Abuse is a pandemic in South Africa and the aftermath of this pandemic is trauma, which can be carried out and passed through to other generations. This creates a never ending cycle of hurt, pain, and damage to those impacted. Where do we start in aiding those who are still trapped by the trauma and find it hard to start the process of healing?

There are many more ways than one, the aim is to start somewhere, and the Miykael Institute of Divine Arts is doing just that with their rehabilitation programs and projects. The organization is based in Kagiso, West Rand, Krugersdorp, and their work is to develop and rehabilitate communities through a variety of arts and craft.

The Miykael Institute of Divine Arts has partnered with Constitution Hill to launch a pilot project titled, “Invincible Woman”. This project aims to rehabilitate victims of gender based violence through arts and crafts. The project focuses on assisting women to deal with the trauma of abuse in a creative and positive way, by teaching them new skills and how to turn their trauma into gold.

The Objectives of the “Invincible Woman” Project are:

- Creating opportunities through arts and crafts

- Expanding and extracting hidden talent through art therapy programs

- Creating viable economic means for victims of abuse

- Capacity building and re-motivate for a new outlook on life

- Rehabilitating and inspiring progressive outlooks through arts

- Expanding and creating Job opportunities for young women who have lost hope in life

- Exhibiting and auctioning of arts works produced by the recipients of the program.

The project is uplifting up to 20-40 women in the period of two cycles. The first was a therapy program that ran within the month of August (Women’s Month), which fit well with our calendar and the sixteen days of activism campaign. We have preserved the art works for the exhibition and auctioning event, which started from workshops held in August and will be showcased during the 16 days of activism campaign. The programs were held at Constitution Hill, a site once meant to oppress those captive there, and now is a site of hope and endless possibilities for those who walk the site today. Brave, incredible women endured oppression and lived to tell their liberation stories to live on the site for generations to come. This is why it was important for the programs and now exhibition to be held at the historical, heritage site.

The exhibition opening will be on the 25^th of November 2023 from 14h00 at Constitution Hill.

The exhibition will be at ConHill until the 16^th of December 2023.

RSVP Details: Email lerato@conhill.org.za | mida.institute@yahoo.com