VUYO OYIYA NETWORK
As we mark Women's month and our anniversary, we are filled with immense gratitude for the support we have received. The #MyCrownVnA Crown Chakra sculpture at VnA Waterfront has captured hearts both locally and internationally, spreading our empowering message far and wide.
Our theme last year, "This is How I Wear My Crown," focused on celebrating how we wear our crowns, connect with our divinity, uplift each other, and foster sisterhood. Your heartfelt responses have fueled our passion and creativity.
This year, as we embrace Women's Month, we are delighted to unveil our powerful new theme under the "Art of Kindness" umbrella: "Seeds of Freedom: Empowering Women Through Self-Sustainability." Inspired by your fantastic feedback, this initiative honours the sacrifices of incredible women of the world who are holding space and paving a way for our freedom and in-dependence.
The theme emphasises grounding ourselves in peace, strength, and centeredness to maximise our impact. It’s a celebration of self-care, a vital practice often overlooked by women nurturing others. A reminder we can’t pour from an empty cup, a call to prioritise our well being.
Get ready to be inspired by tales from phenomenal women across diverse backgrounds in our upcoming editions,featuring in-depth articles, captivating video interviews, and delightful high tea hangouts. We are honoured and thrilled to showcase their self-sustaining journeys that will ignite a spark of motivation in everyone who follows along IG: vuyooyiyanetwork.
INTRO DUCTION
Vuyo Oyiya Network presents: Seeds of Freedom: Empowering Women Through Self-Sustainability : A Deep Dive with DR. SIAN PROCTOR ✨
In celebration of Women’s Month, we are thrilled to present the third feature in our "Seeds of Freedom: Empowering Women Through Self-Sustainability" campaign. Inspired by the saying, “Teach a woman to fish and you feed her for a lifetime.”
We are honoured to feature Dr Sian Proctor, a pioneer in space exploration, education, and art. As a Geoscience Professor at Maricopa Community Colleges, Dr Proctor has dedicated over two decades to teaching geology, sustainability, and planetary science. Beyond academia, she made history as the mission pilot for SpaceX Inspiration4, the first all-civilian orbital mission, becoming the first African American woman to pilot a spacecraft. Her passion for art as an Afrofuturism artist inspires conversations about diversity and inclusion in the space industry. Her commitment to education and outreach is evident through her roles on various advisory boards, her TEDx talk, and her innovative projects on sustainable food practices. Believing in the power of space exploration to solve earthly challenges, she inspires future generations to pursue their passions and contribute to a just and inclusive world.
Dr Sian Proctor’s journey epitomises self-sustainability and purpose alignment. In her deep dive interview, she shares that solo piloting an aeroplane for the first time empowered her, realising her life depended on a smooth landing. This inspired her to tackle more challenges, perfectly capturing our theme. Dr Proctor, the EarthlightER, emphasises the importance of preparation and purpose. Her readiness to seize opportunities and make her dreams come true resulted from hard work and preparation. Every career decision positioned her as the best candidate for Inspiration4.
Her story encourages all women to align passions with actions, proving extraordinary accomplishments are not just possible—they're inevitable, a cause and effect. As we celebrate Women’s Month, let Dr Proctor’s journey inspire us to plant our own seeds of freedom, to hold space for ourselves and others using her J.E.D.I method from her Space2Inspire poem, which won her the seat to space @ inspiration4 (see full poem next page - “We have J for Justice to ignite the bold. We have E for Equity to cut past the old. We have D for Diversity to end the fight. We have I for Inclusion to try and make it right.”) and to let our earth light shine
See the link in our bio for full feature for “ Seeds of Freedom: Empowering Women Through Self-Sustainability ” a Deep Dive with Dr Sian Proctor ✨
A heartfelt thanks to: @ artatafrica for the opportunity
Jim Adams for holding space for us before the interview. Liam Cockcroft for Deep Dive interview video and sound post-processing CPUT Film students Ethandwa Dwane, Hlelokuhle Kama with Dominique Vandenhoudt filming the interview Superfile for sponsoring the Art/Tech Festival VnA Waterfront for hosting @ rookisaacman [Jared Isaacman] for bridging the gap!
Happy Women’s Month, Queens
#VuyoOyiyaNetwork #MyCrownVnA #DrSianProctor #WomensMonthCelebrations #EmpoweredWomenEmpowerOthers #SeedsofFreedom #SelfSustainable #LegacyOfStrength #ArtOfKindness #IAmBecauseYouAre
SEEDS OF FREEDOM:
EMPOWERING WOMEN THROUGH SELF-SUSTAINABILITY
“We have J for Justice to ignite the bold We have E for Equity to cut past the old We had D for Diversity to end the fight We have I for Inclusion to try and make it right.”
- Dr Sian Proctor
WOMEN
possess an unparalleled capacity for healing and represent the purest embodiment of art, akin to the very essence of Mother Nature herself. Beautiful, soft, powerful souls in human bodies. Vuyo Oyiya
** SEEDS OF FREEDOM: EMPOWERING WOMEN THROUGH SELF-SUSTAINABILITY:
VUYO OYIYA NETWORK PRESENTS: SEEDS OF FREEDOM: EMPOWERING WOMEN THROUGH SELF-SUSTAINABILITY: A DEEP DIVE WITH DR. SIAN PROCTOR
A special thanks to:
Khulu @artatafrica : for the opportunity
Jim Adam: for holding space before the interview.
Liam Cockcroft: Video and sound post-processing CPUT Film students Ethandwa Dwane, Hlelokuhle Kama with Dominique Vandenhoudt for filming
To Superfile for sponsoring the Art Tech Festival VnA Waterfront for hosting Jared Isaacman for bridging the gap!
THE ART OF THE ART OF COLLABORATION COLLABORATION
Sisters in creation: Our collaborative efforts made the creation of the Crown Chakra sculptures a reality...
THE TIGERESS OF EDEN @ TALITA_STEYN_ARTIST
LINDI SCHULTZ
Vuyo Oyiya