DONNA
Educator, author, columnist, creatrix, and perpetual optimist dedicated to helping women thrive and enjoy all that life has to offer.
As a survivor of domestic abuse and other traumas I understand the difficulties and challenges that arise in womens daily realities. I am living proof that there is life on the other side of adversity. There is a way to not only survive and thrive but also to come alive in a way never imagined.
I’ve learned to honor and love myself for all the potential inside me to not only help myself but others as well. I have found my voice and used it to heal myself and stand up for “ME!” I now use this voice to help others find theirs.
In a way to ‘hold space’ for so many woman who have fought for their lives and have met a horrible fate at the hands and minds of others I wear different jewelry to honor them and to remind myself of the gift of my survival and my transformation.
The chains around my neck do not enslave me, they now serve to remind me of how we are all linked together in a way to stay connected and support one another.
A bangle is no longer a shackle, it is a warrioresses sign of strength and perseverance. They many bracelets together remind me of the community of women sharing space all together yet being uniquely individual.
The feather earrings that once reminded me of how out of control I was as an aimlessly floating dreamer remind me of my inner freedom that I was able to transform and manifest on the outside.
The hearts, although heavy, are a way to stay connected to love which is what we all need, want and share to keep us alive and thriving.
The list goes on and on.
I honor you. I honor me. I honor us all and the potential for healing, growth, life and love within each and every one of us!
HASEENA
Part of the inspiration for what I teach in “WO”mentum BuildHERs comes from one of my most poignant childhood memories. I was at a normal play date like every other seven year old kid – I was at a classmate’s home playing outside with her and her sister while my parents had tea with her parents. The only abnormal thing about it was that I was a non-white (Indian South African) girl growing up in Apartheid South Africa while my friends were white.
We played happily in a deep hole dug in the garden until the older neighbour kids looked over from the opposite side of the street and saw the colour of my skin. I don’t remember how old they were, but they looked big and intimidating. They towered over us, their bare feet kicking sand into the hole. They were going to cover the hole with sand and bury us alive, they said. When my classmate’s sister replied that we’d scream and our parents would be alerted, one of the intimidators smirked that our parents wouldn’t be able to hear us.
I don’t remember whether we told our parents about the experience, but that memory stuck with me – the feelings of being bullied and being looked at as unworthy, less and wrong. Experiencing these feelings over and over taught me what I was not. I learned that others, their opinions, their words and their actions do not define who I am. My definition of me had to come from myself. This was the beginning of learning to celebrate and honour myself; the beginning of building my “WO”mentum.
As one of the Chief “WO”mentum BuildHERs in this awesome adventure, I am passionate about supporting women worldwide in their journey to live out who they are in every aspect of life.