Telkom volunteered in an art therapy workshop aimed at assisting 80 vulnerable children from several care centres in the greater Johannesburg area.
The workshop was held at the art therapy centre Lefika la Phodisa in the Johannesburg city centre and is aimed at youngsters who have been orphaned, abused, abandoned or neglected. Art therapy is an internationally recognised form of psychotherapeutic healing, according to Lefika la Phodisa. Telkom sees art as a form of communication and therefore did not hesitate to respond to support Lefika la Phodisa in making the one day workshop possible.
Ten volunteers from Telkom joined the Company’s art curator, Sophia van Wyk, at the workshop. Under the guidance of trained community art counsellors, the volunteers helped the children to express themselves through art and discover their creativity.
Telkom’s volunteers were complimented for their contribution and positive attitude. “Corporate volunteers are not always as easy to work with as the group from Telkom was,” said Luke Lamprecht, a child protection and development consultant.
First, the children used coloured clay to express how they were feeling that day. Next, each child was given a blue box – donated by the Telkom Art Collection – to decorate and turn into their own private treasure chest. They used paint, paper, fabric, ribbons, string, beads, feathers, glitter and magazine words and images to transform the boxes into works of art.
Adults and children alike sat on the floor throughout the day, and the volunteers were inundated with requests from the young artists for help with tasks such as cutting, drawing, sticking, tidying up artistic accidents and adding creative finishing touches to the boxes.
Lefika la Phodisa staff commented favourably on the Telkom volunteers’ willingness to take instructions from the art counsellors and to do whatever was needed to assist. They were also praised for their compassionate attitude to the children, and for encouraging them rather than trying to discipline them.
Luke Lamprecht then elaborated on the refreshing approach of the Telkom Art Collection towards the workshop and Lefika la Phodisa.
“When a corporate works with an NGO, it has to be a true partnership,” he said. “Unfortunately, some corporates practise a kind of intellectualism colonialism.”
For instance, instead of asking the NGO what kind of assistance it needs and wants, they assume they know what is needed. Another common corporate error is to send in teams whose hearts are not really in volunteering but who go because their employers expect them to.
Telkom was conscientious of this and ensured that volunteers were eager to assist.