Womanspirit

Womanspirit

Before even arriving in South Africa, we were able to work on a couple different projects. Some people worked with Dr. Fosl on archival research, while the other half of us worked on a project called Womanspirit. This is a program is aimed at providing South African and refugee women across the continent who are seeking exile in Cape Town, an opportunity to engage in collective projects that focus on methods of self healing. Most of the women come from the DRC, Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia, and Zimbabwe. All of these women have something in common – a painful past of their once beloved homes. These are women disenfranchised by different tragedies whether it is due to civil strife or traumatic experiences, but nonetheless, these are skilled women. Womanspirit allows for these women to find outlets of healing while pursuing means of work through entrepreneurship.

The horrors of displacement can be haunting. Hearing the stories of some of the women hit very close to home. Strife has plagued my home country for over two decades now. Leaving war and adapting to an already troubled and hostile environment in and of itself can be very traumatizing. It can almost feel like moving from one war to another. Where do our mothers, aunts, and sisters voices go? We had the opportunity to interview some of the women, and I felt over joyed by just hearing their stories and witnessing their contagious strength and spirit.

It goes to show that no matter what country they came from and their various backgrounds, these women face a lot of the same hardships. I think its important that there are projects such as this that provides women with the space for healing and creating networks of support while still being able to pursue different business opportunities. I become very close with the women there and was reminded of the importance and healing powers of dialogue, patience, and listening.

Amina

Amina