This past season we had a collaborative event with RainbowUCT & Hip Hop Soc.
It was themed around the conversation of GBV, and raising awareness about the rape crisis.
‘Being a woman Should not be a death sentence’ was the focal point of conversation.
We had heart to hearts, enjoyed the community, and shared our voices that evening. It was a vibe.
There were zines on the table when we started the event off. We had snacks, and refreshed ourselves for the event open mic.
For the open mic, we sat in an semi circle centering the stage. we sat as our ancestors did around a fire. It indeed was fire that was sat around.
Bless all the hearts that bled their fire to warm our souls that evening.
We have these conversations so to prevent silence. It is in the silence the cycle continues. A thank you to every brave soul that showed up and shared their voice with us that evening. Your fire keeps us warm.
Each one of you who showed up, and to those who came to listen too, thank you for creating space for us. Each poet came with their ambers to add to the fire, and it flamed on and warmed us. Truly a beautiful evening. Where humans took form of fire to warm souls. The sacred ways never really die, they just take new form.
QThis was the question asked to the attendees at the collaborative event, and the recorded answers were so human, so heartwarming, that it makes asking questions like this worth it. So to answer this question, that tends to be an issue, this is what those in attendance shared with us
“What’ssomethingyou’relearning toloveaboutyourself?”
The parts of myself that I’ve been hating on for years. The parts that are hidden, that are waiting top bloom. The things my mind can create My voice, how to express it How to share my stories to other people, learning to educate and to advocate.
-Zuqhame
It’s not something I have been thinking about, but if i had to answer, I’d say my personality. {my personality} doesn’t fit into the social conventions if you may say I’m just learning to love my personality for what it is
-Lesiba
I’m learning to love my effort I put into things I’m learning to love how much I care about people and that it’s not too much. I stress about being too chalant. I’m learning to love that I do care a lot, and I love a lot. I’m learning to love how short I am I love it though, I can fit into spaces like to my friends to hug them. I like to be close to areas of love if that makes sense. Like I can always wrap my arms around them, like I’m not reaching down ever. I also learning to love.. my side profile.. I’m serious
I think this event especially helped me a lot with like loving being a woman. I think it was very inspiring hearing the poetry tonight and it really made me feel like I was par of something bigger than myself
- Aqeelah
-Tumi
My voice Well, my internal and external voice. I feel like I’m giving more ground and grace to myself with how I sound and how i say certain things
-Unathi
Me Like truly me Without the academics, without the noise, without the clothes, without the makeup, without the performance, just...me. I even have like, a lil routine now, i hug myself in the shower It’s weird but truly holding myself and not waiting for someone else to hold me. so I’m learning to love me, real me
-Sinaye
My ability to show up for other people. At first it was draining but I looked at it from different perspective, that I think through my ability to show up for other people, it made me happy at some point so I was like ‘okay maybe I am showing up for myself as well as I am doing what I love to do which is being there for other people.
-Odwa
I think growing up I really learned to love my personality, cause that’s what i relied on And coming to varsity I think I’ve learnt to love how I look on the outside as well.
Because.. I never saw myself as beautiful. And people would be like ‘ you look so beautiful’ and I wouldn’t see it So I’m learning to love how I look Like looking in the mirror and being like ‘ wow... you really got that on!!’
-Siphesihle
I’m learning to love my mind. I grew up in a household where ‘ women don’t speak’, ‘ women don’t think’, ‘ women don’t study.’ But that is exactly what I am doing, I’m speaking I’m thinking I’m studying and you know, my mind has always been my worst enemy I think so much that I can’t speak, I think so much that I can’t make friends, I think so much that I can’t do much, I’m talking too much now. But uhm my mind has been the one constant in my life, and I need to learn to love it love it
-Nusrat
I’m learning to love the body that I am in. And love it so much that I’m willing to express myself through it, and everything. I’m tired of waiting to to be thin or to reach a certain beauty standard in order for me to wear the clothes this way, in order for me to love myself. I’m tired of external valiadtion in order for me to truly see myself as beautiful. So I’m learning to love my body
-Nomtha
How loud i am..
How much space I take up when I don’t mean to
