure and urbanization; and (2) the short- and medium-term
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consequences of natural and man-made disasters and conflicts, and of economic
and social disruption and opportunities (Belsey, 2005: 16).
3. Response strategy for working with trauma in communities in South
Africa
3.1 The strengths perspective
The strengths perspective is closely related to empowerment. It seeks to identify,
use, build, and reinforce the strengths and abilities people already have. It is useful
across the life cycle and throughout all stages of the helping process – assessment,
intervention, and evaluation. It emphasises people‘s abilities, values, interests,
beliefs, resources, accomplishments and aspirations (Zastrow, 2010).
3.2 Life cycle approach
The family life cycle approach assumes that family life is changing continually and is
influenced by psychosexual development and rites of passage such as marriage,
divorce, child-rearing or retirement. During each of these stages of development,
people modify their roles and relationships, and also alter the division of labour and
their level of satisfaction (Baker, 2001).
The life-cycle approach will allow for a comprehensive analysis of life events, family
crises, processes and challenges relating to age, gender, and roles and
responsibilities of each family member. It will further help to promote an
understanding of an ideal and desirable progression through life‘s stages. This
approach will also guide the provision of services and resources, by relevant actors,
that are appropriate for specific developmental stages and ages of family members.
3.3 Systems approach
The systems perspective is a structural approach, in which the family as a whole is
considered to be more than its component parts. Therefore, the family is viewed as a
social system because its members are interdependent and any change in the
behaviour of one member will affect the behaviour of others (Baker, 2001). The
theory will help service providers to analyse and interpret family-related issues and
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enable them to locate the family in the society. The approach will be helpful in
analysing the family in South Africa and also link it to overall national development
goals. It provides the lens to view the family not in isolation, but in concert with the
country‘s history, its political economy and contemporary social forces. The
promotion of family life and the strengthening of the family are all central to the
overall stability and general well-being of South Africa. This perspective thus lays the
foundation for an integrated approach to service delivery.
3.4 The social development approach
The social development approach recognises that the family is the basic unit of
society and plays a key role in the survival, protection and development of children.
Its rationale is that families should be supported and their capabilities have to be
strengthened for the purpose of meeting the needs of members. Theories
encompassed in this approach recognise that families require a range of supportive
services in order to promote family life and development. Over and above the
foregoing, certain families may require additional supportive services so that they
can solve problems in human relations such as conflict, communication, parenting,
substance abuse, family violence as well as addressing problems arising from life
changes and events (Patel, 2005).
3.5 The Gestalt approach in healing traumatized communities
With communities (with individuals) who have suffered severe trauma, the gestalt
approach goes straight to the heart of their needs. With-in Gestalt, individuals in
communities is accepted as they are; there are no expectations of performance or
behaviour to meet the needs of another. It is a deeply respectful and no-intrusive
method. The goal is not to fix or change, but to facilitate self-healing.
From a Gestalt Perspective, the therapeutic relationship is the “vehicle” of healing.
As Kepner (2003a) suggests:
It is not our personality theory, nor our empty chairs or our creative
techniques… the core of what is healing in the Gestalt approach is our
contextual, relational and experiential conditions that make for growth. It
is the creation of a person/environmental field as the interactive whole in
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which growth may take place, just as it is the conditions of the field which
create the “mental health” problems which the client is bringing to us.
Gestalt therapy is viewed as a process therapy during which attention is paid to the
what and how, rather that the why of behaviour. Awareness, which include choices
and taking responsibility and contact, leads to natural change.
In expressive arts, the therapist needs to focus on a way of enhancing awareness.
Awareness is the way in which we understand ourselves and what we need and also
the way in which we organise our field and make meaning of our experience. It is
our capacity to be in touch with our own existence, to know how we are feeling,
sensing, thinking, reacting or making meaning from moment to moment.
3.5.1 First things first: Safety after trauma:
Goelitz (2013) states that social workers need to understand the safety issues that
trauma survivors confront. Trauma overrides survivors’ inherent adaptive functions,
leaving them helpless and terrified in a world that feels out of control and unsafe.
Trauma recovery requires integration of distressing events and reconnection with
daily life. In order to heal, survivors’ must also learn how to manage symptoms and
tolerate feelings associated with trauma.
Trauma recovery requires integration of distressing events and reconnection with
daily life. In order to heal, survivors’ must also learn how to manage symptoms and
tolerate feelings associated with trauma.
Tune in to safety
When reading about survivors and hearing their stories in person, some of us may
not connect with their loss of safety because we unconsciously distance ourselves
from their suffering. Although this is not a healthy approach, it is natural to try to
protect ourselves in this way. We need to create a safe space when we work with
trauma survivors and it is difficult to do so without first opening ourselves to their
emotional experience. A safe workspace requires witnessing how unsafe they feel,
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but doing so while grounded in our own safe space. This protects us from secondary
trauma and allows us to connect with survivors as we help them.
Safety is essential to trauma recovery and unique to each individual. In which risky
behaviours, unhealthy relationships, and negative emotions are reduced, and a
sense of well-being, trust, calm, and positive coping are increased.
(i) Awareness in trauma work
Essentially, to be effective trauma therapy needs to be safe, so that the client feels
safe and not at any risk of becoming re-traumatized. It’s also important to keep the
traumatic hyper-arousal at a level where the client can digest the therapy; if arousal
goes too high the client’s not going to be able to think and integrate their experience.
Awareness in trauma work need considerable skill to help clients stay with and
develop awareness. Methods of developing awareness are limited only by our
imaginations and the boundaries of the therapeutic relationship. The method the
Blossom project used was working with unfinished situations from the client’s past by
focusing upon the internal structure of the present interaction.
Exploring the past through attention to present process: Phase 1
Although Gestalt therapy and counselling pay particular attention to developing
awareness of whatever is happening here and now, this doesn’t not mean you have
to deny the importance of the past or future. It merely emphasises that although
people remember the past and plan for the future, the remembering and planning
happen in the present. If you and the client pay careful attention to the internal
structure of the present interaction, unfinished situations from the clients past often
come into present awareness. You and client do not revisit the past, nor would you
wish to do so, for revisiting the past without any significant change in the field
conditions, particularly the level of support available, would not allow any change
and is likely to be re-traumatising. But you can explore elements of the past in the
changed and more supportive filed conditions of the present moment.
Key point at blossom:
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The ladies page through magazines and select a picture (visual object which reflect
good memories from their childhood as well as images of things they would have
love to experience as a child. A Collage is created together with notes explaining the
collage. This is a spontaneous process and with therapeutic intervention from a
facilitator a projection technique is used – the collage is used to depict projections
that the woman experiences in a non-threating way. Within Gestalt the creative
creation (collage) serve as a metaphor, not for interpretation! This step gives the
opportunity to express feelings, of which they may not be aware. The process on
completing unfinished business and the balance in their lives can be restored.
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Reintegrating disowned aspects or polarities of the self: Phase 2
Survivors of traumatic experiences can find themselves left with positive results from
their experiences, such as valuing their lives and relationships more. This is Stress
Inoculation. One of the great things that happens, and one of the pieces of evidence
of the resilience of our specie, is that we can take events of adversity and find
treasures in them. But this idea is often by-passed in trauma therapy. We don’t
usually put an emphasis on the positive. It can be great to ask, ‘Not that you would
have arranged for this trauma to have happened to you, but since it did, what good
can you see that could come out of it?’
The self is variable and flexible. It encompasses many different apparently
contradictory (or polar) processes within the overall self process. Yontef (1993)
regards polarities as part that is opposites that complement or explicate each other.
People move between current natural divisions in themselves such as body-=spirit,
self – external word, emotional – real and conscious-unconscious. According to
Korb (1989) this classification can cause polarization of emotions.
All of us have the potential to embody all manner of human qualities. For example ,
we all have within us the characteristics of kindness and its polar opposite, cruelty, of
foresight and negligence, of liveliness and boringness, of spontaneity and
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deliberateness. We encompass all possible human dimensions and polarities,
although we may not be in touch with them.
In trauma recovery, the social worker needs to develop the exploration of polarities in
less cognitive and more holistic ways due to the emotionally restricting, threatening
or abusive backgrounds. Clients need to evolve these through the actual process of
relationship, rather than just regain awareness of disowned polarities and functions
which already exist but have been repressed.
During this phase, each and every member has individual sessions with the social
worker and facilitator. A process of identifying polarities in her life is followed. Each
woman discover in these polarities a narrative story and message she want to carry
out to her community. Her unique story is written and created in a sketch. The
polarity of a preferred past is created and personal attributes (self-concept) is
explored. An authentic self is created and given as ‘n blue print – owning aspect of
their potential whole selves. They may be absolutely delighted to expand their self-
concept and try out new ways of being. But equally they may be quite reluctant to do
so because they are deeply attached to their present self-concept which is supported
by a complicated web of interconnected belief systems.
Key point at blossom:
We are aware that we all limit our self-concept through disowning certain human
qualities. We need to notice how clients dot this and support them to explore a wider
range of emotional attitudes and behaviours so that they can respond more flexibly
to the world around them.
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Integrating creative imagination and experiments in group work: Phase
3 (working with imagery and metaphor)
Gestalt work are intrinsically creative processes which enable both the social worker
and the clients to tap into you inherent inventiveness in order to heal the past,
expand your experience, transcend the limits you have habitually set upon
yourselves and transform your sense of time and possibility.
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Clients and social workers are engaged in a dialogic relationship. Neither controls
the other or the relationship, but both concentrate upon the unfolding process and in
that sense the relationship is experimental from moment to moment.
In the Blossom project, a sketch is selected and creative needlework as a group
activity is used to express the true meaning of the narrative story of the creator. This
give each group member the chance to co-create the “preferred past” and be part of
the expression of awareness and emotion. In the process a new skill is also
developed.
The social worker can use creative imagination and an experimental attitude to help
clients increase their awareness and expand their options. The use of symbol and
imagery can be an important means of reaching the other person in an unexpected
and fresh manner and may allow people to contact aspects or depths of themselves
which they ordinarily cannot access or which they mask in conventional language.
It is important to remember that there is naturally a consideration of sharing images
at any particular time. If the client share an image, give careful attention to the way
in which the client do so, making it clear that the image is the clients own worn and
have investment in it. This image reflects a metaphor. Working with metaphors can
also be vital and revealing.
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It is important to integrate visualisation into the ongoing therapeutic work. The
process of visualising or fantasising a situation, a place or an action can provide
inner support and act as either an alternative, a prelude or a rehearsal for the action
taking place in the outer world.
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Opening to the transpersonal and caring for the soul: Phase four
The transpersonal dimension of counselling refers to those aspects of the helping
process that go beyond the limits of the individual and that connect us with each
other and to spiritual traditions and values. This dimension encompasses the belief
(or experience) that our existence is grounded and permeated by the spiritual, that
we are not isolated beings but part of a larger whole and profoundly interconnected
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with all aspects of life (Hycner, 1988). We are spirit and soul as well as mind,
emotions and body and that our spiritual and soul selves may need nurture and care
of a different kind than our bodily and mental selves.
Transpersonal and spiritual matters are inherently difficult to describe because they
refer to experiences that go beyond the realm of facts and words. In this phase the
social worker need to identify the field factors which may affect how the client
integrate care for the transpersonal and care for the soul.
A sense of connection with a religious practice (or spiritual practice) in blossom offer
the clients support and healing an give meaning to their lives. Although therapeutic
approaches have frequently shied away from discussing the place of transpersonal
and spiritual issues, with a hesitated-ness to address or spiritual or religious beliefs,
the reality of South Africa is that it is pretty much part of the existential field.
In wellington, the Blossom project a sense of connection with God in spiritual
practice offer the clients support and healing an give meaning to their lives. Yet can
Gestalt claim to be holistic unless it encompasses attention to spiritual beliefs and
needs and to car of the sacred in people’s lives?
In this phase in Blossom the facilitator attend to the transpersonal in the counselling
process. We human beings, according to Buber, approach the transpersonal not by
trying to transcend the human state but by becoming as fully human as possible, by
becoming the people we have the potential to be.
In this phase the group also go beyond self-absorption to interconnection and care of
soul bay imagination and the re-enchantment of everyday life.
The final article is made during this step as an activity to care for soul in ourselves,
others or in the world, the soul is nourished by beauty, friendship, community,
tradition, respect for others, re-investing the detail and the tasks of everyday life with
meaning, reconceptualising the nature of work. (Fox, 1994)
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The narration of the creative process are embedded in a life story or preferred past.
These are the stories.
Susan
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Today, as a mother and grandmother I reflect on my life.
I came to a heartbreaking conclusion that I never
told my mother how much I loved her!
I never allowed myself to express affection towards her and only after
she passed away, I realized the emptiness
caused by unexpressed love.
Instead of keeping this void,
I am now making it my mission to encourage every child
(young or old) to convey their love to their
fathers and mothers and everyone they meet.
Now I have the privilage to hug and lavishly
express my love to my daughter and grandchildren
and it has a ripple effect in our family and neighbourhood!
DARE TO LOVE LAVISHLY!
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Angeleen
How do I express my gratitude to a father
whose legacy is still so alive in me?
I grew up in Cape Town and my father
often took me to the beach to collect shells.
I can still recall every moment we sat
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underneath the big, beautiful tree.
My father would sort the shells in different sizes
and then the stories would begin…..
His words became pictures in my mind
as the Bible stories sunk deep into my heart.
There was one part of his conversation that I never understood,
but later….. time explained it to me.
He used to say that there will come a time
that he will not return from the hospital
and that I should remember the stories from the Bible
and especially the Author of that Book!
As my dad passed away, his stories became
louder and louder in my life.
The beauty is that my father’s life
and his legacy I carry to my
children and children’s children!
THANK YOU DAD!
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Dienie
Ever since I can remember, I have loved the feeling of community, where everybody
shares their lives and willingly help one another. I grew up in an environment where
people didn’t earn much, but worked hard, at their places of employment, as well as
their homes.
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Working hard was part of my upbringing and I am so thankful that I found joy in it! I
was always so inspired when I saw that some of the primitive homes had beautiful,
well-attended gardens. I often wished I could be part of that “gardening team”.
Since we did not have a lot of money, our idea of a fun family day was never a visit
to a mall with its restaurants and movie theatres. We had to find other ways to have
fun and enjoy one another as a family. We did the thing that came so naturally to us:
working. Young and old worked together on projects in and around the house and
combined with simple meals and lots of jokes and laughter, it became the glue that
bonded our family together.
As a mother, I treasure this value to this day and want to encourage everyone not to
wait for money to have a fun family day, but to create memories with your family and
friends, while working together on projects and chores. If we succeed in doing this
with the families in our area, we might start doing projects together as a
neighbourhood, and create a sense of unity and community. In this way we can start
creating positive memories for our children and their children.
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I grew up in the Northern Cape
between thorny trees, cacti and aloes.
All the succulents speaks of perseverance and patience!
From early age I was challenged with heated situations
which had the potential to wither me,
but inside God has places a strength to rise
and believe again and again!
God gave me my dear brother
and dog to pour my love onto
and we had hours and hours of fun!
I treasure the childlikeness through
all the seasons of my life!
I want to encourage everyone
to enjoy your siblings and if you are
a busy parent, buy your child a pet!!
It is a wonderful “love giver” and “love receiver”!!
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Christell
I grew up with an absent father
And today I realized what a priviledge it is
To have a stable husband
And loving father for our children.
I want to urge the fathers to make fun-times
with your family!
Take them out for picnics!
Instead of the “right food” and “serious conversations”
give them ice cream and lots of jokes for that day!
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Hanli
I have so many good childhood memories
and it keeps on echoing as I became a mother.
My parents created any normal event
into a fantasy /make-believe occasion.
Nurse head gears, teddies with bandages and mom’s high heel shoes
became the norm wherever we went.
Like a bunch of flowers always brought a
sweet smell to a holiday tent so
my parents created home in any place we visited.
All these simple actions inspired me to use
what I have and apply it in a
playful way whenever our children are around.
A simple kite can become a battleship in the air
and a primitive tent can transform into a castle filled
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with kings and queens.
I hope this story inspires you to make your
quality time a playful time, with fun and much laughter.
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I grew up in a neighbourhood
where broken families were the norm.
My grandmother and grandfather,
my mother and father were the only people
that were legally married.
I saw the beauty, security and the
unity that a healthy marriage brought.
John, my husband and I
are the third generation that enjoys a married life.
We love to encourage fathers and mothers to marry and
treasure relationships, to enjoy family times over
meals and create stable loving homes.
They say we are pillars in the community, but we hope that
this will inspire them to become unshakeable pillars
for generations to come.
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Mienie
I was raised in a very poor community.
It was not uncommon for girls to leave school at an early age,
becoming domestic workers to help carry the
financial burden in our households.
Growing up, it was quite normal for my family
not to have enough food to eat.
Our primitive home was always too small with all the
extended family members who needed a place to stay.
Everyone gave what they could,
to add to the “mass production meals”.
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One of my chores was to prepare these miracle–meals
for everyone staying in our home.
We were not bothered with nutrition, quality or taste.
Our only priority was to fill the tummies.
There were days I would run away from home
and visit people who I knew would
bless me with something tasty
and healthy to eat!
I would often dream of extravagant food
that is prepared with much love and effort.
Today I am a mother and grandmother,
and my desire is still to
spread a big table cloth in a beautiful, safe, spacious park
with many children enjoying a variety of well prepared food:
from sweet, colourful cupcakes to delicious fruit,
and enough for all to enjoy!
This is what I dream of for the children of my community.
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Katrina
To be raised in an environment
of continuous lack,
can provoke a complaining
and rebellious heart..............
or it enlarge a heart
to reach out to one another
and develop a life of sharing and serving.
This is the pathway I chose!
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When I reflect on my life
and the way forward,
my answer will always be:
IF YOU HUMBLE YOURSELF TO SERVE OTHERS;
YOU WILL HAVE A FULFILLED LIFE;
LACKING NOTHING!
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Bettie
I love to make home and find myself
spending hours cleaning and cooking
and preparing a place
for all to feel at home.
For many I am just working,
but for me it is a time of observing....
As I sweep , cook and do the dishes
with an open window,
62. 62
many conversations and utterings give me
insight how to handle situations.
I want to encourage every hard worker to work
with observant ears, eyes and senses.
You can be the bridge between a disaster
and a solution or a rescue!
Rezona
63. 63
When you look at my circumstances
you will think we are poor,
but this can change in a day.
I feel rich because of the love we have.
The fun and jokes refresh me!
My husband often pulls me on his lap
and then pretend that my weighty body
is suffocating him and shouts:
"Help, help, she is crushing me!"
Then all will burst out in laughter
and giggles will follow.
I dream of a beautiful house,
but never want to lose the fun and laughter
through a tickle here and a joke there!
It is priceless!!
65. 65
Rose
Others will say I am old, but inside I am young.
I long for a home like in the days
when my husband was still alive.
My mother in law caught fish in the river
and we all cleaned and prepared it together for a feast.
I always made time to express my love to my children,
through hugs and kisses and singing.
Sometimes we just sat under a tree
and enjoyed the nature.
My request to every family is to
include the 'old people' in their lives.
We may look old, but we still have much life to offer!
We can hug, love, sing
and still create a atmosphere of home and peace!
66. 66
Marie
I want to scream it out: “Welcome, Welcome!!”
Hospitality is a gift
that no one should supressed.
Children, uninvited guests
(and in my case, pets)
should always feel the love
as they enter my home.
I never had the privilege
to have my own biological
children, but I still qualify to be a granny!
So, I hope and pray to meet
many families who will
find my granny love and hospitality as a blessing!!!
68. 68
Pamie
I am a grandmother of many beautiful children.
Our humble home looks like a creche most of the time...
The pot on the stove always provide another plate of food,
as I dish out for the multitude.
I am blessed to have such a big family.
In the last year, I have such a longing to spent more
quality time with my dear husband:
To sit in a garden and drink many cups of tea together.
This is an encouragement to every elderly couple
to enjoy one another and to re-kindle the love.
Appreciate and notice one another
and leave a legacy of "unfailing love"
70. 70
Merelyn
The fragrance of fresh flowers and cakes brings
back so many memories of my darling mother!
She loved doing flower arrangements and catering at functions
and worked extensively to provide for our family.
Although she worked hard and long hours,
she could not afford an assistant.
So, since I can remember,
I would help her to decorate cakes
and arrange flowers and do whatever she required of me.
I must say, at times I felt such anger and
bitterness towards her career
71. 71
and the people she served because she worked so hard
for so little money.
I often wished she could change her career,
but when she passed away, I found
myself drawn to flower decorating and catering.
THANK YOU MOM!
72. 72
Riah
From the outside our house looked whole,
but from the inside it was broken.
Because of a continues neglect,
I developed diabetes, but through
a continues forgiveness
I will become whole!
As far as it is in your ability
bless your children with nutritious food.
Express your love through hugs and protection.
At times, treat them with something that excels a need:
an extravagant dress, a toy or a Wimpy Milkshake!
Only let them go when they are strong enough
to face the life of an adult.
Then that butterfly will reach higher heights
and find a place called HOME!
73. 73
Chrissie
I grew up with a stepfather that treated me like a boy,
with much manual hard-labour
and not many kind words.
One day, unexpectedly, he gave me a bicycle.
This changed my life!
All of a sudden I became the local currier
for all the neighbours.
I had purpose and felt free!
Now, after many years this one act of kindness,
is the only memory that stuck of my stepdad.
74. 74
My picture of him is totally restored!
My request to stepfathers is:
Please, be kind to your stepchildren!
75. 75
Lenie
As a child or even as a young adult,
it was an extreme luxury to go to the beach.
Today I am a mother and grandmother
but still if I dream of an idyllic day,
filled with joy and laughter;
it will be to play at the beach
with my husband and children.
We all grow up and old…… so quickly!
SO MOM AND DAD,
TAKE YOUR CHILDREN TO THE BEACH!
76. 76
MAKE TIME FOR FUN, LOVE AND LAUGHTER…
WHILE THEY ARE STILL YOUNG!
77. 77
Conclusion:
The combined use of expressive therapies for healing is not a new phenomenon, but
has been indigenous to cultures for centuries. It is time that inter-modalists develop
a voice for a global world.
South Africa is a land of contrasts; we have 13 official languages, four official
historical race groupings, a history of oppression, poverty and trauma. But we also
have stories of hope, working together, making it work. Perhaps its time for the
world to see the beauty of Africa, the growth, the strengths and the resilience in our
communities. Like Wellingtons’ Blossoms.. transforming hearts, changing lives.
Come and visit. See for yourself
why we are called
the rainbow nation.
Thank you
