About us

I saw the light of day as Veronika on the 14. July 1988 in Mannheim. That is the place where I grew up and spend my childhood and youth until I finished my university-entrance diploma at the Waldorfschool. Subsequent to it I was off to South Africa in August 2008 for a one year social work through the weltwärts-program with the Organization of the Friends of Rudolf Steiner. I worked in a children´s home in Khayelitsha, a township near Cape Town. About 150 kinds between 2 days and 18 years. With fates, I could have never imagined to face them. It was a special year I was very affected by. Afterwards I spend some time in Namibia and finally came into my own with the studies of Art Therapy and Art Education. I was always interested in humans and art and could find here a very special and valuable combination and connection between these subject-matters. Now I will step into the world with my B.A. in my pocket. During my voluntary year the wish coming back to South Africa with my own project came into being. This desire turned into a concrete plan - Ukubona. I am looking forward to go back to Khayelitsha again.

My name is Sisa Ntshwaqela. I am a 24 year young passionate andenthusiastic social change maker. Growing up in a place like Khayelitsha was a blessing at first, until I learnt how the real world works. The slim opportunities the township has and the lack of resources. Not everyone is proud of growing their children in it. After I finished school in one of the high schools in Khayelitsha, JoeSlovo Engineering, I was very eager to help, give back to thecommunity, make a change. Since 2014 I have been involved in various projects. With a group of friends we started the project called "havefun". We wanted to bring fun back to school and help children with their academics the same time. So we went to different primary schools and worked with the children, by assisting with their homeworks as well as initiating fun projects and days. But we wanted more. Seeing every day how segregation still takes place and people are too afraid to come to Khayelitsha/townships, we always felt the need to change something. So we founded a project called "Dine with Khayelitsha", where we would invite people from all over to come and have a Dine inour community. It is very important to uncover our thoughts and need and have a platform to discuss. So a Dine is always accompanied by a certain topic. I have a desire to go and learn as much as I can. I want to expand my knowledge and be able serve the needs of my community in any way possible. I also want to develop myself as a person, so I can live a peaceful and balanced life while I'm growing others.

Working with Ukubona now gives me the chance to be involve in my community, share the skills and knowledge that I have gained throughout my learnings. This project also helps me to learn the artistic way of dealing with children.My dream is to add value in people's lives and build a resourceful community that generations can benefit from. I'm also interested in literature and sport, so in future I would like to explore those fields and be part of them.

I am Jette and I was born on the 10. March 1989 in Delmenhorst nearby Bremen.In the summer of this year 2014 I successfully graduated my studies in Art Therapy and Art Education at the University of Applied Sciences, Ottersberg. I was always interested in creative work in which social context would play an important role. I finished my vocational diploma in 2008 with the major subject in art and design and completed afterwards a social year on a farm for children and adolescence. During that year I worked together with children in all age groups while particularly the encounter between humans and animals was important. Up until my studies started I was accompanying a little boy with down syndrome for half a year as his personal assistance. It gave me a big pleasure to encourage and support the development of this boy through playful and creative methods. It also encouraged me in my final decision to begin my studies. Throughout these four year at the hks Ottersberg the studies were completed by different internships in which I could gain insights into art therapy and art education. To draw from it, to complete one another and to discover new thing - that´s what is making me look forward when I think on the realization of Ukubona.

My name is Laura and I was born on the 28. December 1991. Growing up on a farm in Osterndorf I was involved from early childhood on into agricultural work process and learned to interact in a responsible manner with animals and humans. Simultaneously I became awake through the skilled manual work on the farm that I wouldn´t want to miss out on a direct relation to my environment later in my professional life. In 2010 I passed my advanced technical college entrance qualification with the major subject in Art at the vocational school in Osterholz-Scharmbeck. Afterwards I started to study ‘Art in Social Context. Art Therapy and Art Education‘ at the University of Applied Sciences, Ottersberg. The studies were divided into different teaching and learning contents, whereby I could gain experience in art education, art therapy and theatre pedagogy. Previous experiences, my interest and current activities encouraging me with deep determination to create more space for the art of my conception.