by
Frieda C. Groffy
illustrated book of their life stories. According to its website, the Studio not only serves as a community-based artist resource center, but it also
coordinates art-related poverty relief and AIDS awareness projects throughout South Africa.
While I'm sitting in front of this blank computer screen before starting to write this article, I wanted to share with you the overwhelming feelings of gratitude, humbleness, and of healing inner balance, that I have experienced since my arrival in South Africa some weeks ago.
Being able to work on a project about 'hope, expectations, and dreams' with the students of the Artist Proof Studio (APS) in Johannesburg (founded and directed by Kim Berman, an established artist with works in galleries in South Africa, Europe, and the U.S.) is a privilege. All the students of APS come from disadvantaged backgrounds, families and communities. To reach this point in their studies (being accepted as students in the Studio) their lives were a steeple chase of conquering obstacles, all to obtain that ultimate dream of being an artist in Fine Arts - if possible, the best ever!
However, realistic as they are, they give themselves a period of ten years to emerge a career and to build the dream! And, almost all of them express the touching wish that, later on, they would like to teach, to give something back to the young people of their communities - they want to be positive role models for them.
Girls in the Studio, unfortunately, are still the minority; there are only 9 out of 67 students. Yet they are very assertive and determined to prove themselves, some even resolutely taking lead of the group, interacting well, and starting discussions, etc...
All the students are aware that their English is sometimes very poor, and that handicaps their ability to express themselves in writing, but they are very eager to improve their knowledge, and in the short period of this school term I'm trying to give them some simple tools to make that more easy for them. I can't perform miracles, but I can give them basic tools for coping better with the difficulties of everyday life.
They have all started writing the first draft of their stories, and making the first sketches of their illustrations to tell the world about their dreams and goals.
They all have that little inner flame, the determination and the passion, to climb that rainbow.
Editing this book to be published as "Climbing the Rainbow of Our Dreams", helping it to come alive, will be a lot of work - even when I am back home again. But if the book can be published as a human document of Hopes and Dreams to be realized by talented young people of the new South Africa - that rainbow Nation - then a dream of mine also will be realized.
- Frieda Groffy from Johannesburg.
The following poem was written by Ms. Groffy and sent with her report. She remarks that "Jozi" is a popular name for Johannesburg and that "veldt" means field.
It didn't rain in Jozi today
The sun burning like hellfire
Was playing hide and seek with the clouds
The gods of thunder beating their drums
In a dark distant rumble
It still didn't rain in jozi today
The streets lay deserted
The birds singing in a restless chat
A sudden wind shaking the trees
Even the lizards were hiding
It still didn't rain in Jozi today
The rich taking dives in the pools
Sipping ice cold martinis on the rocks
The poor happy with a cool drink of water
Trying to keep the dust out of the houses
It still didn't rain in Jozi today
I took my washing from the line
And did my ironing
The cleaning woman came in to work
For her no resting on Sunday
I made her a cup of tea sharing some cookies
And gave her my Arnica balm to
Rub the pain out of her back
It still didn't rain in Jozi today
In the townships some babies will cry
Some babies will die, and a girl will be
Raped and beaten to dead at a lonesome
Spot in the Veldt
And it still didn't rain in Jozi today
Some will watch football, others play cricket
Some will make love, others get drunk
Some will go to church to praise the Lord
Some women will sing, some women will dance
Some women will end this day all beaten up
But it still didn't rain in Jozi today
Maybe ... tonight?
Ms. Groffy is a Belgian poet and journalist; she is a frequent contributor to QME.
