Sandringham resident uplifts women through creative monthly meetings

Sandringham resident Paola Ferretti, through her ‘I woman’ project, is giving women from all walks of life the opportunity to have a space to open up and connect through creative work.

The project is run from her Sandringham residence, where she assists women of various ages, religions and races from all over Johannesburg to find a sense of community within her garden studio which she describes as a ‘nurturing and artistic incubation space’.

The meetings are hosted on the first Saturday of every month.

Ferreti said, “It’s a place where, as women, we meet for a few hours and talk, laugh, tackle a creative project we’re working on individually, explore our sense of identity and belonging and also tell personal stories to each other. We listen, sometimes we grieve and hopefully we heal our feminine spirits in the process.”

The project, which has been running for 18 months, has been a learning curve for Ferretti and has evolved from the original idea she had. “I started with a clear idea in mind on how I wanted to conduct the meetings and what I aimed to achieve through my interaction with the women involved.”

She said the first hurdle in hosting the project was the fluctuation in attendance. “I have struggled with this but staying with the discomfort is slowly changing my openness. It has tested my motivation for why I am doing.”

Although attendees might come once or choose to come back, she said, “I trust that in experiencing the truth, the love, the honesty, the integrity, the openness and the commitment with which the space is held and nurtured, each woman may leave with a seed of healing and hope.

“This is not an initiative that follows a script, a formula. It’s not a series of rehearsed steps which guarantee its success. It invites women’s hearts to show up and be transformed.”

The group meets on the first Saturday of every month from 2.30pm to 5.30pm and a contribution of R100 per meeting is required, with tea time snacks included.

Details: For more information about the meetings, interested residents can email paolaferretti9@gmail.com or call contact 072 501 8430.

Edited by Stacey Woensdregt

Read: Tuesday Life Hack: 5 pictures that prove wardrobe hooks can be a space saver

Share your thoughts on the ‘I woman’ project by posting on the North Eastern Tribune Facebook page