Seeing life in Masi from a different angle

A project that set out to tell a more well-rounded story of life in Masiphumelele has produced a collection of photographs and stories that was introduced to the public last week.

The material was gathered over the course of a year during the Masiphumelele - Through the Struggles We Rise project, which Zintle Magazi launched in January last year in partnership with the Stellenbosch Academy of Photography and Design and Ikamva Youth, a non-profit organisation that runs an after-school tutoring programme in the community.

The 27-year-old Masiphumelele resident holds an Honours in political science and is pursuing her Master’s at the Wits School of Governance. She says she drew inspiration for the project from a TedTalk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, “The dangers of a single story”, that warned against viewing people and communities through a simplistic lens.

"What struck me was when Ms Adichie mentioned that the consequence of single stories is that they rob people of their dignity, and that's what troubled me about the portrayal of Masiphumelele.“

The prevailing view of Masiphumelele was largely shaped by outsiders and played off variations of the same, one-sided story that revolved around violence, disease, and suffering, she said.

"This depiction of Masiphumelele ignores the remarkable contributions of its residents, who work tirelessly every day to make their community better.“

So she worked with the Stellenbosch Academy of Photography and Design and Ikamva Youth to tell a different side to Masiphumelele’s story.

The project used compositions written by ten teenage Masiphumelele schoolgirls, who were part of the Ikamva Youth programme, and paired them with photographs shot by students from the academy during their second-year social-awareness project.

"We wanted to be a part of this project to document the lives of people and the good things that are coming out of Masiphumelele, as it's always been seen in a negative light,” said Garyth Bevan, the academy’s subject head and photography lecturer.

The students had visited Masiphumelele every two weeks, meeting with residents and capturing their experiences through photography, he said.

Robyn Garstman, a third-year photography student from Knysna, said the project had turned out to be so much more than they could have ever imagined.

“I never went in with any plans to create a certain photo or look,” she said.

Uhkanyo Primary School was one of the places she visited.

“I visited various classrooms and captured the energy of the students during the lessons that were given and portrayed them authentically as themselves.”

Robyn said they had also met the high school girls who wrote the compositions.

“It was a lovely experience to listen to the girls talk about their day-to-day lives while showing us places that were of significance to them.”

Ikamva Youth branch manager Lungile Simakade said he had seen a noticeable change in the girls over the course of the project.

"These girls started with very little – some were shy and not all were skilled writers. But witnessing the transformation of their work into these beautiful pieces is truly remarkable.“

Masiphumelele High School pupil Lilitha Mejeni, 17, was one of the girls who wrote for the project.

“I came together with other girls from my community that I wasn't that close with initially, but as we worked on this, we became like sisters. We wrote together and made this project come to life.

“I have a passion for writing, so that was the highlight for me. The act of creating something through words is truly special.

"I genuinely hope that when people see this project, they'll understand that the stories we've written come from our community. We've lived through these experiences; we know what we're talking about. This is our reality, our lives.“

At the unveiling of the project to about 50 people, including parents, coaches, and friends, at The Commons on Muizenberg Surfers Corner, on Tuesday August 15, the girls read their work, and photographs were projected onto a screen.

Chumani Sibebosi, 17, another writer, said it was thrilling seeing all the parents at the event and how proud they were of their children.

"To the children in Masiphumelele, I want to tell them not to give up. When a chance comes their way, they should grab it. Opportunities like this don't come around often, and I feel thankful to everyone who made this opportunity possible."

Ms Magazi has started a BackaBuddy page and hopes to produce both digital and hardcover books featuring the photography and written pieces. Her goal is to distribute the first copies to primary schools, high schools, and the library in Masiphumelele.

Visit masiphumelele.netlify.app to see the project and email masistoryproject@gmail.com for more information.