QONCE – In a bid to honour Women’s Month, the Amathole Museum embarked on a women-led initiative, taking its mobile exhibition, “Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Lives,” to schools across the Buffalo City Metro Municipality.
The exhibition, curated by Dr Stephanie Victor, showcased a collection of captivating portraits of women from eQonce, representing diverse backgrounds and spheres of influence.
This initiative served as a powerful platform to engage young girls in discussions about their inner strengths, aspirations, and potential to lead extraordinary lives, regardless of their backgrounds or circumstances. It also emphasised the importance of education, family, and community service.
Education Officer at the museum, Papama Matthews, told the Express that the team thoroughly enjoyed connecting with the bright young women of the metro.
“Together, we tackled challenges such as bullying, peer pressure, and social media, reminding each learner that their potential is limitless. Our “Discovering Your Dreams” worksheet inspired the girls to think big. Motivated by the six remarkable women featured in our “Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Lives” outreach, learners mapped out their goals and demonstrated just how unstoppable they are.”
“We would like to congratulate the winners who walked away with prizes for their powerful and creative dream maps. They are living proof that ordinary girls can have extraordinary dreams!”
Bathandwa Gabha, a Grade 11 learner at West Bank High School, described the museum’s visit as truly inspiring.
“The programme reminded us, as young girls, of the importance of never giving up on our dreams, no matter the challenges we face. We learned about influential women such as Mrs Balls and Victoria Mxenge, who embodied strength, resilience, and determination in their respective fields. Their stories showed us that women can overcome obstacles and leave a lasting impact on society.”
She added that the visit encouraged them to believe in themselves and to keep striving for success, knowing that they too could one day become role models for others.
