Lefika La Phodiso

Lefika La Phodiso (the rock of healing in Sesotho) is based at the Children’s Memorial Institute in Gauteng. Since 1994, Lefika has responded to the impact of trauma and loss associated with apartheid, HIV and AIDS, violence, and socio-economic disparities. Lefika’s primary objective has been to create accessible mental health services in under-resourced communities. This has been achieved by building capacity through training community arts practitioners, artists, educators, and mental health workers in creative analytic group work—bringing together arts therapy approaches, trauma work, and group practice. Through specialised skills development within an HWSETA-accredited training programme, Community Art Counsellors are able to facilitate community outreach projects in and around the inner city of Johannesburg, Sophiatown, Orange Farm, and Snake Park, Soweto. Responding to international social justice and psychosocial mental health needs, Lefika now reaches communities across South Africa and abroad.