#SouthAfricaisResilient

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South Africa is resilient: Lessons from the past in order to imagine a different future.

The area of Soshanguve is on the northern border of Gauteng Province and is an extremely disadvantaged area with extensive squatter settlements around its periphery.

The name is an acronym for Sotho, Shangaan, Nguni and Venda making up a multi ethnic population.

 Some inhabitants of Soshanguve have maintained their individual ethnicity whilst other have embraced multiple ethnicity.

Despite a democratic government led by Jacob Zuma from 2009 there was little done for these indigent shack community dwellers living on the northern Gauteng border. In 2017 service delivery protests increased, there were numerous charges of maladministration and a vote of no confidence against President Jacob Zuma.  #ZumaMustFall community was trending on social media.

 Rocks, parts of palisade fence and tires were placed across the road and burnt to disrupt people coming in and out of the Soshunguve township.

Arson. A burnt museum building as community thought it was municipal building.

HOPE ARISES  Despite the desperate and hard lives people lead many resilient heroes emerged in this period. Two individuals who although having faced the ravages of apartheid put it behind them and used their lives to encourage and uplift others.                        

Mma Tshepo Khumbane,    

"I do not plant cabbages in gardens. I plant hope and knowledge in people's hearts and minds”

An effervescent Mma Tshepo Khumbane.

Mma Tshepo started her own grass roots programe teaching women how to use grey water and implements they found around them to create food gardens. She showed community ladies how to collect water, record weather patterns, collect seeds and prepare the ground for planting.

A community lady drawing out a plan for the crops and trees she planned to grow around her home.

Mma Tshepo’s outdoor classroom with local ladies.              

Mma Tshepo’s “mind mobilisation” philosophy was based on empowering the individual women in townships who are faced with inequality and severe poverty on a daily basis. She taught the ladies self-confidence and personal skills before learning how to ensure food security, resilience and other skills.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMyrHodTPTE

http://mmatshepokhumbanefoundation.weebly.com/

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/254236263_Against_the_odds_Rural_women_who_drive_food_and_nutrition_security_in_their_communities

  Mr Eric Lubisi – Renowned Artist

Image of Mr Lubisi courtesy UNISA

 Mr Lubisi is a respected artist who lives within the Soshanguve community.

He has made part of his life’s purpose to take young artists under his care and give them the support needed to find their own feet in the art world.

Mr Lubisi and his student Tladi

In 2013 a collection of charcoal drawings neatly packaged in a tube was received from the sister of an inmate of the local prison. She had left her telephone number with the drawings and was contacted. She explained her brother was in prison for vehicle theft and he was concerned about his girlfriend and child and wanted to make an income by selling his drawings.  

It was clear that the artist, Peter was very talented as illustrated by his drawing of Nelson Mandela above.

Mr Lubisi was contacted to find out if he could assist Peter the young self-taught artist. Within days Mr Lubisi had visited the prison to meet the young man.  He found a sponsor to purchase paper and charcoal for Peter. Very soon after Mr Lubisi came to visit me at my place of work and take myself and the sponsor to meet Peter. After the visit to the prison Mr Lubisi took me with him to meet friends and some of the people he was mentoring whom lived within the Soshanguve community.

Art work by Peter

 https://youtu.be/QFS875PIp5s

 you tube interview with Mr Lubisi about his perspectives of apartheid and art.

YOUTH LED PROJECTS

 Other projects which bring hope and resilience to South Africa and the Soshanguve community include traditional dance groups taught by youth for the youth. 

#SouthAfricaisResilient #MmaTshepoKhumbane #EricLubisi #hope #Soshunguve #art #foodgardens #mindmobilisation #Zumamustfall