Grey clouds seemed to claw and pull themselves over the rolling hills, smothering the rich, green grass of the Komkhulu area just outside Butterworth. Old ladies wrapped up from head to toe in whatever assortment of gloves, scarves, beanies and coats they could put together while dogs curled up into balls so tight that even their ears remained still, allowing the flies to settle where they may. The morning chill gradually gave over to the afternoon wind and rain spatter, keeping those that did not have to be outside inside. But still the two ladies made their journey down from where they stayed, slowly making their way through a flock of sheep and past the sleeping shepherd. The women were only two out of the estimated 5060 with merely basic access to water in the Amathole municipal district in the Eastern Cape. And they were the lucky ones. Roughly 4100 people in their district had absolutely no access to a basic human right – water. Each with a 20 litre bucket in hand they slowly made their way over to the nearest source of clean drinking water – a PlayPump. Skirts billowing in the wind and the eldest’s doek tied firmly in place, the ladies started turning the merry-go-round. “Eh!”… “Eh!” … Grunts of effort mixed with light laughter carried on the wind, but still could not quite drown out the sound of water gushing from under the ground. Able to make 16 rotations per minute, the merry-go-round powers a pump forty meters down. This concept of a PlayPump draws water from the underlying borehole into the nearby 2 500 litre storage tank. The tank is surrounded by advertising boards which carry sponsored messages usually relating to issues of health and safety. Once satisfied with their hard work, an easy turn of a tap sends fresh, clean drinking water gushing into their buckets. Over 1000km’s away the scenery in Hammanskraal could hardly be more different. Temperatures soar above 40 degrees Celsius, scorching the already parched land. As the sun peaks, only the insects seem to have any energy, their chirrups bouncing across the ground. Small groups of children play jump rope under the trees, goats lay in the shadows of buildings and men take relief in their beers under shaded verandas of local spaza shops. Water in Hammanskraal in far more readily available than in Komkhulu, but still many complain of highly unreliable municipal water. Some schools in the area struggle to provide any source of water for children. At Tladi Stadt Primary School, a school with over 300 students, a lack of water has meant that the electric toilets have had to be abandoned. Students and staff now have to share a small block of pit toilets due to the lack of readily available water. Designed to work best at primary schools, specifically for children to play on, those schools with PlayPumps contrast starkly with those that do not. Like at the PlayPump in Komkhulu, laughter swings around and children clamour for their turn on the once colourful roundabout. As the pump becomes overcrowded, one girl tumbles to the well trodden ground, a small cloud of red dust erupting under her small frame. With an even louder peel of laughter, she bounces back up and runs along with the other children, her now red backside obvious amongst the other green and white checked uniforms. At the tap, a staff member walks off with a bucket which she uses in the kitchen to clean the children’s plates after their lunch. In rural communities with no access to municipal water, it is often women and children who are forced to make the tiresome trek to the nearest source of water, a source not always guaranteed to be fit for human consumption. With the PlayPump providing a nearby source of clean water, the social and economic benefits are far reaching, resulting in better health, increased overall school attendance, improved education and general well being. Since the installation of the first PlayPump in 1996 approximately 1200 PlayPumps have been installed in South Africa alone. Due to the cost of drilling boreholes, pumps are only installed over already existing boreholes. These boreholes are first tested in order to ensure that the water is of sufficient quality as well as quantity. Should the borehole fail any of these tests, a PlayPump will not be installed. The whole process costs roughly R120 000 therefore the company relies on donors to sponsor the installation of the PlayPump, allowing them to provide the pump for free to those who need it most. Over and above the cost of the PlayPump installation, donors can elect to either advertise their brand or sponsor community messaging on the advertising boards surrounding the water tank. The revenue from this contributes towards the maintenance of the PlayPumps. A non-profit organisation, the company is constantly looking for new ways to attract donors to continue their work. Currently they are working on a project whereby a bottled water producer will donate part of their profit margin on each bottle of water sold to the PlayPump. Backed by the Restaurant Association of South Africa it is hoped that the project will initially benefit from the sale of water in restaurants and then expand to other outlets. With help from projects such as this, the company hopes to continue their work not only in South Africa, but in Lesotho as well, helping provide a form of relief to those who need it. For more information visit http://www.playpumps.co.za/ South African Riding for the Disabled Association - SARDA
SARDA Gauteng is a Non-Profit Organisation that offers free therapeutic riding to physically and mentally challenged children and young adults who cannot afford it. The 2015 market day offered riders the chance to show spectators what they are capable of. Mounted on the horse, the rider’s weight is taken by his seat and the muscles which the horse’s walk activates on the rider’s body are the same muscles which would be used if the rider them self were to walk. Riding provides a new and exciting way for disabled people to perform interesting motor tasks as well as encourages communication. Many examples have been recorded of children who have never spoken, starting to speak as a result of riding a horse. Runners took to the streets of Port Elizabeth for the fifth Urban Run, an obstacle fun run through the CBD of the city. Split in to two events, the run is open to children as well as adults, with a fun element of best dressed competition. Organised by Zsports, the run is a fun charity event focused less on speed and more on camaraderie, with the beneficiaries of the run this year being Reach for a Dream and Cheshire Home.
The Rhodes University Drama Department showcased the work of four student directors; Ameera Najwa Mills, Sam Pennington, Mike da Silva and Thembela Madliki. As part of their final Honours' productions, the directors interrogated the effects of damaging social structures. The National Arts Festival 2015 showcased a range of local productions from Port Elizabeth. Together, the Mandela Bay Development Agency and the Athenaeum presented nine of these productions to the residents of Nelson Mandela Bay. The exhibition aimed to showcase artworks of up and coming young artists in the Nelson Mandela Bay area. Here are just a few of the shows presented. Ghost of Glenmore A look into the life of Ben Mafani, who to this day continues to fight against land re-locations and lack of infrastructure in his area of Glenmore. Written and directed by Xabiso Zweni, the show depicts the continuing divisions in South Africa. Love Child Lovechild is a performer from Port Elizabeth who began her singing career in 2012 and first performed at the National Arts Festival in 2015. Her music consists of a blend of saxophone and keyboard. Frame of Mind Performed by Brendon Peel the show is filled with mentalism and psychological tricks. Peel prides himself as a “magician, mentalist and performer” and at the age of 18, earned the title of the youngest magician to host his/her own solo illusion show at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival. Magic Through The Ages Brendan Peel's second show although also magic, is not strictly mentalism. Rather, it is an in-depth look at the history of magic and illusion with examples of various prominent tricks and illusions that have been performed throughout the past 4000 years.
Trying my hand at long exposure in Port Elizabeth on a dull and rainy day.
The largest protest against rape and sexual violence, the Rhodes University Silent Protest has grown from 80 ‘volunteers’ in 2006 to over 1700 participants. The protest aims to draw attention to and challenge the culture of silence around sexual violence in South Africa. It is estimated that merely 1 in 25 rape cases are reported in South Africa, a harsh figure when one considers the fact that roughly 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men will experience some form of sexual harassment.
The Silent Protest is second only to Intervarsity in its size and is the largest protest against gender-based violence in the country. The Silent Protest allows people to break their silence, it raises public awareness and offers a space where protestors can show support and stand in solidarity with all survivors of sexual violence. Protestors start the day at 6am where they are silenced by having their mouths taped with black tape. This action aims to make visible the silence of those affected by sexual violence. From there the protestors march to the Rhodes University Admin building then disband until the ‘Die In’ later that same afternoon. The ‘Die In’ involves protestors laying down in silence over lunch time and acts as a form of visual representation of the lives devastated by gender-based violence. The day culminates with the ‘Take Back the Night’ march. The events are designed to encourage others to consider the realities of sexual violence. While the event has been predominantly orientated within the University, this year organisers encouraged participation from the broader Grahamstown community as rape and sexual violence are problems which affect everyone. For more information about the Silent Protest, see https://www.ru.ac.za/silentprotest/about/ A photographer’s survival guide to Soweto
Requirements: Camera Batteries Tripod Additional lenses UV filters Sun cream Water Good walking shoes A friendly smile A willing ear I was recently given the opportunity to attend a walking tour of Soweto, hosted by Nikon. Armed with little more than my Canon camera, I soon learnt that the list of necessities need not be much longer than that above. It was with just these that met the characters I did. Meandering through the market I was beckoned aside by Pappa Charles, a taxi driver. A big man, I struggled to initially overcome my feeling of trepidation as he waited for me beside his taxi. But his grin, perfectly suited in size to his body, soon put me at ease. He proudly showed off his quantum, its spotless bumper and wheel arches drawing my attention away from the puddles and the litter it stood in. People passing by laughed at his enthusiasm, but I appreciated his open show of welcome. A child penned up in a banana box, an old tailor meticulously working in a little alcove and the psychology graduate who tried to convince me of the shallow nature of men were just a few of the other wonderful personalities I met while strolling through the streets of Soweto. The boy listening to music has to be one of favourite characters from that morning. Lost in his own world, so separated from the hustle and bustle of the street, you could not help but want to join him. Blues? Trance? Rap? I wish I could have asked him what he was listening to, what was so much better than being in the present. But after granting me a brief nod of permission he tired of being photographed and moved on. There was also the little boy I caught peeking as I photographed his sister. She watched me curiously as I spoke to Pappa Charles, and giggled, along with many others, as I stopped to photograph spoons. I chatted to her, photographing her sweet smile, and we laughed at her brother’s shock as I caught him curiously watching my antics. At the end of the tour, my feet were sore, my shoulders were burnt and I was parched. Upon reflection, perhaps some items should not be crossed off the list, but everything missing added to the experience. |