Mandisa Zuma, Digital Arts student, mentor and poet - filming the story of her journey with Caversham and the impact it has had in her life and on her future.

In her own words:
Born and raised in a small village beyond countless farms and valleys is a young girl who grew up with values and beliefs taught to her by Mosotho women. I am Mandisa Zuma, an 18 year old whose life was mostly mentored by three powerful women: my great-grandmother and grandmother who are both Basotho’s and my mother. Being born and raised in Lidgetton, mid Kwa Zulu Natal gave me a reason to view my everyday life as a stepping stone towards changing it for the better and seeing every obstacle that I faced as an opportunity to learn to be strong enough to face future challenges.

I went to Nottingham Road primary school for eight years before starting high school at Jabula Combined school in 2007. Like every teenage girl with fantasies and a wild imagination, going to an under-served school like Jabula was a downward spiral for me until Jabula proved that dynamite comes in small packages and provided me not only with the best education but also with opportunities which were bound to change my life and brighten my future in a big way.

Growing up in an environment that was well known for being low in opportunities and a home which was run by my sister, cousin and myself with no adults most of the time taught me that parents aren’t there to lean on but to make leaning unnecessary and to be an independent individual both at home and at school where in the year 2010 my teachers introduced me to an opportunity which was bound to open many doors to my future and a stable platform to turn my dreams into reality while at the same time putting my community under a spotlight.

Being selected as one of the students who would be in a digital arts programme run by Caversham Arts Centre, The NEA Foundation, and The Pearson Foundation first began as one of those endless school projects...until I came face to face with the kind of world I had been dreaming of and imagining since forever, a world where imagination could be turned into reality and beyond. Ever since I now see a future worth looking up to and working hard towards.

Not only do I now dream of making my future bright for my sake and my family’s but I also see myself as the light my community has longed dreamed of.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsdSVyEpsfQ

Africa (Poems written during the Digital Arts Programme)

Africa

Listen to my voice Africa
a young educated African voice
will you listen Africa?

Will you hold my hand as
I stumble upon your rocky mountains
will you feed me as I walk
In you deserted country, Africa?
Will you stand by me as I grow up?

Dear Africa will you be proud
of me as your young African?
will you smile as I recite my life story,
as I was told sitting by the fire

Africa I want the happiness
of your sand through my toes
I want the smile of your Sun
on my cheeks
I want to hear the laughter of your rivers
As I camp in your mountains
Africa, ain’t I your baby?

Africa I invite you to stand
in my conference room as I recite my speech
I want you to clap your hands so hard
you’ll make me smile, but Africa
will you wait for me as I grow

Written by Zwane Nomusa

Nomfundo in her own words

My name is Nomfundo and I’m turning 15 in July. I grew up with my grandmother and uncle in a township called Kwa-Dabeka D, Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. My mother and grandmother use to fight a lot, so she left and took my brother and sister to their father. He did not want to return them at the time, but currently they are back home with us. My father lives in Umlazi BB section where he grew up. And on his side I have a brother, sister and stepsister whom I love very much. The hardest thing I face is not living with her mother. My grandmother and uncle mean so much to me, I don’t know where I could be if not for them, I hope to one day return the favour.

About 2 years ago I join the Drama group after doing a drama project in class. It was scary at the beginning, but now it’s fine. We are dealing with a lot of things together. Our biggest challenge is a place to rehearse, now we are using a classroom but are restricted by only one hour even when we have a competition, then we need to just use any space we find like the playground. We participate in Love Life competitions, which include drama and poetry about Life educations e.g. teenage pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse, relationships. We are perfect and won a lot of times and received certificates.

We are very close friends, like a family. Last year we lost a brother, through suicide, and that taught us that we have to become even closer than before because we are now doing things in memory of him. The group changes members depending on what we do as we include drama, dance, poetry, visual arts and music! Some have finished school and others are very busy with final year exams. Maybe I and some of the other members could step up and find younger students who might need a place to run to - to continue the legacy of the drama group. We also need to look for sponsors to go to places for competitions.

Out of 1770 students in my school I’m one of only 30 students who were selected to participant in the Digitals Arts programme. This means that there are people who actually believe in me, who believe that I can do something much better with my life and want to see me successful in life. First of all I did not know how to write a script or do storyboards. I had never used a laptop in my life, but now I know how to edit, add music, add videos and titles... which will create a very beautiful full movie!

Being part of this programme has changed my career choice... from becoming military pilot ... to movie editor. Anything that has to do with movies – I like it... it is so interesting, exciting. It keeps a smile on my face, feels like home. I want to go to university and study arts! So with 2 more years at school, I need to focus on my studies to qualify for a bursary.

Thanks to the Caversham and Pearson Foundation Teams for this opportunity that they have given us, it meant a lot and God bless. (I am on the left in the photo attached.)

Believe in Yourself (Poems written during the Digital Arts Programme)

Believe that you can and you will,
Believe in all that you do,
Believe in your Hopes and Dreams,
And always be true to yourself,
For you are the one who can,
Give yourself wings,
And through faith and hard work,
Will you experience all that life bring to you.

Written by Londiwe Mncwabe

Meet Nomfundo

One of our digital arts students here in Durban, Nomfundo, is a very good actress. She loved performing today, but was even more excited about learning to film. She is involved in a drama group who do stage performance so the idea of camera angles and retakes was confusing to her until we explained the need and purpose for multiple takes when it comes time to editing an interesting clip. To her a retake is asked for only when something has gone wrong or when there is poor performance.

She soon became comfortable and told us about her acting group. Her father is not in the picture at all and her mother is seldom there for her. She lives with her grandmother, who also raised her. She wanted to have another place where she could spend her free time because her home without parents and other young siblings to play with can be depressing. She joined this drama group at a very young age. The group performs in the township (slum) functions like weddings. The drama group does these events for free, just to entertain people. They hope to get exposure so that one day she can realize her dream of performing in a real theater. Nomfundo is the girl in yellow. We’ll tell you more about her story as the week progresses.

Charles

Digital Arts Workshop in Pinetown, Durban

The Pearson Foundation Africa team is spending the week with some amazing students in Durban, South Africa!

These kids will learn to write, shoot, and edit their own films about social issues that affect them all, such as HIV/Aids and drug abuse in their community. Most come from very underprivileged homes. In S.A. this means living day-to-day wondering where the money for meals will come from. These students recognize the importance of education as a way out of poverty.

The program, serving 33 students at Sithokozile Secondary School, is sponsored by the Pearson Foundation, the NEA Foundation, and Caversham Press in South Africa. 

Find out more about Caversham's CreACTive Centers: http://www.cavershamcentre.org/