Well, there are still a number of stories to tell - amazing stories that will stay with me all my life. And I will do my best to continue to tell them now that I am home. I don't know if anyone is even checking this blog anymore - but I thought it would be fun to link you to a few short films that were shot by my students.
When you remember that none of them had held a video camera before the class began - the stories they have been able to tell is nothing short of amazing. I am so proud of each of them and their ability to speak wise words to their communities and also share their own stories of pain.
Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3mHzA_g0q4
to view more of the short films you can go to www.youtube.com and look under films posted by lakatietaylor
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Saturday, July 12, 2008
The other week I had one of the most touching moments of my trip. Cindy and I had planned on having over the four youngest Kuyasa Kids, all the 12-year-olds.
One of those little ones is actually a child that I sponsor through Horizon International. I truly love this little girl, she is shy and very intelligent, and it takes some time for her to warm up and come out of her shell. I have loved watching her grow over the last year. On the tour a year ago I was blessed to spend some good time with her – and when we reunited on this last tour I was greeted with a huge hug.
Cindy and I were going to stop by the homes of all the girls that were going to spend the night so that we could touch base with their parents and make sure it was alright for them each to come over. My little one was the last home that we went to visit and serious arthritis made it so that her grandmother could not get out of bed. The shack in which they live is very small – it’s the size of one small American bedroom and it is divided into a kitchen and bedroom. Resting on a slope the shack leans down the hill.
We sat at her bedside and spoke with her about her arthritis and about our plans for the overnight with the young girl sitting beside us. I sat there and wondered if I should mention that I’m the person that sponsors her grandchild. But as our conversation finished up I felt like it was probably not necessary.
I began to walk out of the shack when suddenly the grandmother began to ask a question. Cindy stopped and the grandmother asked again, “Where is Kholisa’s mother?” Cindy was sort of confused by the question and then Kholisa spoke and pointed to me as I walked back into the tiny room. “So you are Kholisa’s mom,” she said with a big smile on her face, Kholisa bashfully began to cover her face. I told her that I am and began to tell her how much I love this child and how special she is to me. Then the grandmother said, “Well this child loves you!” Kholisa continued to cover her face and I put my arms around her and embraced her.
It was such a special moment for me. First it was an affirmation that all the time and love that I’m pouring out is being received and felt. And it was also a reminder of the value that is placed on my relationship with this family. Culturally they view me as a mother to this dear child – and it touches me deeply.
One of those little ones is actually a child that I sponsor through Horizon International. I truly love this little girl, she is shy and very intelligent, and it takes some time for her to warm up and come out of her shell. I have loved watching her grow over the last year. On the tour a year ago I was blessed to spend some good time with her – and when we reunited on this last tour I was greeted with a huge hug.
Cindy and I were going to stop by the homes of all the girls that were going to spend the night so that we could touch base with their parents and make sure it was alright for them each to come over. My little one was the last home that we went to visit and serious arthritis made it so that her grandmother could not get out of bed. The shack in which they live is very small – it’s the size of one small American bedroom and it is divided into a kitchen and bedroom. Resting on a slope the shack leans down the hill.
We sat at her bedside and spoke with her about her arthritis and about our plans for the overnight with the young girl sitting beside us. I sat there and wondered if I should mention that I’m the person that sponsors her grandchild. But as our conversation finished up I felt like it was probably not necessary.
I began to walk out of the shack when suddenly the grandmother began to ask a question. Cindy stopped and the grandmother asked again, “Where is Kholisa’s mother?” Cindy was sort of confused by the question and then Kholisa spoke and pointed to me as I walked back into the tiny room. “So you are Kholisa’s mom,” she said with a big smile on her face, Kholisa bashfully began to cover her face. I told her that I am and began to tell her how much I love this child and how special she is to me. Then the grandmother said, “Well this child loves you!” Kholisa continued to cover her face and I put my arms around her and embraced her.
It was such a special moment for me. First it was an affirmation that all the time and love that I’m pouring out is being received and felt. And it was also a reminder of the value that is placed on my relationship with this family. Culturally they view me as a mother to this dear child – and it touches me deeply.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Thank You!
This is just a 9 minute video that I have put together to say thank you so much for all you have contributed to this project!
We are still several months from finishing up this project - and there is still a great deal of training and equipping before us. So far, about 3/4 of the necessary funds have been provided - but we are currently about $5000 under the needed budget. I know that part of the blessing of this project is the ability to leave behind several cameras and a few laptops on which to edit. I have seen my students really excited to continue to use all that they are learning even after I am gone.
I believe that the students are really learning a lot - and I’m confident that all that is needed will be provided. Your tax deductible gift of support for this project can be made out to: Threads Africa and sent to 26 Stratford Irvine, CA 92620
Thank you so much for your prayers and support!
Katie Taylor
We are still several months from finishing up this project - and there is still a great deal of training and equipping before us. So far, about 3/4 of the necessary funds have been provided - but we are currently about $5000 under the needed budget. I know that part of the blessing of this project is the ability to leave behind several cameras and a few laptops on which to edit. I have seen my students really excited to continue to use all that they are learning even after I am gone.
I believe that the students are really learning a lot - and I’m confident that all that is needed will be provided. Your tax deductible gift of support for this project can be made out to: Threads Africa and sent to 26 Stratford Irvine, CA 92620
Thank you so much for your prayers and support!
Katie Taylor
Thursday, June 19, 2008
The Things We Take For Granted
I know that I am blessed. I've always known it and I'm frequently reminded in this setting. When I was younger, birthdays were a big deal. Appropriately, since there were three children in our home, my parents limited our birthday parties. Every other year was what we called a "quiet" birthday. On years where our birthday's were quiet, it simply meant that maybe some cupcakes would be brought to our class and that we would go out as a family or extended family for dinner. But on those years there was no big party with lots of friends.
Yesterday one of my students was celebrating his 21st birthday. He's everyones favorite kid, a brilliant artist that has experienced a great deal of loss in his 21 years. Recently he went from being art and film student to part of the Kuyasa staff - he's our new art teacher and it's been really fun to have him be a part of the team.
We thought it appropriate to throw a small birthday surprise - a few cakes and snacks were purchased and one of the rooms here at the office was decorated with some streamers. When he entered the room of 15 friends and co-workers, he was truly overwhelmed. A few of us "rich" Americans went together on a nice portfolio for his artwork - and a few of the students bought birthday cards. When he opened his cards he fought back tears - he then told us that this was the first birthday card he had ever received. The gift brought more amazement to his face and the party continued.
A few minutes later he came to me for a hug - I held him close and told him how special he was - and he simply broke down. Tears began to stream down his face and I just continued to hold him and tell him how loved he was and how much he meant to us all. It was one of those moments that I will hold onto forever.
It made me sad to think that he had never experienced such a birthday - but so grateful that we had made what seemed like such a small effort. Every year I receive cards that express how much I am loved - when I left for Africa it was with a book in hand filled with affirming notes, cards and pictures. I'm so grateful to you all for your love - for the gifts and cards that come every year and even the days in between.
Yesterday one of my students was celebrating his 21st birthday. He's everyones favorite kid, a brilliant artist that has experienced a great deal of loss in his 21 years. Recently he went from being art and film student to part of the Kuyasa staff - he's our new art teacher and it's been really fun to have him be a part of the team.
We thought it appropriate to throw a small birthday surprise - a few cakes and snacks were purchased and one of the rooms here at the office was decorated with some streamers. When he entered the room of 15 friends and co-workers, he was truly overwhelmed. A few of us "rich" Americans went together on a nice portfolio for his artwork - and a few of the students bought birthday cards. When he opened his cards he fought back tears - he then told us that this was the first birthday card he had ever received. The gift brought more amazement to his face and the party continued.
A few minutes later he came to me for a hug - I held him close and told him how special he was - and he simply broke down. Tears began to stream down his face and I just continued to hold him and tell him how loved he was and how much he meant to us all. It was one of those moments that I will hold onto forever.
It made me sad to think that he had never experienced such a birthday - but so grateful that we had made what seemed like such a small effort. Every year I receive cards that express how much I am loved - when I left for Africa it was with a book in hand filled with affirming notes, cards and pictures. I'm so grateful to you all for your love - for the gifts and cards that come every year and even the days in between.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Blessed
I notice that my writing has become more infrequent and for that I apologize. With regard to the Xenophobia outbreaks, all tension seems to have subsided. In Kayamandi, we only saw action and movement that one Friday evening and for that we are grateful. The effect of such violent action is long lasting, and it has provided an interesting topic of discussion for the documentary component of the film project.
I am really enjoying my students - the more I get to know them the more difficult I know it will be to part. When I hear their stories I want so badly to be able to fix each situation. Provide parents when they are absent. Instill love where there is none. Open my door for a meal when children feel scared to eat at home.
Each situation is unique and there are no easy solutions - often it feels that a band aid is being applied to a very large wound. But I do what I can, giving lots of hugs, saying lots of "I love you's" and praying constantly.
The other weekend I had all of the girls in the film program over to spent the night. We laughed a lot, some tears were shed and I felt such joy that I didn't want it to end. Each student is blessing me in a unique way - and I continue to receive daily love from the Kuyasa Kids as well.
I love being here, but I also miss home. I wonder how my sister is doing on nights when her husband is on call. I think often of my nephew Roahn, imagining how big he is becoming and if he will remember me in 3 short months. I showed my students a picture of my niece Raime, it was a picture that was taken at her 2nd birthday party. She is lounging on the grass and scrunching up her nose. The comment from my students was "this baby likes chocolate!" It's true, I don't know what it is about us that makes our loves so evident to others. :)
I am really enjoying my students - the more I get to know them the more difficult I know it will be to part. When I hear their stories I want so badly to be able to fix each situation. Provide parents when they are absent. Instill love where there is none. Open my door for a meal when children feel scared to eat at home.
Each situation is unique and there are no easy solutions - often it feels that a band aid is being applied to a very large wound. But I do what I can, giving lots of hugs, saying lots of "I love you's" and praying constantly.
The other weekend I had all of the girls in the film program over to spent the night. We laughed a lot, some tears were shed and I felt such joy that I didn't want it to end. Each student is blessing me in a unique way - and I continue to receive daily love from the Kuyasa Kids as well.
I love being here, but I also miss home. I wonder how my sister is doing on nights when her husband is on call. I think often of my nephew Roahn, imagining how big he is becoming and if he will remember me in 3 short months. I showed my students a picture of my niece Raime, it was a picture that was taken at her 2nd birthday party. She is lounging on the grass and scrunching up her nose. The comment from my students was "this baby likes chocolate!" It's true, I don't know what it is about us that makes our loves so evident to others. :)
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
A Troubled Nation - Xenophobia Outbreaks
So I’m not entirely sure how much you all follow the news – at this point my hope is that you haven’t paid it much attention. The last thing I want is for you to be sitting with fear when all is fine with me.
If you have been frantically seeking out any bit of news on the recent conflicts in South Africa I’ll take a few minutes to catch you up on what is happening on this side of the world. Let me start by saying that I am fine, feel totally covered in prayer and work continues here at Kuyasa as usual.
The struggle that is happening here is common among around the world – the question of what do we do with foreigners that cross a border illegally, refugees seeking asylum. Zimbabwe has been in a very serious crisis for the past few years as a result of a dictator that has been doing what dictator’s do. The people are starving and dying, the rate of inflation is beyond imagination and I have heard it said that it is cheaper to use the money as toilet paper than to actually buy toilet paper. They have been living in conditions that I can’t begin to imagine and to be totally honest I really don’t want to most of the time. An election almost removed Mugabe (the current president) from office, but there was of course issues with tampering and it has taken the last few months to sort it all out. Meanwhile Mugabe uses the countries resources to begin beating and killing anyone that opposes him – so now one question becomes can the man who ran against Mugabe actually stay alive long enough to make it through the end of the election process. Only time will tell.
So of course the people of Zimbabwe have come flooding across the boarder into the neighboring and more affluent South Africa. They begin to start working illegally at jobs that pay them 30 Rand a day (about $4) and South Africans - particularly black South Africans – become angry that people are taking their jobs because they are willing to work for less money.
In JoBurg, some riots broke out that included attacks on foreigners (essentially any black that didn’t speak Xhosa or Zulu). Stores in townships were looted, people were beaten and killed and shacks were burned down. The media really hyped the incidents, enabling the hatred to spread quickly and providing criminals with reason to perpetrate crimes.
In my opinion, the root cause of all this hatred is actually tribal – it goes back centuries and children are taught from a very young age that to be proud of their tribe and in turn anyone that is different from you is less than.
At Kuyasa we were warned that if anything was going to break out in Kayamandi that it would likely happen over this past weekend, so extra security precautions were taken. They actually brought in 40 polices officers from Stellenbosch, which is good because in a lot of areas the police were aiding the criminals, but was bad because it meant that 40 white Afrikaners with guns were there for target practice. I was watching the news one night with Nana – and when a government official for the police force (a black man) was asked why it took them so long to take action in the townships, he actually used the words, “We are not trained to work with animals”.
I had a film crew that was out finishing a project so I was waiting for them to return by the 6pm cut off. They didn’t make it back until 6:30pm and when I began to launch into the importance of them coming back on time, I could see on their faces that something was wrong. A few of my students began to tell me that things were falling apart beyond our protective gates. Riots had started near the police station and Somali owned shops were being broken into and looted. We were told that shots were being fired, but I never heard any gunfire and have not heard any confirmation about anyone being shot.
One of my students thought that it would be good to get some of the action on video – when another Kayamandi resident put a gun to his side and told him to stop filming. My student explained that you couldn’t see anything because of the dark and the man with the gun said that if he tried to film again that he would be shot.
I was nervous, but really not scared. I knew that the attacks were not aimed at me – so my only concern was now driving out of Kayamandi amongst a greedy mob. As we watched the mob take every item from a shop just outside the gate, my good friend Mbongeni said that today he was embarrassed to be an African.
In reality, it was nothing compared with the Los Angeles riots – but a few of my students went home and cried. They were very saddened watching people in their community treat others with such disregard.
Within two hours all looting and chaos was finished. And we have not seen any other flare-ups in Kayamandi since. Please continue to pray for Zimbabwe and South Africa that these Xenophobic attacks would cease and be replaced with love for one another.
If you have been frantically seeking out any bit of news on the recent conflicts in South Africa I’ll take a few minutes to catch you up on what is happening on this side of the world. Let me start by saying that I am fine, feel totally covered in prayer and work continues here at Kuyasa as usual.
The struggle that is happening here is common among around the world – the question of what do we do with foreigners that cross a border illegally, refugees seeking asylum. Zimbabwe has been in a very serious crisis for the past few years as a result of a dictator that has been doing what dictator’s do. The people are starving and dying, the rate of inflation is beyond imagination and I have heard it said that it is cheaper to use the money as toilet paper than to actually buy toilet paper. They have been living in conditions that I can’t begin to imagine and to be totally honest I really don’t want to most of the time. An election almost removed Mugabe (the current president) from office, but there was of course issues with tampering and it has taken the last few months to sort it all out. Meanwhile Mugabe uses the countries resources to begin beating and killing anyone that opposes him – so now one question becomes can the man who ran against Mugabe actually stay alive long enough to make it through the end of the election process. Only time will tell.
So of course the people of Zimbabwe have come flooding across the boarder into the neighboring and more affluent South Africa. They begin to start working illegally at jobs that pay them 30 Rand a day (about $4) and South Africans - particularly black South Africans – become angry that people are taking their jobs because they are willing to work for less money.
In JoBurg, some riots broke out that included attacks on foreigners (essentially any black that didn’t speak Xhosa or Zulu). Stores in townships were looted, people were beaten and killed and shacks were burned down. The media really hyped the incidents, enabling the hatred to spread quickly and providing criminals with reason to perpetrate crimes.
In my opinion, the root cause of all this hatred is actually tribal – it goes back centuries and children are taught from a very young age that to be proud of their tribe and in turn anyone that is different from you is less than.
At Kuyasa we were warned that if anything was going to break out in Kayamandi that it would likely happen over this past weekend, so extra security precautions were taken. They actually brought in 40 polices officers from Stellenbosch, which is good because in a lot of areas the police were aiding the criminals, but was bad because it meant that 40 white Afrikaners with guns were there for target practice. I was watching the news one night with Nana – and when a government official for the police force (a black man) was asked why it took them so long to take action in the townships, he actually used the words, “We are not trained to work with animals”.
I had a film crew that was out finishing a project so I was waiting for them to return by the 6pm cut off. They didn’t make it back until 6:30pm and when I began to launch into the importance of them coming back on time, I could see on their faces that something was wrong. A few of my students began to tell me that things were falling apart beyond our protective gates. Riots had started near the police station and Somali owned shops were being broken into and looted. We were told that shots were being fired, but I never heard any gunfire and have not heard any confirmation about anyone being shot.
One of my students thought that it would be good to get some of the action on video – when another Kayamandi resident put a gun to his side and told him to stop filming. My student explained that you couldn’t see anything because of the dark and the man with the gun said that if he tried to film again that he would be shot.
I was nervous, but really not scared. I knew that the attacks were not aimed at me – so my only concern was now driving out of Kayamandi amongst a greedy mob. As we watched the mob take every item from a shop just outside the gate, my good friend Mbongeni said that today he was embarrassed to be an African.
In reality, it was nothing compared with the Los Angeles riots – but a few of my students went home and cried. They were very saddened watching people in their community treat others with such disregard.
Within two hours all looting and chaos was finished. And we have not seen any other flare-ups in Kayamandi since. Please continue to pray for Zimbabwe and South Africa that these Xenophobic attacks would cease and be replaced with love for one another.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Love in any Language
My good friend and 16-year-old roommate Nana is teaching me a lot about the differences between American and Xhosa culture. There are a lot of differences of course and she has had to adjust to many things as a Xhosa living with a couple of Molungus (white people).
One of the things that stands out to Nana is the ease with which we say the words “I love you”. She explains that the words “I love you” are only used in a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship – and that they of course rarely mean anything. Of course when it comes to the molungus in the flat, we are constantly telling Nana how much we love her. She thinks it’s funny and giggles once in awhile but I know that she loves it. Who doesn’t love to be told that they are loved, even if it does feel out of the ordinary?
The first time she heard the words she made a mental note that maybe these white people didn’t actually mean it – but in her words, “You each just keep on saying it – and I began to figure that if you didn’t really mean it – you would forget to say it. So you must really mean it.”
Nana likes to joke about the fact that one time her best friend told her that she loved her – and Nana’s response to her friend was, “Are you dying or something?”
One night while we were chatting about how odd she finds it – and about how it’s not “part of her culture”. She turns to me and mentions that when she has children, she’s going to tell them how much she loves them.
While I thought it a small victory for this molungu, it speaks to one of the biggest lessons that I feel I’m learning while I’m here. Culture is important. But it’s up to us as individuals to find what works and is beautiful about our culture and strive to keep it. And it’s equally as important to move away from what doesn’t work, and learn how other societies have managed to succeed.
One of the things that stands out to Nana is the ease with which we say the words “I love you”. She explains that the words “I love you” are only used in a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship – and that they of course rarely mean anything. Of course when it comes to the molungus in the flat, we are constantly telling Nana how much we love her. She thinks it’s funny and giggles once in awhile but I know that she loves it. Who doesn’t love to be told that they are loved, even if it does feel out of the ordinary?
The first time she heard the words she made a mental note that maybe these white people didn’t actually mean it – but in her words, “You each just keep on saying it – and I began to figure that if you didn’t really mean it – you would forget to say it. So you must really mean it.”
Nana likes to joke about the fact that one time her best friend told her that she loved her – and Nana’s response to her friend was, “Are you dying or something?”
One night while we were chatting about how odd she finds it – and about how it’s not “part of her culture”. She turns to me and mentions that when she has children, she’s going to tell them how much she loves them.
While I thought it a small victory for this molungu, it speaks to one of the biggest lessons that I feel I’m learning while I’m here. Culture is important. But it’s up to us as individuals to find what works and is beautiful about our culture and strive to keep it. And it’s equally as important to move away from what doesn’t work, and learn how other societies have managed to succeed.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Some Things Just Grow On You...And Some Things Never Will
I've come to the conclusion that there are a lot of things to which you can become accustomed - and there are just some things that you will never get used to seeing.
I have been living with Mama Shumi for a month, and I have grown such a deep love and respect for her that it kind of surprised me the other day. My good friend Jenna has moved up North to live near her fiance's farm. Which means that my other good friend Cindy is looking for a roommate and help caring for a 16-year-old named Nana that I have come to love very much. So tomorrow I will be moving out of Mama Shumi's place and into the flat with Cindy and Nana. I'm happy to be moving, and I cherish the time it will give me with Nana - but when I thought about leaving Mama Shumi it made me very sad. I honestly didn't know that I had grown to love this chicken feet lady so much! She has taught me many things - and from her I have learned to enjoy SA soap operas, eat dinner in the presence of tubs of chicken feet and live in peace with small roaches in the kitchen. I love her dearly.
The other day I had my first bite of a chicken foot - and I think I can say with confidence that I doubt I'll ever have another. The flavor was fine, it's the texture of the tough scaly skin that's unpleasant. Don't get me wrong, I only had a small bite - I was far from biting off a toe like my sisi Nana did with ease. I'm not sure that chicken feet is ever a meal that I will be able to embrace.
Another thing that always gets me here is the age at which children become responsible for other children. We have young babies at our feeding scheme - one-year-olds that are being cared for by their four-year-old sisters. I watched closely the other day while a young girl consoled her baby brother by pulling him close to her and rocking him back and forth. This child is not old enough to take care of herself let alone take care of another. When I thought about what it would look like if my sister told my niece (age 3) to walk down the road for lunch and watch over her brother (18 months) it made me cringe. It's something with which I don't think I'll ever become accustom.
I have been living with Mama Shumi for a month, and I have grown such a deep love and respect for her that it kind of surprised me the other day. My good friend Jenna has moved up North to live near her fiance's farm. Which means that my other good friend Cindy is looking for a roommate and help caring for a 16-year-old named Nana that I have come to love very much. So tomorrow I will be moving out of Mama Shumi's place and into the flat with Cindy and Nana. I'm happy to be moving, and I cherish the time it will give me with Nana - but when I thought about leaving Mama Shumi it made me very sad. I honestly didn't know that I had grown to love this chicken feet lady so much! She has taught me many things - and from her I have learned to enjoy SA soap operas, eat dinner in the presence of tubs of chicken feet and live in peace with small roaches in the kitchen. I love her dearly.
The other day I had my first bite of a chicken foot - and I think I can say with confidence that I doubt I'll ever have another. The flavor was fine, it's the texture of the tough scaly skin that's unpleasant. Don't get me wrong, I only had a small bite - I was far from biting off a toe like my sisi Nana did with ease. I'm not sure that chicken feet is ever a meal that I will be able to embrace.
Another thing that always gets me here is the age at which children become responsible for other children. We have young babies at our feeding scheme - one-year-olds that are being cared for by their four-year-old sisters. I watched closely the other day while a young girl consoled her baby brother by pulling him close to her and rocking him back and forth. This child is not old enough to take care of herself let alone take care of another. When I thought about what it would look like if my sister told my niece (age 3) to walk down the road for lunch and watch over her brother (18 months) it made me cringe. It's something with which I don't think I'll ever become accustom.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
A Unique Breakthrough
This last week I invited my students to come to the center on Saturday and watch an Academy Award winning documentary “Born Into Brothels”. It’s an incredible documentary and if you haven’t seen it, I can’t recommend it highly enough. The doc is about 8 young children living in the red light district in India - and their lives are built around the profession of their mothers – prostitution. All of the young girls face the reality that once they are old enough they will also be forced into working “the line”.
An American woman that has been living in India for some time taking pictures, and she gives a camera to each child and begins to the children how to take pictures. The journey for each child is amazing.
There were several small breakthroughs as a result of this documentary. First, almost the entire class showed up to view it. I know this sounds like a silly thing to be grateful for, but it was not a requirement to show up. Also, understand that what I have been prepared for was a very high drop out rate. Some programs start here with 30 students and end with 3. It’s only been two weeks, but I’ve yet to lose one student.
Second, after watching the documentary several students asked me when this was made. At first I didn’t understand why they were asking this question, and I told them that it wasn’t that long ago, I think it won the award in 2001 or somewhere close. The reason they asked that question blew me away, they couldn’t believe that there were people living in these conditions right now. So here we have a group of students, a few of which are living in small brick homes, and most of whom are living in shacks. From the American point of view, Kayamandi represents the poorest of the poor – and you will never find an informal settlement like this in the states. But still their hearts were broken over the conditions in which these children were living.
One of my female students came to me fighting back tears. Her question stopped me in my tracks, “How do we change the world so that no one lives like this anymore?” The first thought that popped into my mind that I did not express is that no one needs to live like this – that there is enough wealth in this world that no one needs to go hungry. Don’t get me wrong - I’m not a communist - far from it in fact. I don’t feel guilty for living in America, I feel blessed! Americans work really hard for what they have – and give a great deal of it away again to benefit others. But the fact remains that many live in abject poverty, while others live with more than they could ever need.
So my response to her was that sometimes people don’t look outsides themselves – they worry about their own lives and their own families and give little thought to others until something moves them to do so. Then I reminded her that there were people in her community that were living in a poverty that is similar to what they saw in this documentary. She agreed and started to think through a potential life change for herself, “Maybe I don’t need children. Maybe the best way to help is to care for other young children that need love.” Wait for it, it gets better when you know the life situation of this young girl, abandoned by her parents and living with an aunt that she believes doesn’t love her. She has spoken to me before about a poem that she once read about a mother’s love, and after examining all the characteristics that the author equated to the love of a mother, she came to the conclusion that her mother was not any of those things for her and therefore her mother didn’t love her. What an amazing revelation, in a culture that believes there is something wrong with you if you’re married and can’t have children, to come to the conclusion that being a safe haven for unwanted or orphaned children might be your contribution to ending poverty in your community.
The final breakthrough was a small personal victory for me. In Kayamandi, it is estimated that about 1 in 3 people are infected with HIV. It’s always a big topic of discussion and few people get tested because of the stigma that surrounds the disease. So while many are infected, few resolve to actually deal with it. In the documentary, the teacher tries to get each of these students into a boarding school. There are several things that need to fall into place for this to happen, and one requirement is that they have HIV tests, and if any child is infected then they won’t be accepted to the school. When the results are revealed and we learn that all of the children are negative – my entire class started clapping with joy – and one even uttered the words “maybe we should all go to get tested as a class…”
An American woman that has been living in India for some time taking pictures, and she gives a camera to each child and begins to the children how to take pictures. The journey for each child is amazing.
There were several small breakthroughs as a result of this documentary. First, almost the entire class showed up to view it. I know this sounds like a silly thing to be grateful for, but it was not a requirement to show up. Also, understand that what I have been prepared for was a very high drop out rate. Some programs start here with 30 students and end with 3. It’s only been two weeks, but I’ve yet to lose one student.
Second, after watching the documentary several students asked me when this was made. At first I didn’t understand why they were asking this question, and I told them that it wasn’t that long ago, I think it won the award in 2001 or somewhere close. The reason they asked that question blew me away, they couldn’t believe that there were people living in these conditions right now. So here we have a group of students, a few of which are living in small brick homes, and most of whom are living in shacks. From the American point of view, Kayamandi represents the poorest of the poor – and you will never find an informal settlement like this in the states. But still their hearts were broken over the conditions in which these children were living.
One of my female students came to me fighting back tears. Her question stopped me in my tracks, “How do we change the world so that no one lives like this anymore?” The first thought that popped into my mind that I did not express is that no one needs to live like this – that there is enough wealth in this world that no one needs to go hungry. Don’t get me wrong - I’m not a communist - far from it in fact. I don’t feel guilty for living in America, I feel blessed! Americans work really hard for what they have – and give a great deal of it away again to benefit others. But the fact remains that many live in abject poverty, while others live with more than they could ever need.
So my response to her was that sometimes people don’t look outsides themselves – they worry about their own lives and their own families and give little thought to others until something moves them to do so. Then I reminded her that there were people in her community that were living in a poverty that is similar to what they saw in this documentary. She agreed and started to think through a potential life change for herself, “Maybe I don’t need children. Maybe the best way to help is to care for other young children that need love.” Wait for it, it gets better when you know the life situation of this young girl, abandoned by her parents and living with an aunt that she believes doesn’t love her. She has spoken to me before about a poem that she once read about a mother’s love, and after examining all the characteristics that the author equated to the love of a mother, she came to the conclusion that her mother was not any of those things for her and therefore her mother didn’t love her. What an amazing revelation, in a culture that believes there is something wrong with you if you’re married and can’t have children, to come to the conclusion that being a safe haven for unwanted or orphaned children might be your contribution to ending poverty in your community.
The final breakthrough was a small personal victory for me. In Kayamandi, it is estimated that about 1 in 3 people are infected with HIV. It’s always a big topic of discussion and few people get tested because of the stigma that surrounds the disease. So while many are infected, few resolve to actually deal with it. In the documentary, the teacher tries to get each of these students into a boarding school. There are several things that need to fall into place for this to happen, and one requirement is that they have HIV tests, and if any child is infected then they won’t be accepted to the school. When the results are revealed and we learn that all of the children are negative – my entire class started clapping with joy – and one even uttered the words “maybe we should all go to get tested as a class…”
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Evidently I'm famous
So in South Africa they have this tradition – there is a specific man called an Imbongi that is given the job of essentially shouting before the President. It works something like this, if Nelson Mandela is walking through a crowd, this man jumps around and crouches down shouting in poetic form about the wonder that is the president. I was commenting to the kids how funny this was to me, mostly because I don’t understand the language, so it looks like a crazy man jumping around and screaming in a crowd of people.
I also have an Imbongi – and her name is Nana. She is one of my film students and she wants to work in “media”. The word media is used a lot here – and it pretty much is the word that I hear from every student. When I ask them to tell me what aspect of media specifically they don’t really know. Nana is a very talented writer, so we have been discussing a journalism future, but she also wants to be famous so we’re thinking maybe a news anchor. ☺
Nana pretty much thinks that anyone that works “in media” is famous. Even to the point of posing for pictures with the man that is hired to take photos of the 10k, calling him paparazzi . So when Nana first learned what I do I had to explain it several times so that she would understand that I’m not famous, I just once in awhile run into people that are famous. When I enter a room where Nana has gone before me, I am often flooded with students that joke about wanting my autograph and tell me that they had no idea I was a producer on Spider-man. Funny, I didn’t know I was a producer on Spider-man either. I should make a few calls about residual checks…
I also have an Imbongi – and her name is Nana. She is one of my film students and she wants to work in “media”. The word media is used a lot here – and it pretty much is the word that I hear from every student. When I ask them to tell me what aspect of media specifically they don’t really know. Nana is a very talented writer, so we have been discussing a journalism future, but she also wants to be famous so we’re thinking maybe a news anchor. ☺
Nana pretty much thinks that anyone that works “in media” is famous. Even to the point of posing for pictures with the man that is hired to take photos of the 10k, calling him paparazzi . So when Nana first learned what I do I had to explain it several times so that she would understand that I’m not famous, I just once in awhile run into people that are famous. When I enter a room where Nana has gone before me, I am often flooded with students that joke about wanting my autograph and tell me that they had no idea I was a producer on Spider-man. Funny, I didn’t know I was a producer on Spider-man either. I should make a few calls about residual checks…
Friday, April 25, 2008
wisdom abounds
every once in awhile i'm reminded that i'm living with a woman that is almost 70.
the shower door is a delicate balance of three fogged glass panes that glide on a small ledge. Mama Shumi refers to these hanging door pieces as her babies, so that i'll remember to always slide them with care. so after the 20 seconds of gently gliding each individual piece of glass i've finally earned my shower. once in the shower, i look to my right and notice that on the little soap dish rests the lower dentures of Mama Shumi. like i said, every once in awhile i'm reminded that i'm living with a woman that is almost 70.
but i can also see it in the wisdom that Mama has to impart. last night the two of us sat in the living room area, i was eating my dinner, and Mama was cutting the webbing out of the chicken feet. (i guess here is where you realize that people can get used to almost anything.) Mama started to tell me a little bit about her past. she was part of "the struggle", which means that when this country was battling over apartheid she was out marching. she actually spent a year in prison - and gave birth to her first born son while in prison. she became a business woman in 1985 when her sister told her about how much school children in her area enjoy a good chicken foot. :)
i am always amazed by all that people have to teach - and i rarely forget how much i have to learn.
the shower door is a delicate balance of three fogged glass panes that glide on a small ledge. Mama Shumi refers to these hanging door pieces as her babies, so that i'll remember to always slide them with care. so after the 20 seconds of gently gliding each individual piece of glass i've finally earned my shower. once in the shower, i look to my right and notice that on the little soap dish rests the lower dentures of Mama Shumi. like i said, every once in awhile i'm reminded that i'm living with a woman that is almost 70.
but i can also see it in the wisdom that Mama has to impart. last night the two of us sat in the living room area, i was eating my dinner, and Mama was cutting the webbing out of the chicken feet. (i guess here is where you realize that people can get used to almost anything.) Mama started to tell me a little bit about her past. she was part of "the struggle", which means that when this country was battling over apartheid she was out marching. she actually spent a year in prison - and gave birth to her first born son while in prison. she became a business woman in 1985 when her sister told her about how much school children in her area enjoy a good chicken foot. :)
i am always amazed by all that people have to teach - and i rarely forget how much i have to learn.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Beauty in the unexpected
the last few days have been really great. yesterday was the start of my interviews for the film project and i was really impressed with what i have seen thus far. i have another 8 students to interview this afternoon and they all have a qualifying assignment that is due next week.
each student took the interview so seriously, it was really great - and in a way i felt like i was casting again. casting this group of young people that will need to work closely these next few months, and casting different types and personalities for the documentary aspect. several were incredibly vulnerable and honest before me and the camera and helped to make my decision very clear and easy. i'm still wrestling with a few of the others - and while i thought that a group of 20 would be good - my instincts are starting to lean toward a smaller group of 15 or 16.
yesterday afternoon, i sat in front of my computer with no internet connectivity, and was a little frustrated. my young friend Gugu, one of the Kuyasa Kids, came and sat down next to me. he and i talked for thirty minutes, talked about our time in america, about the importance of school, and what it meant to be a leader. here he is, a 15-year-old guy, that desires to just sit and chat about life. there was something so profound and beautiful about our time together, and it's not something i'll soon forget.
this morning when i walked out of my room, bleary eyed with my towel in hand, Mama Shumi was doing some ironing. i gave her a side hug and said good morning, and she replied with "i love you".
i was standing on the front porch this morning, waiting for my ride. the sun was shining and the air was so clear. i turned to my left and took in the reality of this place that is now home. our neighbor has a shack that slants down hill - but beyond that is a beautiful mountain. it still strikes me that there can be such poverty with such a beautiful backdrop.
each student took the interview so seriously, it was really great - and in a way i felt like i was casting again. casting this group of young people that will need to work closely these next few months, and casting different types and personalities for the documentary aspect. several were incredibly vulnerable and honest before me and the camera and helped to make my decision very clear and easy. i'm still wrestling with a few of the others - and while i thought that a group of 20 would be good - my instincts are starting to lean toward a smaller group of 15 or 16.
yesterday afternoon, i sat in front of my computer with no internet connectivity, and was a little frustrated. my young friend Gugu, one of the Kuyasa Kids, came and sat down next to me. he and i talked for thirty minutes, talked about our time in america, about the importance of school, and what it meant to be a leader. here he is, a 15-year-old guy, that desires to just sit and chat about life. there was something so profound and beautiful about our time together, and it's not something i'll soon forget.
this morning when i walked out of my room, bleary eyed with my towel in hand, Mama Shumi was doing some ironing. i gave her a side hug and said good morning, and she replied with "i love you".
i was standing on the front porch this morning, waiting for my ride. the sun was shining and the air was so clear. i turned to my left and took in the reality of this place that is now home. our neighbor has a shack that slants down hill - but beyond that is a beautiful mountain. it still strikes me that there can be such poverty with such a beautiful backdrop.
Monday, April 21, 2008
the weekend
it's funny how much a weekend can change when you're in a new place. at home, i can't wait for the weekend! for the time away from work and time with friends. of course here, i work with all my friends and time at home is when i'm most prone to loneliness.
this last weekend was actually pretty successful - and was much more fun than i had anticipated at the end of the week. friday evening, my friends Cindy and Neal invited me over to watch some movies - so we enjoyed watching "13 going on 30" and "the holiday" on Neal's computer. Neal cooked dinner and then later drove me home. the next day i slept in and spent some time alone in my room reading, listening to music, and even working out if you can believe that! Then Neal and Cindy picked me up again to join them at the home of a friend where we watched a movie and again, Neal made dinner. good news is - he's a very good cook. :) sunday was another relaxing day and i went to church in the evening with Cindy and Neal.
back at the office today, and i received the first sign-ups for interviews that will be held on Wednesday and Thursday. for the most part it looks like the interest is mostly among young men that are recently out of high school. this could actually work out well for me time wise, cause we might get to work during the morning time and not just the afternoon. the afternoon time here is usually filled with tutoring for all different age groups - so if we can meet another time it will allow for more options with regard to rooms where we can meet.
well, my love to all - i miss you so much but you can rest in the fact that i'm doing well.
this last weekend was actually pretty successful - and was much more fun than i had anticipated at the end of the week. friday evening, my friends Cindy and Neal invited me over to watch some movies - so we enjoyed watching "13 going on 30" and "the holiday" on Neal's computer. Neal cooked dinner and then later drove me home. the next day i slept in and spent some time alone in my room reading, listening to music, and even working out if you can believe that! Then Neal and Cindy picked me up again to join them at the home of a friend where we watched a movie and again, Neal made dinner. good news is - he's a very good cook. :) sunday was another relaxing day and i went to church in the evening with Cindy and Neal.
back at the office today, and i received the first sign-ups for interviews that will be held on Wednesday and Thursday. for the most part it looks like the interest is mostly among young men that are recently out of high school. this could actually work out well for me time wise, cause we might get to work during the morning time and not just the afternoon. the afternoon time here is usually filled with tutoring for all different age groups - so if we can meet another time it will allow for more options with regard to rooms where we can meet.
well, my love to all - i miss you so much but you can rest in the fact that i'm doing well.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
i think i'm gonna need more zone bars...
well, the good news is - i wasn't served chicken feet! turns out that Mama Shumi sells her chicken feet at the school, which is good news for me. :)
the first night was interesting. Mama Shumi served me dinner which consisted of chicken, rice, and a sort of carrot/potato sauce. the salad was not a typical american salad, it was more like a salsa - lots of chopped tomatoes with onion, peppers and some sort of sauce that looked like soy. so that took some choking down, but i considered myself lucky that it wasn't chicken feet. when i prayed before my meal, Mama Shumi said that i was the first visitor she's had that prayed before dinner.
my room is nice and big, and i even have carpet on the floor of my room, which will help when it gets really cold. the house is much bigger than the home i stayed in while in Costa Rica - and outside is nice and loud so that you remember you're part of a community. i woke up this morning bright and early when the roosters decided it was time for me to wake up. i did my best to get back to sleep, but since my room is right off the kitchen the sound of chicken feet prep continued to wake me up.
i took my first shower in lukewarm water - and i kind of think that's the best it's going to get. it could certainly be worse - in Poland the showers were freezing. breakfast was unique... Mama Shumi left everything for cereal out so that i could help myself. i was lucky enough to see a fly do a swan dive into the milk carton - and when i looked closer i could see that he was just joining his friend. so i grabbed a zone bar, covered my tracks so that it looks like i ate, and headed off to the office.
one of the girls my age that is working with the center is also living in Kayamandi. her name is heather and she's living with pumla in her new shack. she's really roughing it, sleeping in pumla's bed and peeing in a bucket. so things are pretty good all things considered. yesterday heather mentioned to me that on tuesday evenings you can go to the movies for 7 rand (1$) - i think she and i are going to get along just fine.
the first night was interesting. Mama Shumi served me dinner which consisted of chicken, rice, and a sort of carrot/potato sauce. the salad was not a typical american salad, it was more like a salsa - lots of chopped tomatoes with onion, peppers and some sort of sauce that looked like soy. so that took some choking down, but i considered myself lucky that it wasn't chicken feet. when i prayed before my meal, Mama Shumi said that i was the first visitor she's had that prayed before dinner.
my room is nice and big, and i even have carpet on the floor of my room, which will help when it gets really cold. the house is much bigger than the home i stayed in while in Costa Rica - and outside is nice and loud so that you remember you're part of a community. i woke up this morning bright and early when the roosters decided it was time for me to wake up. i did my best to get back to sleep, but since my room is right off the kitchen the sound of chicken feet prep continued to wake me up.
i took my first shower in lukewarm water - and i kind of think that's the best it's going to get. it could certainly be worse - in Poland the showers were freezing. breakfast was unique... Mama Shumi left everything for cereal out so that i could help myself. i was lucky enough to see a fly do a swan dive into the milk carton - and when i looked closer i could see that he was just joining his friend. so i grabbed a zone bar, covered my tracks so that it looks like i ate, and headed off to the office.
one of the girls my age that is working with the center is also living in Kayamandi. her name is heather and she's living with pumla in her new shack. she's really roughing it, sleeping in pumla's bed and peeing in a bucket. so things are pretty good all things considered. yesterday heather mentioned to me that on tuesday evenings you can go to the movies for 7 rand (1$) - i think she and i are going to get along just fine.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Safe and Sound
i've arrived! the flight easier and believe it or not shorter than usual. due to a nice tail wind we managed to bypass stopping in Dakar and cut 2/3 hours off the trip. so all in all, the flight was good. i spent last night at Cindy and Jenn's apartment and this morning dropped off half of my things at Mama Shumi's place in Kayamandi.
the bonus about the location is that i can walk to/from work and i'm also close to the high school. so if any of the kids wanted to come over it's pretty close. we've been able to identify 3 students that would likely be interested in the film program. i'm sure there are many more out there, but we also need to be sure that we're getting students that can be trusted with the equipment. so the process will be selective. i'll likely get some flyers printed up in the next few days and will hope to start interviews sometime next week.
the bonus about the location is that i can walk to/from work and i'm also close to the high school. so if any of the kids wanted to come over it's pretty close. we've been able to identify 3 students that would likely be interested in the film program. i'm sure there are many more out there, but we also need to be sure that we're getting students that can be trusted with the equipment. so the process will be selective. i'll likely get some flyers printed up in the next few days and will hope to start interviews sometime next week.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
a big sister
There are few things on this earth that I cherish more than my relationship with my big sister. We have such a wonderful bond and I'm truly grateful for the role that she has played in my life.
Among the Kuyasa Kids, the word sister (sisi) flies fast and furious, and is used in reference to any of the girls. My name is SisKatie, it's a sign of respect that the kids show me. And while I often forget the Sis before their names, they never forget to call me sister.
I was thinking about how many sister's I've actually gained in this process. While none will ever be able to replace or fill the role of my own sister - growing up I always longed to be a big sister. I like to think it's because my sister was so good at it, that I wanted to pass on all that I had learned along the way.
This idea of sisterhood really hit home the other night. Cindy and I were staying with two of the youngest girls in the group, Koko (10) and Kholisa (12). It was our second night with our host family and Cindy had gone to bed about 20 minutes before the rest of us. Cindy and I were each blessed to have our own queen size beds and our own rooms, an arrangement that is certainly not common on tour. The two girls were together on a queen air mattress in another room. Once I turned out the light in my room and settled into bed I heard a small knock. The two little ones opened the door and uttered, "SisKatie, we're scared".
There was a time when I was younger, that I would creep out of bed and down the hall to my sister's room. I would open the door slowly and say, "Kari, can I sleep in your bed?" The response always came consistently and with almost no complaint, "get in".
As I looked at these two new young sisters of mine - the words formed without hesitation, "get in". In a flash both little ones had jumped over me and began to scurry under the covers.
So this is what it looks like to be a big sister.
Among the Kuyasa Kids, the word sister (sisi) flies fast and furious, and is used in reference to any of the girls. My name is SisKatie, it's a sign of respect that the kids show me. And while I often forget the Sis before their names, they never forget to call me sister.
I was thinking about how many sister's I've actually gained in this process. While none will ever be able to replace or fill the role of my own sister - growing up I always longed to be a big sister. I like to think it's because my sister was so good at it, that I wanted to pass on all that I had learned along the way.
This idea of sisterhood really hit home the other night. Cindy and I were staying with two of the youngest girls in the group, Koko (10) and Kholisa (12). It was our second night with our host family and Cindy had gone to bed about 20 minutes before the rest of us. Cindy and I were each blessed to have our own queen size beds and our own rooms, an arrangement that is certainly not common on tour. The two girls were together on a queen air mattress in another room. Once I turned out the light in my room and settled into bed I heard a small knock. The two little ones opened the door and uttered, "SisKatie, we're scared".
There was a time when I was younger, that I would creep out of bed and down the hall to my sister's room. I would open the door slowly and say, "Kari, can I sleep in your bed?" The response always came consistently and with almost no complaint, "get in".
As I looked at these two new young sisters of mine - the words formed without hesitation, "get in". In a flash both little ones had jumped over me and began to scurry under the covers.
So this is what it looks like to be a big sister.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Typical?
They seem like a bunch of American teenagers.
As I travel around the country with these Kuyasa Kids, I'm amazed by how much they seem to have all the same issues as American kids. They love "High School Musical", they give hugs to their friends, and teen boys wrestle each other to the ground. Most of the time, they seem like an average teen.
But when given the opportunity to dig a little deeper, I'm faced with the reality of these young African children. We simply ask for prayer requests and the response hits me square in the face when one of our youngest asks us to pray that her mom won't die. But it's not that simple, she asks that we will pray that her mother will live until her 18th birthday, so that she will be able to financially take care of herself when her mom is gone. When we finished our prayer, pouring out God our requests for health and life, this 11-year-old girl crawled onto my lap and just cried.
The reality that these kids face in a township where roughly 1 in 3 people are HIV infected is sobering. They all have several friends that have lost parents, so the prayer of an 11 year old, is that their mother will live 7 more years. While I know I thought about death as a young child, it was a fleeting thought, not a reality that scared me to tears.
As I travel around the country with these Kuyasa Kids, I'm amazed by how much they seem to have all the same issues as American kids. They love "High School Musical", they give hugs to their friends, and teen boys wrestle each other to the ground. Most of the time, they seem like an average teen.
But when given the opportunity to dig a little deeper, I'm faced with the reality of these young African children. We simply ask for prayer requests and the response hits me square in the face when one of our youngest asks us to pray that her mom won't die. But it's not that simple, she asks that we will pray that her mother will live until her 18th birthday, so that she will be able to financially take care of herself when her mom is gone. When we finished our prayer, pouring out God our requests for health and life, this 11-year-old girl crawled onto my lap and just cried.
The reality that these kids face in a township where roughly 1 in 3 people are HIV infected is sobering. They all have several friends that have lost parents, so the prayer of an 11 year old, is that their mother will live 7 more years. While I know I thought about death as a young child, it was a fleeting thought, not a reality that scared me to tears.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
a trip to the dentist
When I told three of the Kuyasa Kids that a trip to the dentist was "no trip to Disneyland", I had no idea that I would be proven wrong.
These three children were selected to travel with me to my parents house in Canton, OH because they each had specific dental needs that required attention. Puti, shown in the picture on the right, had crack one of his mollers in half. Nopro, was experiencing pain on one side of her mouth. And my sponsor child Kholisa had two holes of decay that had started to rot away the teeth to either side of the two that were front and center.
My mother had contacted close family friends Dr. Henry and Dr. Brent Van Hala, and they graciously agreed to see these three children and address their needs. The children were nervous! In Kayamandi, South Africa dental care is too expensive for people that are living in the township. So the alternative when one has a toothache is to go to the free clinic, and with no pain killer of any kind, have the tooth yanked out of your mouth.
The children received a rather different welcome when they entered the door of the Van Hala practice. Every detail was addressed and no expense was spared. Full dental x-rays were taken of each child, if there was any indication of pain more Novocaine was administered, and the children were treated like they were the most important patient in the office.
Puti cracked tooth was given a crown - a process that can take several visits and cost $800. Nopro's hurting tooth was experiencing decay from a major cavity, so the cavity was removed and the tooth rebuilt. My little Kholisa was a real champ - she was in the chair for close to two hours while Dr. Brent removed the decay from her front teeth. They then cosmetically filled the holes making her smile beautiful as new. I sat there holding her hand and providing encouraging words. Dr. Brent then shared with me that if Kholisa had not come into the dentist that day, that within a year she would have lost all four of her front teeth. I began to cry. Crying over the blessing that we had been given. Crying that we had noticed the holes in her beautiful smile. Crying that I got to be a part of connecting these kids that I love with talented Christians that were willing to sacrifice so much.
And it didn't stop there! A few key appointments canceled that day, and we were able to get more kids in for exams and cleanings. Going to the dentist had now become the cool thing to do and 6 more Kuyasa Kids came to the dentist. Every one of them had at least one cavity, and several had four! The Novocaine just kept coming! :)
Never have I so enjoyed a trip to the dentist.
Monday, March 17, 2008
South Africa - Film Project Overview
KAYAMANDI FILM PROJECT PROPOSAL
To equip and empower fifteen to twenty Kayamandi youth and young adults to visually construct their life story through the use documentary and short films, and create an opportunity to help secure a professional career in the film industry in South Africa by instilling basic skill instruction regarding film-creation.
OBJECTIVES
The student-learner will secure basic, yet essential skill sets which will enhance his/her abilities to be a contributor in the fast-growing television and filmmaking industry in
ABSTRACT
The 20-24 week-long curriculum has been developed and created to inspire students to recreate their personal stories, stories of the Kayamandi people, and stories of what it means to be a South African.
Students will be taught basic skill instruction of film-making—enabling them to tell these stories through short films. Interwoven through theory, practice, and relationship—each student/group will be challenged to film a documentary about their journey as filmmakers. This documentary will be shot over the entirety of their film course, and they will be encouraged to take over and continue the documentary when the course is complete.
Each person has his or her unique story to tell—the children of Kayamandi are no different. By providing a creative outlet for their thoughts and feelings, they will be taught to express themselves in new and innovative ways they might never have deemed possible.
They will be encouraged to explore a myriad of themes, including the effect of HIV/AIDS in their community, families, and personally. Requirements for student/learners also include engaging in structured, classroom like gatherings for debriefing and the verbal processing of their growth experiences, frustrations, and pride in the documentary element of the project.
Students can expect to be held to a high standard of excellence. Placed into groups, student/learners will be required to work together on each project—providing helping hands on each and every project—not just those particular projects they are directing.
This process will teach responsibility, how to work within given timelines, how to best manage time, how to depend on other people, and other invaluable skills that will be practical and essential in the workforce. While the skill set will be different for each individual—some may excel in editing, writing the screenplay, camera operation, and others in direction.
The intent of this course is for participants to identify their strengths and weaknesses and encourage student/learners to pursue their goals and dreams long after the course has been completed. It is also to identify a leader within Kayamandi, whom can continue to teach and run the course for future students.
Expectations for this course are not that each student/learner will become a renowned film director—but that each person will gain a basic and working knowledge that will allow each person to fill an on-set or offset role such as a boom operator, gaffer, assistant editor, or actor.
Those that show interest and proficiency may choose to continue their education at the Media Village Program that currently exists in the
CURRICULUM
Acceptance into the proposed film program is a two step process. Initially students must engage in a verbal interview process. Once convinced of the potential student/learner’s desire and commitment level, students selected will be instructed to create a story for a short film and pitch their film to gain admittance into the program.
Students who qualify will be placed in small study/work groups for the duration of the program. They will be taught basic skills such as camera operation, story structure, story boarding, editing, etc. Classes will be scheduled three times a week with additional editing time that will be scheduled individually. As students progress in their knowledge of filmmaking, one of those class times will transition into a scheduled group time for the planning and shooting of their films.
Once students have a basic understanding of technique, they will initiate work on short films created without sound. This will allow them to focus on the power of storytelling without the complications of dialogue and sound. They will work in their groups to create short films that focus on different themes each week. Each group will have one writer/director, one producer, and one camera operator. This will require them to work together closely for their vision to be carried out and will ensure that the responsibility for the success or failure of the end product is shared. Positions will rotate each week, allowing students to perform each duty several times. The class will gather weekly to watch each group’s finished product and provide both critique and instruction.
Each week, or rotation, one group will be responsible for the shooting of the documentary. It will be the group’s responsibility to coordinate with the different groups so that each group’s filmmaking process is captured. This group will also be responsible for documenting one-on-one interviews with each filmmaker throughout the week.
After months of practice and rotations, students will be given a final assignment. Students that wish to direct a final film will be required to “pitch” their story to a panel of judges. The “pitch” must be presented in a professional manner—clearly stating the outline of the story and its proposed execution. The three or four students that convince the panel of their strength of story and ability to execute will be allowed to shoot their short films. They will then choose/hire their crew (editor, producer, camera operator) consisting of other students in the class. More time to shoot this final film will be provided and if appropriate, these films will be shown in an open-air venue for the people of Kayamandi to view and appreciate.
A Personal Note from Katie Taylor
In July, 2006, while I was filming a Hats & Glasses leadership meeting in
What was so impressive about this young man is that despite his lack of opportunity, he still had an incredible vision and desire. And without question he was thinking outside the box.
Some would ask why a young person—a high school age kid who lives in Kayamandi—should spend time learning the art and science of film-making. I believe the answer is clear—it is important to encourage outside-the-box thinking. In a society where the job market leaves nearly half of the country’s population unemployed, innovation is a vital skill that will open doors for this and future generations.
Kuyasa Kids Tour
hello all -
so Tuesday evening 3/18 i'll be heading to the mid-west to join the Kuyasa Kids on their tour! it is an amazing show - and i would love to see any and all that can make it to a concert. below are the venues at which they will be performing - feel free to call or text me and let me know if you're able to make it to a performance. :)
so Tuesday evening 3/18 i'll be heading to the mid-west to join the Kuyasa Kids on their tour! it is an amazing show - and i would love to see any and all that can make it to a concert. below are the venues at which they will be performing - feel free to call or text me and let me know if you're able to make it to a performance. :)
Sunday, March 23 @
9 & 10:30 AM
Waters Edge Community
Church
4141 Holland Road
Virginia Beach, VA
Sunday, March 23 @ 6:30 PM
Riverside First Church of God
3461 Fall Hill Avenue
Fredericksburg, VA
Tuesday, March 25 @ 7:00 PM
First Church of God
23 Skyview Drive
Punxsutawney, PA
Wednesday, March 26 @ 7:00 PM
Arlington Church of God
539 S. Arlington Street
Akron, OH
Tuesday, April 1 @ 6:30 PM
Meadow Park Community Church
3480 Refugee Road
Columbus, OH
Wednesday, April 2 @ 7:00 PM
North Webster Church of God
P.O. Box 313
North Webster, IN
Thursday, April 3 @ 7:00 PM
Decatur Church of God
1129 Mercer Avenue
Decatur, IN
Sunday. April 6 @ 9:30 & 11:00 AM
Pendleton Christian Church
P.O. Box 31
Pendleton, IN
Sunday, April 6 @ 6:00 PM
North Christian Church
P.O. Box 31
Markleville, IN
Wednesday, April 9 @ 7:00 PM
Westlake Community Church
6696 Rockville Road
Indianapolis, IN
Thursday, April 10 @ 7:00 PM
First Church of God - ECI
9512 N. Walnut Street
Muncie, IN
Saturday, April 12 @ 4:30 & 6:15 PM
Sunday, April 13 @ 9:00 & 10:45 AM
Northview Christian Life Church
Carmel, IN
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