Celebrate, remember and reframe: the therapy sessions healing South Africa’s women

As the trauma of apartheid, crime and violence continue to ripple through society, a counselling initiative by Tree of Life creator Ncazelo Ncube-Mlilo is helping ease the pain

Red curtains and ceiling drapes create a pink-tinged glow inside the run-down community centre, an hour south of Johannesburg, where Palesa Hlohlolo tells her neighbours about her experiences of domestic violence.

I'm not a punching bag and I'll never be one. For anyone," she says, grabbing a tissue from a rapidly emptying box.