45 The Actionists About Partner With Us Contact Us FAQ ____________________ Thom Pierce Studios Menu Close Sesi Mahlangu Restoring dignity with new school shoes Sesi Mahlangu outside her home in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng The butterfly effect describes how one small action can have considerable repercussions. Sometimes it’s the simple ideas that can make a huge impact on another person’s life. Sesi Mahlangu is on a mission to give young learners new school shoes. This is her simple idea. It is the backbone of her organisation, Dream Foundation. She believes that a decent pair of shoes can give a child dignity and pride, changing the way they see themselves and the way that they engage with others. By ticking off one of the many items on the worry list of young learners in Ekhuruleni, she believes that they will engage in school a little more, be bullied a little less and walk a little taller. She understands that many kids also need uniforms, textbooks, transport and food, but a decent pair of shoes is a start. “My dream is for them to focus on what they need to focus on. Not having shoes to wear should not be their responsibility.” Sesi’s parents died when she was very young and she was raised by her older sister and her husband, who she now refers to as her parents. She grew up in a family that supported her in every way that they could. It was the realisation that other kids at her school could not afford a pair of shoes that inspired Sesi and her friend to save their money and buy a pair for one of their classmates. In 2019, at the age of 21, Sesi started Dream Foundation and launched a social media campaign to collect 59 pairs of shoes for school children in her community. The next year they managed to collect 89 pairs. Each year they will approach a school and ask the teachers to identify learners who do not have the means to buy shoes. As well as the shoe drive, they also run yearly workshops, called “I’m Complete”, for 50 girls. The program helps them to deal with issues related to GBV, self esteem and teenage pregnancy. They have also started a boy’s camp that aims to get young men talking openly about their struggles and steering them in the direction of becoming more meaningful members of society. “I just have this fire in my heart for the youth, a love for the youth. What my parents gave me, that’s the inspiration. The love that they gave me I want to put out to others that didn’t receive what I got.” This year Sesi wants to raise 120 pairs of shoes for learners in Ekhuruleni. Shoes can be bought for between R250-R300 and are needed in sizes 1-5. To donate a pair, please visit The Actionists website for more details. < Previous Item Next Item >

66 The Actionists About Partner With Us Contact Us FAQ ____________________ Thom Pierce Studios Menu Close Love Our City Klean Greening & cleaning Joburg inner city Zwelihle and Metsi Magwaza at LOCK in Bez Valley Sometimes being an Actionist isn’t born out of one single brilliant idea. Sometimes it comes from a passion to see change and the dedication to finding a space for yourself in a world that feels like it is determined to work against you. Zwelihle and Metsi Magwaza are open about the bumpy road that they have ridden in their mission to clean up Joburg, whilst also finding a cost-effective and sustainable output for the waste that is collected. It all started when they were living in Marshaltown. They would walk to the Johannesburg Art Gallery and pass by Joubert Park which, at the time, was full of litter. Instead of looking the other way, they decided to do something about it, so they invited their artist friends to help them clean up the park. Over time they had to formalise their cleanup project in order to work with the City and other organisations - they called it Love Our City Klean (LOCK). Since 2016 they have been trying out different ideas to see what works, fully embracing failure as a way of learning and moving forward, never losing sight of the big picture, to clean up the city that they love. Much of the struggle has been in dealing with big corporations that do not benefit financially from the recycling of their products. Several initiatives that LOCK have trialled had to be abandoned as they were seen as not being economically viable, despite providing a more responsible and sustainable environmental footprint. But the ideas keep on coming, and the enthusiasm never wanes. Zwelihle and Metsi have helped to create a community swap shop at Victoria Yards where local residents of Bertrams and Bez Valley are encouraged to collect, sort and clean recyclable items and drop them off in exchange for points which can be used to buy food, clothing and books. In 2021 PIKITUP offered them a space in their Bez Valley garden site. Already established as a recycling drop-off centre, it provides an undercover space to sort and sell items that have more value than standard bulk recycling items such as paper and plastic. From this venue, they want to create a space where artists can come to be inspired, and they are passionate about building a bespoke service for artists who require specific items for collage, sculpture and other disciplines. This is a labour of love for Zwelihle and Metsi, but they cannot do it without help and they understand the power of finding the right partners; responsible business owners who are also passionate about the environment, and the city of Johannesburg. You can find them on Instagram: @weloveourcityklean and Facebook: @loveourcityklean. < Previous Item Next Item >

35 The Actionists About Partner With Us Contact Us FAQ ____________________ Thom Pierce Studios Menu Close Tarryn Johnston Reviving the Hennops river Tarryn Johnston at the Hennops River The way that other people talk about Tarryn Johnston is a better indication than any other of her passion for cleaning up the Hennops River. Their faces crease into a smile and they say something like “That woman is incredible”. It is Tarryn’s focused intention about her mission to clean up the waterways and the generosity with which she encourages others along on that journey, that brings people to this conclusion. “We don’t have time to sit around and point fingers…I clean rivers. It’s a popular misconception that it is someone else's job.” In 2018, Tarryn’s life was in a very different place. She was on a mission to end the abusive relationships that had shaped her life, embarking on an introspective journey through prayer and meditation. During one of the workshops that she attended, the facilitator identified that she owed a debt to the ocean and this started her on the journey to the realisation of her responsibility towards the environment, specifically water. In 2019 her twelve-year-old daughter asked her if she could help with a river cleanup project and she jumped at the chance. Tarryn had no idea that this was just the beginning of her healing. On seeing the black, sludgy water she was horrified by the dangerous levels of pollution in the rivers near her home in Centurian, Gauteng. She committed to organising a river cleanup every two weeks and, once she realised that she needed money to do so, she started a not-for-profit company. Over the next few years, extreme weather and Covid 19 distracted from the river clean-up operation, and Tarryn busied herself with emergency flood responses and the sheltering of homeless people during the pandemic. But the Hennops River Revival has continued to grow, and through Tarryns positive determination she now has funding, and a team of 12 people who clean up the river 3 days a week. It’s her ability to bring people together that is so enviable. She has a good relationship with the local government, something that she says comes from not pointing fingers of blame but from offering partnerships and solutions. She also has several big corporates that fund small projects through their CSI initiatives which means that she is single-handedly doing the work of several corporate departments. There is also the acknowledgement that this job will never end and that she will never clean up the Hennops in her lifetime. But that’s all part of being an Actionist for Tarryn, taking on the work for the benefit of future generations. < Previous Item Next Item >

55 The Actionists About Partner With Us Contact Us FAQ ____________________ Thom Pierce Studios Menu Close Alfred Mahlole Fighting for justice & infrastructure Alfred Mahlole at the people’s parliament in Thembelihle At 11 years old Alfred found out that the man who was raising him was not his father. He needed a birth certificate for school and he was told that he only had a clinic card because his mother had abandoned him. This started him on a heartbreaking, decade-long journey from statelessness to owning an ID book and being recognised as a South African citizen. This same journey took him to the doors of local councilors, NGOs and finally up in front of a judge who told him that he was a ghost in this country and that he did not exist according to the law. From this experience, he learned everything that he needed to know about activism. He learned to fight for what he needed and he learned that he was going to have to do everything himself if he was going to make any changes in his, or anyone else’s life. “My background was broken, the concrete was cracked. I had this thing in my mind that I do not want to see what happened to me happen to someone else. I know when there is no help what it feels like.” In 2010 Alfred joined the Thembelihle Crisis Committee (TCC), a group of volunteers living in Thembelihle informal settlement who get together to campaign for positive changes in their community. At the time there was no formal infrastructure for electricity, and the township was using an illegal system of informal wiring that was regularly electrocuting people and killing children. Within 5 years the TCC managed to get a legal electricity infrastructure installed, which was opened by none other than then-President Jacob Zuma. This was an empowering moment for Alfred, giving him the confidence to know that with enough hard work, anything can happen. Working with the TCC helped him to realise that he could make a change and so he started to volunteer with the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation as a youth club leader. His role is to mentor young people in the community, encouraging them to be more engaged members of society through educational programs and taking them to community events where they can get involved in social, environmental and political issues. “I want to see happiness in people. We have suffered a lot. When I see people smiling, and happy, I get inspired and I feel connected to them. I’m addicted to being around people and coming up with solutions on how we can make a change, how we can solve a challenge that affects everyone.” Alfred was nominated as an Actionist by the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation. < Previous Item Next Item >

1 The Actionists About Partner With Us Contact Us FAQ ____________________ Thom Pierce Studios Menu Close Willem Snyman Cleaning up rivers & reviving dead waters Willem Snyman at the river cleanup in Thembisa, Gauteng The banks of the river that flows past Tembisa Mall are covered in styrofoam containers that have been hauled out of catchment nets by Willem Snyman’s team of river cleaners. Last week they took out 250 tonnes of plastic, an operation that cost them R10,000 from their small budget. The traps are cleaned manually so the money is used for wages of a group of men from Tswelopele. Willem, who is an artist, passionately believes that clean water is vital to the survival of South Africa and that we can still fix the issues by educating people upstream and to get involved with the cleanup process. He cleans the waterways using nets made buoyant with the very styrofoam they are catching. At the same time, he is developing a system of floating gardens in boats that are also made from netting and styrofoam. They are filled with local varietals of aquatic plants, home to microorganisms that are able break down contaminants in the water. The river is now devoid of life, so it can no longer break down foreign organisms without help. “If one can stop it in the worst place, then there is hope.” Several years ago his home was burnt down after he objected to a development project. He had evidence that it was arson, but had to drop the charges when the neighbour filed for bankruptcy. Willem moved to a new home close to the Hennops River. But, soon after, pollution started floating down the river, and it was killing the local wildlife. In an attempt to save the animals' natural habitat and the local communities' water sources, he organised cleanups. This operation has expanded to Kaalfontein and Tembisa. Over the last five years, Willem has been working with no funding but for his own passion. One of the biggest problems now is what to do with all of the styrofoam that is pulled out of the river amounting to 250 tonnes. He wants to find someone with a pyrolyser who can turn the styrofoam into biofuel. The long-term solution is to stop further pollution of the river. But in the meantime, it takes people like Willem Snyman, working diligently to keep the water clean, for the rest of us to carry on as normal. < Previous Item Next Item >

51 The Actionists About Partner With Us Contact Us FAQ ____________________ Thom Pierce Studios Menu Close Faeeza Lok Engaging communities for lasting change Faeeza Lok in Fourways, Gauteng Actionism often starts with one person and the unique story that drives an unrelenting desire to see a change in the world around them. Faeeza Lok was born in South Africa but grew up in Hong Kong. As a mixed-race kid in a country that exhibited very little diversity, she was left feeling like she didn’t belong. When she moved back to South Africa at the age of 15 she found her home, the place where it all made sense. A country where everyone is struggling to belong in a vibrant melting pot of complex identities. “It’s my identity that birthed my activism.” At the age of 25 Faeeza decided to start the Voice of The People Movement. The idea was to solve local problems through design thinking, a human-centred process by which innovative solutions are found by consulting with the affected people to understand their needs, feelings and behaviours. Working in the township of Thembisa, Faeeza went to schools, parks and out onto the streets to find volunteers interested in joining her on the journey, training them up with the skills needed to be part of the movement. These included workshops on practising empathy, resilient mindsets and unlearning unconscious bias. They then embarked on a week-long door-to-door campaign, engaging the community in order to really understand their needs. From this research, they put together an ongoing series of outreach activities focusing on cleanups, skills training and community upliftment around Thembisa. Voice of the People paved the way for her next bold move. Faeeza is now the volunteer coordinator for RISE Mzansi, South Africa’s newest political party, where she is taking her ideas of empowerment and change to a whole new level. Activism often starts with one person but there comes a point when they need to find a team of like-minded people with whom they can walk patiently forward, laying the groundwork for sustained change. Faeeza Lok may have started alone but now she’s found her people and she’s ready for change. < Previous Item Next Item >

36 The Actionists About Partner With Us Contact Us FAQ ____________________ Thom Pierce Studios Menu Close Christinah Mdau Defending rights against mining threats Christinah Mdau with Mariah Moleme , Pintli Molalasi ,Ditlallo Lehula , Lerato Koloi ,Martha Koloi and Peter Selloe As we sit in the “community centre”; a rudimentary tin-roofed, open-sided structure, Christinah tells me that the local mine won’t be blasting today because they know that I am there and that for the time being, I am safe. However, If I had arrived two months prior it would have been too dangerous, I could have been intimidated, beaten or escorted away by the supporters of the mine. Even so, a police vehicle circles us, looking at me as we speak, and a large group of men stand close by but don’t engage. It has been 13 years since at least 850 homes in Mmaditlhokwa Village in Marikana were relocated so that Tharisa Minerals mining company could exploit the land underneath them. Individuals and families were promised permanent housing, water, electricity and sewerage, but to this day they are still in the shacks built for them as temporary housing back in 2010. The mine is yet again encroaching on their homes and the blasting that happens almost daily provides a shower of rocks and dust, accompanied by a piercingly loud siren warning them to get inside, or better still move under the “community centre” for protection. The school is now under threat as the area that is being mined has moved closer to its walls. This is no way for anyone to live. There are people in the community who support the mine, they hope that the opportunities will out way the risk. Although they were promised jobs, a few short 2 to 3-month contract jobs are all that have materialised. There is strength in numbers, and so Christinah and a local group of concerned residents got together to form an organisation that they have called DEHRVA (Defenders for Environment and Human Rights Violations in Africa). Its sole purpose is to deal with the immediate threat to their livelihoods. DEHRVA believes that the human rights of the community have been violated by the mine and the National Government. Through their various programs, guided by section 24 of the South African Constitution, they hope to remedy the situation by involving those who they consider to be responsible for redressing the impacts that the community has faced. This includes both government and private entities. What they want are the promises to be kept that were made to them all those years ago. They want a safe life for themselves and their families, away from the air and noise pollution of the mine, away from the rocks falling on the roofs of their houses, and away from the daily intimidation and imposition of blasting. But it is more complicated than that. The longer they live in one area, the more connected they are to the land, and the more family members have been buried and rituals have been established. They are not asking for the world, just their basic constitutional rights. As I sit under the shelter, surrounded by these seven determined Actionists, I can see that they are not scared, that they will not be intimidated. As I sit with them I am not scared either. But when I leave on my own, I hurry to get home. < Previous Item Next Item >

77 The Actionists About Partner With Us Contact Us FAQ ____________________ Thom Pierce Studios Menu Close Sethembiso Promise Mthembu A voice for the victims of forced sterilisation Sethembiso Promise Mthembu at her home in KZN In 1997 Sethembiso had to have a routine gynaecological operation. She was in her green hospital gown, on the operating bed, waiting to go into theatre, when the senior doctor came to her and, in front of the other patients and staff in the ward, told her that because she was HIV positive he would not operate unless she consented to be sterilised. The need for the operation, the vulnerability of her situation, the power dynamic of the patient-doctor relationship and the shame of being judged for her HIV status in front of a room full of nurses, patients and hospital staff, all contributed towards her signing the necessary documents. To this day she does not know if her sterilisation was an ideological decision by the doctor, or a position decided at hospital management or even government level. What she does know is that many other HIV-positive women around the country have been through a similar experience. In an HSRC study on stigma in 2014, it was found that of the 6,849 participants who were HIV-positive women, 7.4% reported being forced into sterilisation. That’s over 500 women. A further 5% reported being forced into abortion and 37% said that they were forced into medical contraception. It is an issue, Sethembiso says, that came to light during the tea breaks of HIV support meetings, whispered in confidence, once personal trust had been gained. For many Black women, their ability to bear children affects their standing in society so being sterile can be a very shameful secret that many women carry with them. “Women are more likely to disclose their HIV status than to disclose the fact that they were sterilised. You are still a woman even if you have HIV, if you are infertile, you are only half a woman - UyiNyumba (barren) – the worst derogatory label a woman can have.” In the support sessions forced sterilisation was not mentioned but, over time, victims would open up to each other in private about their experiences. These ranged from medical complications to cultural, social and financial issues. A sterilised woman loses her ability to build a family which can bring social and financial security, the traditional right to land, lobola and worthiness within relationships. Sethembiso realised that there was a need for more profound, formal action to be taken to support and seek justice for the inhumane treatment of these many women who are living with the repercussions of this injustice. In 2009 she started “Her Rights Initiative” (HRI) along with two other women who were victims of forced sterilisation, a feminist academic and a lawyer. For the past fourteen years, they have been building their networks of victims and working with legal teams to put together a plan of action. They are currently working together with a private international law firm on a class action lawsuit that seeks justice in the form of compensation for 96 women from five provinces around South Africa. Forced sterilisation is mostly played out through coercion via the dynamics of power and vulnerability rather than physical force, targeting women at a time when they have very little agency in their decisions. However, Sethembiso says, there have been many instances where women did not even know that they had been sterilised and others where women were told after giving birth that suggest even more forceful, violent practices. The sterilisation mostly happened around pregnancy. It is standard procedure to take full blood tests in the early stages of pregnancy and many HIV-positive women will discover their status at this time. Up until the early 2000s, it was a policy that anyone giving birth who is HIV positive should do so through cesarean section, as the risk of mother-to-child transmission could be mitigated. It was at this point, during this operation that the sterilisation process would take place, either by informed consent, coercive consent or without consent at all. And according to Sethembiso, it is still occurring today. There is a case, she says, of a young black woman in the Western Cape who was pregnant, HIV positive and suffering from depression who was forcibly sterilised in 2021. “Let’s talk about it at the beginning of pregnancy rather than initiating the conversation when I am in labour, in a very vulnerable situation. It should be ME who initiates the conversation about contraception and ending my fertility. My Body, My Womb, My Rights and My Decisions.” Sethembiso herself grew up in uMlazi township outside Durban. She found out her HIV status when she was 20 and, now 49, is considered a long-term survivor, living a healthy life on ARVs for over 20 years. Having started as an “angry activist” in the early 90s, Dr Sethembiso Promise Mthembu completed her PhD in 2022 through UKZN, an accreditation that she says forces people to take her more seriously in her lifelong quest for justice. This story was created in partnership with Heinrich Böll Foundation < Previous Item Next Item >

6 The Actionists About Partner With Us Contact Us FAQ ____________________ Thom Pierce Studios Menu Close Jarryd Watson Uplifting through inclusive dance Jarryd Watson in his dance studio, South Coast, KZN In this fast-paced, status-focused, modern world, the arts are often undervalued as a means to bring purpose, dignity and joy into people’s lives. fFrom an early age Jarryd Watson learned the importance of self-expression in his own life and, what started as a one-year leap of faith, developed into a life calling through which he discovered the incredible impact that the arts can have in the lives of others. Jarryd grew up in Treasure Beach, Wentworth, a particularly troubled part of KwaZulu-Natal. Looking out over the Indian Ocean from the cliff tops of the Bluff it is easy to forget that the community has struggled for decades with extreme poverty, gangsterism and a drug epidemic. At 20 years old, after completing his education, Jarryd was approached to take over the Wentworth Arts and Culture Organisation (WACO) by its founders Colin Fourie and Gail Snyman. They had been following his progress through performance school, studying arts, dance, film and television. His talent and affinity for the community made him the obvious candidate to take on the mantle of responsibility. At such a young age it was a big decision to make. He already understood the importance of a place for the youth of Wentworth to learn self-expression and creativity, but he was also aware that he would be putting his own dreams on hold to do so. Jarryd committed to taking on the role for a year, pressing pause on his own journey as a performer to give himself up to a short period of service to his community. That was 16 years ago. “I saw a great need for the positive social impact it was creating in these kids' lives and I made a huge sacrifice to do it. I have mixed emotions about it but holistically it has been for the benefit of others and that has always been a good feeling, even if I am not benefitting financially.” When Jarryd took over the project, the focus was on providing a space for the youth of Wentworth to learn different disciplines, in an affordable and accessible way. The school has grown over the last 16 years and, through his sheer dedication and determination, they have managed to take dancers from Wentworth to international dance competitions around the world, receiving recognition for their talent as performers in the UK and USA. But the work has gone far beyond simply teaching kids to dance. With such a programme comes the responsibility towards everyone who walks through the doors of WACO. The primary goal is to improve the lives of those who attend. Keeping them safe and in school, as well as making them feel supported in every aspect of their lives, is of great importance. As the work can range from organising bursaries to finding safe housing, and everything in between, the responsibility goes way beyond a simple dance project. “It’s about benefitting others and giving them the opportunity to grow in life. It’s not just about dance steps. So many kids have been through this project and succeeded in life.” For the last eight years, the main focus of Jarryd’s work has been to expand the youth dance project into a more inclusive programme that benefits other groups in the community. He has created exercise classes for the elderly and has developed a project that provides a space for people with disabilities to learn how to dance and grow as performers. “Dance can impact the marginalised, it's such a powerful force to impact people positively.” The “special needs disabled training and development programme” started with just six people and has grown over the years to include 48 community members, including people in wheelchairs, amputees and people with visual impairments. Although the challenges in this new direction are many, the impact has been huge, providing people with disabilities a valuable opportunity to have access to the arts, where they can develop their skills and hopefully find employment. But all of this incredible work has not come without personal sacrifice for Jarryd and, although much of the work involves his passion for dance, there are so many other challenges that come with running an organisation like WACO. “I don't realise the impact that I am creating because I am so focused on fundraising and getting performances ready. I do it for many reasons. I am passionate about the arts. It’s not what I do, it's who I am and I love to uplift others.” One of the major challenges has been to find the equipment needed to run the inclusivity programme. A specialist wheelchair for dancing would provide the stability, speed and movement needed to teach safely and effectively. They costs around R50,000 and Jarryd needs three of them. < Previous Item Next Item >

46 The Actionists About Partner With Us Contact Us FAQ ____________________ Thom Pierce Studios Menu Close Lucy Draper-Clarke Promoting a compassionate form of activism Lucy Draper-Clarke at home in Aukland Park, Gauteng Lucy Draper-Clarke is the author of “The Compassionate Activist”, a book which delves into the theories and practices that form her philosophies on reflexivity as a way to transform societies. She believes that one of the most powerful forms of activism is the awareness of our interconnectedness. It is the theory that we have a responsibility to heal ourselves while attending to others. In doing so, we can turn towards suffering, become more compassionate and then engage skilfully in the world around us. Lucy is not trying to change the world swiftly - that would be too overwhelming a task. Instead, she is providing a guide for people to live in a more harmonious way with others, approaching situations with mindful awareness and ease. The activism that she promotes challenges us to ‘do no harm', while caring for the world and the people around us. The book itself is grounded in ancient wisdom traditions, particularly Buddhism, and leans towards the development of an environmental and social consciousness with a focus on community building and personal accountability. These personal shifts come with a benefit for everyone, and it is Lucy’s hope that the book will enable people to forge stronger relationships, allowing them to cope better with disagreements and to live more harmoniously alongside people with different world views. It’s an interesting take on activism. Looking at yourself first and understanding how your own inner calm can resonate outwards. Teach yourself to be more tolerant, patient and kind, and then project that into the world around you. Lucy is not only a writer but also a retreat facilitator, researcher, postgraduate supervisor and yoga instructor who has a PhD in Mindfulness and Teacher Education. Find out more about Lucy and her work at https://www.lucydraperclarke.com or visit our store to buy the book. In Lucy’s words… “The Compassionate Activist is for changemakers, meditators and activists, offering guidance to transform our wounded world from the inside out. What can we do in the midst of uncertainty and overwhelm? Attend to what is within us and around us, moment by moment. This book is for all who see activism as a relational practice built on an ethic of care. It calls for engagement inspired by love, not hate, and the mobilisation of communities through solidarity, not separation.” < Previous Item Next Item >