“How I Survived: A Professional Woman’s Journey from Destitution to Empowerment and Hope”

By Deryn

Jun 23, 2023

Sibelius monumnet Helsinki showing organ pipes that are tree trunks of the forest

Photo Pixabay, Sibelious Monument,

Music becomes a voice for change

I have long believed that the arts serve purposes far beyond decoration. A painting can tell a story. A poem can preserve a memory. A novel can give a forgotten person a voice. Drama and dance are transient vehicles for storytelling. And music? Music can bring people together.  have seen something of this for myself in my travels. I have stood before the monument to Jean Sibelius in Helsinki, Finland, and I have visited Estonia. Standing in those places, knowing something of their history, gives a different meaning to the music. You begin to understand that these were not simply composers writing beautiful melodies. In times of oppression and uncertainty, music can become a vessel carrying the identity of an entire people.

Music when a nation finds its voice

Consider Finland. For more than six hundred years, Finland was part of the Swedish realm. In 1809, it passed from Sweden to the Russian Empire and became an autonomous Grand Duchy. During the nineteenth century, a growing Finnish cultural movement sought to strengthen a distinct national identity. The Kalevala compiled from Finnish oral poetry, became an important expression of that identity. Artists, writers, and musicians began to give Finland a language of its own, not necessarily a political language, but a cultural one.

Sculpture of Sibelious Head, Helsinki

Photo Pixabay, Sibelious Monument

Then came Sibelius. In 1899, during a period of increasing Russian pressure and attempts at Russification, Sibelius composed the music that would become Finlandia It was originally part of a series of historical tableaux presented at the Press Celebrations in Helsinki. The final section, known as “Finland Awakes,” stirred something deep in the Finnish people. Finlandia became a symbol of Finnish nationalism. When I stood before the Sibelius monument, I wasn’t just viewing a memorial to a famous composer. It reminded me of what happens when art helps people remember their identity. Sibelius helped give Finland a sound, and sometimes people need a sound before finding a voice. Organ pipes represented the trees of the forest; forests go deep into the psyche of the Finnish people, a voice that resonated with them.Estonian Music Festival Stand

Estonia sang its way toward freedom

I experienced a similar feeling when I visited Estonia. Domination by powerful neighbors has marked Estonia’s history, and during the Soviet period, language and national identity were under pressure. Yet Estonia had an extraordinary cultural treasure: its singing tradition.

The Singing Revolution of the late 1980s demonstrated just how powerful that treasure could become. Hundreds of thousands of Estonians gathered at the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds and sang traditional and patriotic songs together. They sang Mu isamaa on minu arm, “Land of My Fathers, Land that I Love,” a song that had become deeply associated with Estonian identity. They also sang the patriotic songs of composer Alo Mattiisen.Music of Estonian Dancers

Estonian Folk Dancers, Video - Deryn van der Tang

This was nonviolence; they were not taking up arms, they were raising their voices. By 1989, the movement had grown into the remarkable Baltic Way, when people in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania joined hands in a human chain stretching across the three Baltic countries. Music had helped people remember they belonged to something larger than the political system that governed them.

The music that defied ruins

Then there is Sarajevo. During the terrible siege of Sarajevo in the 1990s, cellist Vedran Smailović became known as the “Cellist of Sarajevo.” After twenty-two people were killed while waiting for bread, Smailović returned to the devastated area and played Albinoni’s Adagio in G minor in their memory. Picture a city under attack. Amidst the broken buildings and people living in fear, a man sits with his cello and plays. The music could not stop the bombs, nor could it bring the dead back. But it declared something profound:

Beauty had not been destroyed. Human dignity had not been destroyed, and the human spirit had not been destroyed. That is the power of the arts.

Why do the arts matter?

When we talk about social change, we often think about politicians, protesters, legislation, and movements. And, of course, these matter. But underneath every movement is something deeper: a story about who we are and what we believe is worth preserving. Artists help us tell that story. A composer can give a nation a melody. Poets can preserve a language. Painters can capture a landscape that becomes part of a people’s memory. A storyteller can take the ordinary life of one family and reveal something universal about courage, suffering, and hope.

Perhaps that is why oppressive regimes have so often tried to control language, literature, music, and art. They understand something we sometimes forget: culture holds memory. And memory gives people identity.

The Bible tells us, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver” (Proverbs 25:11).

Sometimes someone speaks, paints, sings, or writes that word.

The arts may not change the world overnight. Yet, they have the power to shift how people view the world. And once people see differently, they may begin to think differently, hope differently, and eventually act differently.

As I think about Finland, Estonia, and many other places I have traveled, I remember that the arts form a vital part of human society. They are part of our inheritance; they carry the stories of those who came before us. They inspire courage in those struggling today and plant seeds of hope for future generations. Perhaps that is why music has such extraordinary power.

A single voice may be silenced, a single instrument broken, yet a song alive in people’s hearts proves much harder to destroy.

And sometimes, when a people begin to sing together, the world begins to listen.

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I just had to share this amazing lady's story with my readers. Diana Sekwaila lives in South Africa. Her story shows you must draw on God-inspired divine strength to see you through difficult circumstances. Diana’s mission is to help people in despair when they thought life was over for them, igniting the hope she had found through her faith and gift.

 Diana was a middle child and, to her father's disappointment, a girl when he had hoped for a boy. He treated her like a son to all intents and purposes, teaching her to think and approach every situation like a boy. 

I will let Diana Continue her story. 

"He taught me how to live passionately at a very young age. How to evaluate and dig deep into every situation before making decisions. He once said, "Make every moment of your day count." He intentionally showed me what it takes to have tenacity, discipline, and perseverance. He demonstrated that it is difficult to swim against the stream, but it is possible and achievable. Becoming a wife, a mother, a professional, and a businesswoman became second nature to me. I understood very early on that nothing is impossible with God.

 

After 1994 South Africa's first democratic election, I relocated to the nearest city to taste the urban lifestyle, which expanded my career and expenses living in the city. My children were at a multiracial school, and I was also earning well and running a private weekend practice. I  had an interest in a daycare center for children with intellectual disabilities to complement my salary since I owned two houses. 

1995 I was excited to learn I was expecting a baby girl. As I was 37 years old, it was a risky age to have a baby. At week 32, right in the middle of the night, I was rushed to the nearest hospital emergency room with preeclampsia. I started having seizures, and the doctors decided to do an emergency cesarean section to save the baby and me. 

THE NIGHTMARE BEGINS

 I did not respond well to treatment, drifting in and out of consciousness. My blood pressure was uncontrollable, so I was admitted to the High Care and ICU units. The wound became septic, swollen, and necrotic skin started to form. The isolation created more fear, worry, and anxiety. I was preoccupied with the fear of dying and leaving my children. I worried about my finances that I could not pay my bills at the end of the month. Four weeks later, I was discharged under orders of strict bed rest. 

HOMELESS 

I could not continue my weekend private practice and had to close the daycare center that needed my regular intervention. Once my maternity leave was over, I was unable to pay all my bills resulting in our furniture and car being repossessed and us being evicted from our home. 

I could only afford a tiny two-bedroom apartment. My children reacted negatively to the change, mixing with the wrong crowd. I had no choice but to relocate my family to my rural village.

 

DERYN: You can't imagine what pressure this would have put on Diana and the family, to return to the rural lifestyle she had come out from. For readers who don't know what a rural lifestyle was like in South Africa. There were no utilities or facilities, and everything had to be done manually. You would not even begin to imagine emotionally what it is like having to return to living a rural lifestyle after experiencing the conveniences of a city lifestyle 

DIANA: The children did not adapt well at all and I had to act as a strong mother and wife throughout all this. In retrospect, I was negatively affected physically and emotionally as this turn of events dramatically traumatized me. 

My spouse found it difficult to support me as he worked far away and only visited home monthly. My sickness and the loss of our home and valuable assets drove him to compensate by overworking to reclaim our lost social status. I felt lonely, bitter, and isolated from my friends and colleagues. I started to believe that God was punishing me. I felt like a failure and ashamed, and my self-esteem dropped radically as I felt I no longer fit the academic and professional society profile. When the situation became unbearable, I relocated to the province where my husband was working, hoping for more support to raise the boys, but because he had to work so hard, the boys spent more time with their friends than at home. 

PRESSED BUT NOT DESTROYED 

The situation pushed me to the limits emotionally. I saw myself as a failure as a mother and wife as well. This all affected me negatively physically, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. Emotionally I was a mess, Spiritually I was in the wilderness, questioning God's existence. I reached the bottom of the pit. Where I had to find out who I was and what I was created for. 

HEALING AND LEADERSHIP JOURNEY

We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed but not driven to despair. 2 Corinthians 4:8 NLT. 

During this confusion, by the grace of God, I found a new job near to an active local church with women's ministries and activities. I dwelled deeper in the Word of God and held on to His promises that He could restore my life; I started to believe I am unique, powerful, and can recover from my losses. I refused to listen to the voice of defeat. I declared victory, restoration, and peace over my life. I reminded God of His promise to my family I would survive. I dressed as if I was living in the promise with lip gloss and a smile. I changed my thoughts from negative to positive, and things started manifesting. I started sharing my story to encourage others in similar situations, and life began to take shape.

Someone sharing their story

 FAITH IN ACTION

 I shared and used my story as a testimony to empower, educate and uplift others. I encouraged others to acknowledge their situation but not allow themselves to be entangled in the situation. 

Life is unpredictable and full of surprises. I thought I had it all together until I unexpectedly found myself helpless in a hospital bed. Even though we sometimes go through life challenges and are tempted to question the existence of God. We serve a Mighty God, who created us in His image, an Overcomer, a loving Creator regardless of what we perceive him to be. I am still so grateful because He showed me I could become a leader who translates her pain into gain and brokenness into greatness. Today, I am an author, mentor, faith-based life Coach, and conference speaker.

Diana's Books

 "The World Needs Courageous Woman"

 

I have only presented you with a snapshot of Diana's struggles. I hope her story has inspired you as it did me. If anyone would like to contact Diana or read her books, they can be found on her website. Diana Sekwaila Consulting or email : Diana Sekwaila Dianasekwaila120@gmail.com

Another of Dian's Books

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