Elderly woman empowers community using her gift of sewing
It took leaving a toxic marriage of 30 years for
Audrey Morkel (61) to relive her dreams.
Everyone is born with a special talent and as life continues, many discover their dream and purpose.
But life can throw the unexpected at us and sometimes tough times can cause us to neglect our passions.
This is the story of Audrey Morkel, an elderly woman from Cape Town.
Audrey says she discovered her passion for fabrics and materials at the age of seven and dreamt of becoming a seamstress.
“When I was a young girl, I used to draw on fabric and dream to become an artist,” she told Beautiful News.
READ: Fashion designer uses recycled material to create stunning womenswear
However, her dreams where shattered when she got married to a man who emotionally abused her.
“I got married at 20 years old and for 30 years I was emotionally abused,” she told the publication.
“In many ways, it broke me down and I stopped believing in myself,” she added.
Raising four children caused her to stay in the abusive marriage, until they were grown enough for her to gather the strength to leave.
“I was thinking about my children that kept me in this abusive relationship,” she said.
She then left the marriage and followed her dreams.
“I decided to take the leap and walk away.”
Ikamva Labantu, an initiative supporting women, children, and senior citizens in townships through arts and crafts development, helped her get on her feet and start her own business.
Today, the 61-year-old runs a skills development project in her community and teaches other women to stitch and sew.
“I want to see other women that are in the same situation become skilled crafters and reach financial independence,” she said.
“Standing up for myself and my passions made all the difference,” said the mother of four.
Catch stories such as these by listening to Danny Painter every Monday to Thursday from 19:00 to 22:00.
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