About Us
The Butterfly Art Project (BAP) is a registered Non-Profit, Public Benefit (Section 18A) Organisation that is also verified BBBEE Level 1. We support people’s healing, especially children’s, from trauma through art, and helping to build communities of healed people, with resilience, stability and creativity, who fulfil their potential, while creating spaces for others to do the same.
Children in under-resourced communities experience higher levels of stress and are at higher risk of experiencing trauma and require help in learning how to process stress and heal.
We train and support Community Art Facilitators (CAFs) to provide art therapeutic classes to children in under-resourced communities in the Western Cape, Gauteng, and Northern Cape Provinces.
Our Mission
To support people’s healing, especially children’s, from trauma through art.
Announcing Maria Sikaundi
as the New Executive Director of the
Butterfly Art Project
Maria joins the Butterfly Art Project at an exciting moment in the organisation’s journey, bringing with her a wealth of leadership experience across the nonprofit, social services, education, consulting and public sectors. She is a strategic and values driven leader with a strong track record in organisational growth, programme strengthening, fundraising, and building partnerships that support long-term social impact.
With more than 15 years of experience, Maria has dedicated her career to advancing opportunity, dignity and support for vulnerable children, youth and communities. Most recently, she served as Executive Director of The Homestead, where she led the organisation through a period of growth, strengthened its financial sustainability, and helped deepen its impact in the lives of children, youth and their under resourced communities.
Maria brings to BAP a rare combination of strategic vision and operational strength. Her experience spans programme development, team leadership, donor engagement, systems strengthening and organisational sustainability, all of which position her well to lead BAP into its next chapter. She also holds an MPhil in Business Management with a focus on Responsible Leadership from the University of Pretoria, alongside qualifications in Economics, Statistics, Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Business Risk Management.
What makes Maria’s appointment especially meaningful is her deep alignment with BAP's mission. BAP believes in the power of creativity, care and connection to support healing, stability and growth for children and young people navigating trauma and adversity. Through its Love Bugs Programme, Heart for Art Programme, and Community Art Facilitator (CAF) Programme, BAP supports vulnerable children and youth, strengthens school readiness, and equips facilitators to bring therapeutic art into communities. Maria’s leadership is grounded in this same understanding: that meaningful change happens when strong programmes, committed people and supportive partnerships come together in service of children and communities.
As BAP continues to grow its work and deepen its impact, Maria’s leadership will help guide the organisation with clarity, compassion and intention. She brings not only experience, but a genuine commitment to building on the strong foundation already in place and working alongside the BAP team, board, partners and community to shape what comes next.
Maria steps into this role following the leadership of Jane De Sousa, whose contribution to BAP has helped strengthen the organisation and prepare it for this next phase. BAP is grateful for Jane’s leadership and excited to welcome Maria as she begins this new chapter.
Please join us in warmly welcoming Maria Sikaundi to Butterfly Art Project. We look forward to the leadership, insight and heart she brings to the journey ahead.
OUR first 12 years
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