people are making things happen!

This weekend I was reminded about what is right in South Africa.  Friday night I went to watch Ikhaya at Artscape, I went especially to see 2 of our old Umbon’omhle youth who are now training at Indoni Dance Academy.  I spent most of Saturday as I have, the past 3 Saturdays, attending the Pathways to Free Education Winter School and in the afternoon I went to see the play Krotoa van Vandag, written and directed by Blaqpearl aka Janine Van Rooy-Overmeyer. 

Each of these experiences were inspiring, reflective, offered a message of hope and included the voices of ordinary Africans above all the people performing or engaging were empowered, organising themselves and creating solutions to the problems facing our communities.

The media delivers a message of doom and gloom, spreading fear at every turn, this was nothing like it.  The Indoni Dancers told their story Ikhaya (Home) with their bodies, the struggles that youth face at home of alcoholism and drug abuse, persecution.  They showed the strength and power that they have to overcome and to keep moving forward. 

The next morning in Khayelitsha, we the Pathways collective and a strong contingency of Housing Assembly Young Lions amongst others, discussed the challenges facing us with a focus on water and electricity.  We reflected on the implications of the commodifying of a life-giving source like water, and recognised the importance of building a mass movement across communities.  This discussion was about people, the working class in particular, taking up their own issues and not about looking to government to offer salvation.  The way these sessions take place has been humbling, always respectful, filled with trust and appreciation of each other’s humanity - as we learn and share we are building friendships across all kinds of barriers.

Then I went on to watch the Blaqpearl Foundation production in Mitchells Plain.  Before the production we were addressed by local women, who spoke about the work they are doing.  The women were mothers who lost their children through gang violence, they shared their pain and courage with us in song and dance.  In their short presentation, they brought me to tears they have initiated a number of projects to serve the community – healing themselves through loving service.  

Krotoa van Vandag, with a stunning cast including Blaqpearl and Bliksemstraal brought home the painful reality that the struggle of Krotoa, a young Khoi woman in the 1600s was still alive in the struggles facing young black women in the 21^st century.  If you have the opportunity to go and watch the show, do yourself a favour. 

All of these events inspired me – people are making things happen!

“Tell me what are you working for, who are we living for, take a look in the mirror and see what you are worth” – A peoples worth by Blaqpearl