Apartheid (literally, "apartness" or "separateness") was a period of systematic, institutionalized racism in South Africa that lasted from 1948-1994. Everyone in South African society was categorized into one of four racial groups: White, Black, Coloured, or Asian (Indian). In a country where Whites constituted less than 20% of the population and Blacks made up nearly 80%, Whites were at the top of this hierarchy, and Black Africans were at the bottom. During Apartheid, Black South Africans lived under horrific circumstances. They were often unable to attain basic resources, nor were they allowed to receive anything beyond a vocational education. Blacks were often accused of crimes, and subsequently given unfair trails or were summarily executed by police. It was illegal for Whites to marry or even to have sexual relations with a non-White, and Blacks were forced to carry special pass books with permits if they left Black territory. This half-century of systematic oppression ended in 1994 when Blacks were finally given the right to vote. In a landslide, the country elected Nelson Mandela as its first Black president.
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The testimony of victims in the aftermath of mass atrocity can be a powerful tool in building public memory relating to past violence. But speaking about past traumatic experiences can also be incredibly difficult for some. In these cases, those who have lived through such violence have to find other means for communicating what they have experienced. The Intuthuko (which means “to progress”) Embroidery Project is a group of women in South Africa who use embroidery as a means of building community, raising money, and telling their own stories of life during and after Apartheid.  

​The Intuthuko Embroidery Project is a group of women in South Africa who use embroidery as a means of building community, raising money, and telling their own stories of life during and after Apartheid.  

The Intuthuko Embroidery Project includes Ntombela Irene Thetheni, Sikhosana Rose Ntombikayise, Songo Selina Sdudla, Nkosi Zanyana Clerence, Maseko Lindiwe Matilda, Sasebola Maphuti Sannah, Matsosa Mantlenyana Alzina, and Madonsela Christine Mabatho

The Intuthuko Embroidery Project is a women’s community empowerment collective situated in a township called Daveyton, in the Gauteng Province (Gauteng is one of the country’s nine provinces and is situated in the Highveld region) of South Africa. The project was established in 2002 as a community empowerment initiative which seeks to provide poverty alleviation alternatives for ‘previously disadvantaged women’. The women make various embroidered products (e.g. conference bags, cellphone pouches, placemats, laptop bags, etc.) which they in turn sell to make a living. Their products/embroideries depict their everyday experiences, reflections on the environment, and stories about their surroundings. The women have worked on a collaborative project with a group called “Grannies in Solidarity’ based in Canada. Additionally, they have collaborated with various organizations on projects that allowed them to use their embroidery skills to engage social issues. In 2004 they were commissioned by the University of South Africa to make embroideries that reflected the journey to freedom that South Africa has had been embarking on. Many of the women in the collective lived through the apartheid regime and they carry these stories, memories, and traumas with them and often release these onto the work they create.