We continue to get updates from the group in Johannesburg, South Africa and am excited to share them with you.

For those who didn’t get the newsletter, the background on this is that a few weeks ago, a group of 10 women (ranging in age from 15 to 21) from Soweto, a township near Johannesburg, met for their first Chill & Spill group. Stacey, their leader, is a graphic-designer-turned-expressive-arts educator. The group is structured so that the older women help mentor the younger ones as they work through the themes of the book. Stacey chose to use Chill & Spill because it supports her group’s theme of gender equity, girls’ empowerment, and encourages leadership skills through creativity. She knows how these young women’s lives can be transformed through strong decision-making skills, peer support and self-confidence. This is especially important because they hail from an area which suffers from overwhelming poverty, high unemployment, child-headed households resulting from the HIV/Aids pandemic, crime, and teen pregnancy.

The first time the group met, Stacey, the leader, told me that at the end, “My heart ached when a few said that they won’t write in their journals till next workshop. When I asked why, they said they didn’t have any pens ”“ so I gave them mine.” Since then, she was able to get some supplies donated. She writes:

This Saturday’s workshop began with a feedback session. Most of the girls said that they had written in their Chill & Spill journals regularly since the first workshop — one told me that she had been through the entire journal already!  She said that she couldn’t believe how she had enjoyed writing because she actually dislikes writing at school.

There was much excitement when I handed out markers and glue sticks that had been generously donated for them to take home!

Each participant answered the Exclusive Interview questions in Chill & Spill individually.  Then the exercise was translated into a group interview to encourage dialogue. Some concerns that were brought up included poverty, health, the challenges surrounding daily life such as public transportation, and they all shared a desire to learn and improve themselves. The young women did not have to share anything with the group that they didn’t feel comfortable with.

Then, we explored magazine collage, cutting out words that have meaning. The participants created thought and speech bubbles symbolic of their Exclusive Interview, creatively expressing their inner voices.

I wish I could share the photos, but I am awaiting permission. Believe me, they are wonderful to see!