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Reimagining Themba

The Launch of South Africa’s First Child Mental Health Awareness Initiative in a Township: “Reimagining Themba”
We are excited to announce the launch of the “Reimagining Themba” project on October 10, 2024 in celebration of World Mental Health Day. This marks South Africa’s first-ever child mental health awareness campaign held in a township, using art to challenge stigma and spark important conversations around mental well-being. Themba which means “hope” in Zulu, symbolizes the essential qualities that children need to thrive.

“Reimagining Themba” showcases the work of renowned South African artist Mikhailia Petersen and features incredible portraits of twelve young mentees from the Little Lions Child Coaching
programme.

Each mentee was beautifully captured, showcasing the strongest qualities they have identified within themselves, offering a powerful visual narrative that celebrates strength and individuality.

The launch event will also include a special installation at Guga S’thebe, the local community center recently visited by the Dutch King and Queen, further amplifying the mental health conversation in the community. Additionally, the photographs will be displayed along a 2.5km stretch of Langa’s main road for one month, making this a visually inspiring and impactful event.

Little Lions, which received funding and support from Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation earlier this year, is dedicated to addressing youth mental health and well-being in under-resourced communities. The programme helps children build mental resilience and nurtures them to become future leaders.

Event Details
Date: October 10, 2024
Time: 15:00 – 17:30
Location: Guga S’Thebe, Langa
We invite you to join us for this milestone event as we celebrate art, mental health, and the resilience of our community.
ABOUT
LITTLE LIONS COACHING
Little Lions Coaching is a community-based NGO dedicated to addressing child mental health and well-being in under-resourced communities. The programme helps children build mental resilience and nurtures them to become future leaders, with the help of local role models that are trained as mental health coaches.
To date, Little Lions Coaching has hosted over 1500 workshops, empowering over 3000 children across 6 townships in South Africa and counting including Langa, Khyatelisha, Makhaza, Imizamo Yethu, Klapmuts and Mfuleni. In 2023, they also branched out to Kenya.
1500
Workshops
3000+
Childern Empowering
ABOUT
MIKHAILA
PETERSEN
Working in the medium of analogue film photography, Petersen focuses on portraiture. Through each project, the artist aims to capture her subjects in a truthful and celebratory manner, portraying those individuals she shoots through narrative-based story-telling, as opposed to isolated and essentializing single images. Interested in the post-colonial landscape of Cape Town, her work seeks to re-address the way POC and LGBTQIA+ people are framed within this context through hardship and oppression. Instead her photographs highlight the beauty and strength of people.
In 2024 Petersen presented work from Reimagining Themba at RMB Latitudes Art Fair in Johannesburg. The presentation, presented and curated by RESERVOIR, was awarded the Lexus Best Stand Award.
All the artworks are also for sale – the profits go back to Little Lions. Interested in purchasing the artworks?
© 2024 Little Lions Child Coaching
Bankrekening:
Stichting Little Lions Nederland
NL27 ABNA 0108 3141 54