And they’re not arriving quietly. With creativity, laughter, and deep compassion, Mariëtte Beukes and her team are travelling far and wide to bring hope back to women who have been carrying more than most.
What do you pack when you’re travelling thousands of kilometres to meet strangers in small towns scattered across the country?
For Mariëtte Beukes, the answer isn’t complicated. Paint, brushes, a few well-loved tools. And a whole lot of heart.
Because what she and a bunch of women carry isn’t just art supplies. It’s something far less tangible, but infinitely more powerful. The ability to remind someone, often at exactly the right moment, that they are still seen, still capable, and still worthy of hope.
And while that may sound like a lofty mission, Mariëtte will be the first to tell you it didn’t begin that way.
Where it began? When drought hits deeper than the land
Long before Die Anties Bring Hoop became a movement, it was simply a response to something deeply felt.
Mariëtte, a passionate artist from Centurion and the founder and driving force behind the initiative, grew up in a farming community where drought wasn’t just something you heard about on the news, it shaped daily life.
“We used to close schools and businesses to pray for rain,” she recalls. It’s the kind of memory that stays with you. Because drought doesn’t only dry out the earth. It slowly seeps into everything else. Into livelihoods, into homes, into relationships, and most quietly of all, into the emotional wellbeing of the people living through it.
“Farm women are incredibly strong. But there’s an inner struggle that’s very real and often unseen.”
They carry families. Support their partners. Hold things together when uncertainty lingers for months, sometimes years. And somewhere in between all of that, their own need for support often gets pushed aside.
“I realised we can’t bring them rain,” Mariëtte says, with the kind of honesty that lands softly but firmly, “but we can bring something else. Something that reminds them of colour, creativity, and hope.”
And so, last year Die Anties Bring Hoop was born, not as a grand solution, but as a deeply human response. A way of showing up, of caring, and of placing something life-giving back into spaces that had quietly grown heavy.
Simply Mariëtte
Spend a few minutes with her and one thing becomes clear … she’s not interested in being the centre of attention. “Honestly, I’m just Mariëtte,” she says with a laugh, the kind that suggests she truly means it.
But behind that simplicity is a woman who is deeply creative, grounded, and unwavering in her love for people. A wife, a mom, and a self-proclaimed “farm girl who married a city boy,” she carries both worlds with an ease that feels natural.
“I just want people to feel seen, valued, and loved,” she shares, and it’s not said as a slogan, but as something that genuinely guides her.
When she’s not on the road, her version of balance is refreshingly uncomplicated. Quiet mornings, coffee in hand, paint on paper without pressure, and time spent with the people who anchor her.
It’s in these slower moments that she refuels, ready to head back out and do it all again. Often with a tin of biltong somewhere in the car, because some things are simply non-negotiable on a road trip.
Art that reaches where words can’t
Mariëtte didn’t choose art in the traditional sense, it was always there, quietly shaping her world.
“It was my safe place growing up. A way to express things I didn’t always have words for.”
Today, with her background as a full-time art teacher and her skill in mixed media — from paint and clay to more tactile, layered techniques — she creates workshops that are about far more than learning how to paint.
Together with a small team of women, she offers these sessions free of charge in remote drought-stricken communities, creating a space where creativity becomes the starting point for something deeper.
Because what unfolds in those spaces is rarely just about technique. And often, that shift has very little to do with the artwork itself. It’s about confidence. About expression. About rediscovering a part of yourself that life may have quietly packed away.
“It’s that moment when someone realises, I can do this. You can actually see it … the shoulders drop, the eyes light up, and suddenly something shifts.”
Where hope meets reality
In its first year, Die Anties Bring Hoop reached more than 900 women, travelling thousands of kilometres across multiple towns. Some so remote that women drove more than 200 kilometres just to be part of a single session.
It’s the kind of stats that sounds impressive on paper, but for Mariëtte the real impact is found in the moments in between.
“The hunger for hope surprised me. Not just physical needs, but emotional and spiritual hunger.”
There are stories she carries with her — not polished or dramatic, but deeply real.
Like the woman who stood back from her painting and began to cry, not because of what she had created, but because she saw something beautiful in herself again.
Or the moment a mother and her daughters gave their last R8.50 for petrol. A gesture so small in value, yet so immense in meaning.
And then there are the lighter moments too. The laughter, the shared jokes, the quiet camaraderie that forms when women realise they’re not as alone as they thought.
Because while the work is rooted in very real hardship, it is equally filled with joy.
The reality behind the scenes
Of course, a journey like this comes with its challenges. Twenty-one days on the road is no small feat, and the combination of long drives, emotional investment, and constant movement can be exhausting.
“There are days when I feel completely empty,” Mariëtte admits. But it’s here that her faith becomes her anchor. “I don’t do this on my own strength. God carries me, He provides, and He opens doors I could never open myself.”
There’s also the quiet reassurance of home — and the steady support waiting there.
“Knowing my husband is there at the end of it all … that means more than I can explain.”
Changed by the journey
Spending time in these spaces, listening to these stories, and witnessing these moments of transformation has inevitably changed Mariëtte too.
“It has softened me, stretched me, and deepened my faith.” But perhaps most of all, it has deepened her admiration for the women she meets along the way.
“They inspire me. There’s such a quiet strength … not loud, not showy, but incredibly powerful.”
And at the centre of it all … hope
At its heart, Die Anties Bring Hoop is about showing up — not with all the answers, but with open hands, open hearts, and a willingness to walk alongside someone for a while.
“It’s about restoring hope, one heart at a time,” Mariette says, and sometimes that looks like a paintbrush in hand, a shared story, or a burst of laughter in a room that didn’t expect it.
If she could sit across from every woman reading this, she’d simply say: “You are seen. You are valuable. And no matter how dry or broken life may feel… there is always hope.”
Because sometimes, life doesn’t need fixing — it just needs a little bit of colour, a little bit of connection. And a few good Anties to remind you of who you are.
The 2026 tour
On June 21 the team returns with an expanded tour — 21 days, 17 towns, and a target of serving 1000 women.
This year, the experience will grow to include music and storytelling, adding new layers of connection alongside the art workshops.
How you can get involved:
• Donate: A R100 art pack provides more than materials — it offers dignity, creativity, and a moment of being seen.
• Share: Help spread the story and extend the reach.
Donations can be made through the BackaBuddy crowdfunding campaign: ‘n oproep tot Hoop Vrou tot Boervroue or follow their Facebook page @DieAnties.
Details: Mariëtte on 082-085-9492.
Text & image: RIALIEN FURSTENBERG.
