First Kuyasa Photo Exhibition a Success

After six months of classes we have successfully graduated our first Kuyasa Level 1 photography class. The class was an initiative started by professional photographers Christine Meintjies and Lauren Kriedemann with the inspiration of The Viewfinder Project. Intern Ncumisa Siko, fresh off her time at the Media Village, was critical to the success of the project.

The students exhibited their work this past week, and the response was overwhelming. Many visitors that had never experienced Kuyasa came to participate in the day’s events. The demand was such that we actually began selling the photographs on behalf of the students, and it looks like a donor has stepped forward to create a book of their showcased photos. The theme for the exhibition was “Life In Kayamandi”.

Have a new or used digital camera that you'd like to donate? simply email lakatie_taylor@yahoo.com

Photo on the right was taken by student Cwenga Gwadiso

Another student is heading to the Media Village!

It is both incredibly rewarding and scary at the same time, but another student from the 2008 class is soon to pass his matric (graduate from high school) and his sights are set on the Media Village.

The Media Village is a YWAM program in the Cape Town area that focuses on different areas of the media, one of which is video production. And while we believe that one day the Kuyasa Film School will be pumping out incredible film talent, we’re not yet staffed and equipped to offer that kind of in depth training for our students.

So our very own Ayanda Msebenzi will start with his 6 months of discipleship training in January and will then transition into the school of video production at the end of June.

Ayanda has been a Hats & Glasses leader for several years as well as participating in the Film School. We are happy to support him in this effort, as this has been his focus for completing high school.

It’s a big commitment for me since it costs about $6000 for this 9 months of training/room and board. But I believe that God will provide and so we step forward in faith.

Breakthroughs

Thanks to many of you I am back in South Africa full time overseeing the visual arts department at the non-profit Kuyasa. We’ve successfully launched a new Level 1 film class of nine dedicated students. Thanks to the continued efforts of my former student Odwa, many of them are starting with a greater knowledge of cameras than the pilot program had in 2008.

After weeks of class work we recently evaluated their first short films, typically the movies that students look back at and laugh, and they are excited to hone their skills. When they sat down for their first personal interviews for the documentary I was truly inspired. We strive to create a very open environment of sharing and vulnerability and that was no different with this class. Students shared openly and honestly and I’m glad for the opportunity to truly know them through this process.

One of my favorite moments in this very busy week happened around the editing bay (sitting in front of our old mac laptop) with a student named Emmanuel. He was one of our first round of directors for their task 2 assignment, which includes their first crack at editing their films. It's a steep learning curve the first time, but to edit their own film is an invaluable lesson in directing as it helps you to think through how you would shoot things differently the next time. There are often shot opportunities missed and they always wish they had more coverage of each scene (shooting from different angles and more close-ups etc). It was so fun to sit down with Emmanuel - take his short film and just teach him one on one. He just soaked up the information, and at moments threw his hands in the air in amazement at how we were able to change and adjust his short to make it that much better. By the time we finished, he turned to me and said, "SisKatie, I'm so proud of myself, cause I've never done anything like this before. I didn't even know that I could do something like this."

It's one of those moments that makes all the work worth it.

It's one of those moments where my sacrifices, big and small fade to the background.

It's one of those moments that you can be proud of the dollars that you send in support of this project.

When passion meets opportunity there is no end to what we're capable of doing together. Thank you for believing in this project, in these students and in me. I'll never be the same.

My New Best Friend

This nine-year-old, Phlumehlo, is my new best friend. I remember him from years past as a real trouble-maker, but this year he’s anything but trouble. Phlumehlo comes to visit me at my office everyday in the afternoon. He starts by looking into the outside window to see if I’m in, and then comes tearing down the hallway and announces first that he needs a hug. Once he gets his hug, he promptly sits down and fidgets while I write out a sheet of math problems.

It didn’t take long to figure out that Phlumehlo couldn’t tell the difference between the addition and subtraction symbols, so that became our first lesson. Once we graduated to the adding and taking away of fingers, we then started the lesson that we will always have 5 fingers on each hand, no need to count them each time.

With each day he gets a better grasp on things, and while I’m sure he appreciates the help, I imagine that the individual attention is what he’s really seeking each day.

Beginning Again

It’s always hard to know where to start, perhaps that is because each time I attempt to put my thoughts down, the internet goes out, or all the power shuts off. But this is Africa after all, and so it’s par for the course I guess.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the power of family and the impact that is has in each of our lives. Perhaps it’s on my mind now more than ever because I’ve recently said good-bye to my family – a drawn out time of letting go both of my physical possessions and those I hold so dear. It is never easy to say good-bye and yet as I sit here I am fully aware of how truly spoiled I am when it comes to this gift of family. I have been so loved and cared for throughout my life that I’m fully equipped to allow that love to spill over onto others.

I have students working with me that I love dearly, but it’s clear that the love and guidance of family is something they’ve not often experienced. I find myself breaking down concepts again and again, and I’m reminded that even accountability to a task is in many ways a very new concept. Taking apart vision and goals until they become tasks for the week or the day. I’m so grateful for the time that was invested enabling me to reach my fullest potential, and I’m blessed to pass on this gift.

I moved into my new room over the weekend, and my dear friend Carmen put her arm around me and said, “This must be such a huge change for you. So if you need anything let us know. You’re family now, you are my sister.” I was so grateful for that moment because I know the strength that comes from having sisters.

I’m so grateful for this family on the other side of the world – that is willing to support me while I get my feet wet again on this side.

I’m happy to call this complex and beautiful place home.

And I’m so grateful for each of you that lift me up in prayer and support me with your tithes each month.

I’m still about $1000 a month off from what it will cost to stay and maintain the project. So if you’re able to start an automatic monthly gift at www.threadsafrica.org by clicking on the donate tab and selecting the Kuyasa Film School project it would be a huge relief for me.

Love to all from Africa,

Katie

Kuyasa Film School - Where Art Gives Life

I didn’t see it coming.

But God is calling me back to South Africa for the next few years.

When the Kuyasa Film School started in 2008, I had no idea it would become such a passion in my heart.

Experiencing first-hand the effect the school has on students has totally amazed me. And seeing my students journey from their initial interviews to their walks down the red carpet at the first Kayamandi Film Festival was arguably the happiest time of my life.

When school began, not one student had ever held a video camera.

But by the end of our sixth month together, students were excitedly editing their films on sophisticated Mac laptops. And while I experienced the highs and lows of working with students in abject poverty, it wasn’t till much later that I grasped how it shaped my soul.

The revelation came in the form of an email from one of my students.

At the time—some six months later—she was taking classes at a digital photography school. Her initial training and support provided her with the wherewithal to seek a greater learning experience, and now she was pouring out her appreciation.

She told me she stopped dreaming at 11 years of age—realizing that living in poverty was going to be her lot in life.

She thought she was doomed.

The poverty she grew up in as a child was the poverty she would live in as an adult—the poverty she would raise her children in.

Yet there she was—camera in her hand and smile on her face.

She was becoming a person others were beginning to look up to, and she was overwhelmed with the new direction her life was taking.

I couldn’t help but cry—tears streaming down my cheeks—as I thought about this young woman and her newfound hope.

I wept, realizing for the first time I was a tool in the Master’s hand.

And I wept at the thought that a young person’s life had changed because you made it possible for me to be in Kayamandi, South Africa, sharing Christ’s love, and equipping young people to make a difference.

In July I’ll be moving to South Africa.

And for the next couple of years I will share Christ’s love and help create opportunities—through the medium of film—for ways out of poverty and despair.

The mission is to create a model which will prepare promising students for employment in a fully operational film production company—enabling them to make an honest living and move toward advanced studio work and greater career opportunities.

But to do that, I desperately need your help.

First of all, I need your prayers. This isn’t going to be easy. But I’m going because of God’s calling. Please, will you lift me up when you think of me?

I trust you’ll prayerfully consider making me a part of your monthly tithes and offerings. Like other missionaries, I’ll have living expenses, but in addition I’ll need to secure a substantial amount of film equipment before leaving for South Africa.

To give online you can do so at the following link – www.threadsafrica.org and click on the donate button - just be sure to designate Kuyasa Film School as the project.

Major expenses for video equipment, computers, the flight, medical insurance, and such, must be secured before I can leave for South Africa. Your initial gift will help secure the essential equipment for operation of the Kuyasa Film School.

Then the real sustaining work begins.

Staying in South Africa will require the ongoing financial support of family and friends; I am fully trusting God to secure ongoing monthly support I need.

So your gift today—for cameras, laptop computers, lights, microphones, and incidentals—will get the ball rolling.

And your longer-term financial commitment will help make it possible for me to fulfill God’s touch on my heart to provide “life-giving solutions” to the life-threatening conditions of so many young South African kids.

Thank you for your gift today and your ongoing financial support.

I’m so grateful to have you in my life.


Katie Taylor