Siphiwe Mngometulu is the backbone of her home; abandoned by her husband for years, she was left alone to raise her six children. Weaving has allowed her a means of processing her emotional struggles and has enabled her to become independent. Expressive weaving also rescued her daughter, Bonakele, who battled depression and straitened circumstances after giving birth at a young age.
“What has been the biggest impact in my life is that I have been taught how to make use of my hands and be able to survive through them.”
The colours and materials woven into their intensely personal baskets represent important parts of their lives – love, family, loss, husbands, hope and the future.
