Machado
Artist Statement
I've been in Toronto for about 2 years and I've never had the opportunity to be in a group like this of women who all speak Portuguese. It was good for me to be in this group during these last few months because I received attention and a lot of love; made me feel at home, calm and renewed.
I felt several benefits in relation to art therapy. One of them was that I returned to my childhood dream of doing embroidery; it allowed me to go back to doing what I liked to do before. I also feel that I have developed more confidence and it has helped me to strengthen hope.
My Bible: Words of Protection
One of the values ​​I attach the most importance to is spiritual. When I put Jehovah as the first person and listen to what he says, I suffer less.
I am a very resilient woman because I know that God is not pleased with evil. Even when you are suffering you cannot be bitter. So God sees me as a very resilient person.
The Baobab
This tree in Africa brings me good childhood memories.
Angola went through many years of war and I lived in an area affected by famine. This tree produces the fruit Mukwa that brings a desire for satiety. With the Baobab fruit we can make a juice that nourishes.
The flower of the tree is very beautiful and fragrant.
I used to play with Baobab flowers and caress them as if they were my doll.
Immigration Experience
Even with problems I will be able to keep up and move on. The biggest challenges I'm facing are the difficulty with the language and the immigration situation. You always have to have lots of papers and lots of meetings. And then you suffer in the hands of translators because
I understand, but I still don't know how to speak the language.
But I will try hard to speak the language!
Dreams: Strength and Peace
Inside my bible is the source of life. The bible says we have to be persistent in prayer. In prayer I talk to God so that we have peace. In these moments in which we are living, it is difficult to have peace.
I pray for peace every day and every moment, and for strength and to be able to move forward.
