42 The Actionists About Partner With Us Contact Us FAQ ____________________ Thom Pierce Studios Menu Close Jacques Bona The youth champion of Lehae library Jacques Bona in the park in Lehae where he conducts youth meetings, Gauteng Most Actionists would say that it isn’t in their nature to give up. Even after 5 years, Jacques swore that he would never stop campaigning for the Lehae Library to be opened to the public. It may sound trivial but Jacques knows how important a library can be. During matric, he didn’t have a safe space to study or access to information provided by books and a good wifi network, resources that can be a deciding factor in the education of many young people in South Africa. “It is up to the community of Lehae to push for change so I had to be an example. I can’t speak about activism without making a change myself. It has to start with me.” The Lehae Library building was completed in 2018, a grand structure, boldly rising above the small weathered homes that make up the township on the outskirts of Lenasia, Gauteng. But up until recently, the building was never opened to the public. For five years a high fence surrounded it and guards sat at the entrance not allowing anyone in. With the support of the youth program at the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, Jacques took it upon himself to get the library opened. Over the years he has marched, picketed and engaged in numerous community discussions. He has approached ministers and counsellors, relentlessly barraging them with questions about why this public building is still closed to the public. Although there are records of budgets and spending, issues were clearly still being covered up. “I wasn’t raised to give up. I am the type of person who, if I believe in something I stand by it and you will never convince me otherwise. I feel like I had nothing until the day that the library opened. The day it opened to the youth, the community of Lehae felt the victory. I could say “Yes, I did something”.” On the 25th of May 2023, the library doors were finally opened to the public with a ceremony that did not mention Jacques's hard work and his selfless passion for uplifting the lives of the young learners of Lahae. “From now on my job is to build an inclusive society where the community is fully involved and aware of what is going on with the library, I will be fighting for it to stay a safe space for all.” At 23 years old, Jacques is just finding his feet in the world of activism, still learning that it can be a rewarding yet thankless task. The mission to open a local library may seem small but the opportunities that he has opened up are immeasurable. < Previous Item Next Item >

7 The Actionists About Partner With Us Contact Us FAQ ____________________ Thom Pierce Studios Menu Close Simon Mphela Taking mental health to the streets Simon Mphela, Minene Baloi and Ernest Mocumi “Talk to someone.” With this simple message, Simon Mphela and his team are trying to save lives. They want you to know that they are available to listen and point you in the right direction if you need help. In 2020, Simon’s close friend and neighbour took his own life. This was not the first time that he had experienced the death, by suicide, of someone close to him, but it was then that he realised that he could not sit around and do nothing. He wanted to do whatever he could, in whatever capacity he had, to offer help to anyone who needed it. A graphic designer by trade, Simon decided to use his creative skills to design a series of T-shirts and a bold information pamphlet aimed at raising awareness about suicide and mental health issues. He sent digital copies out to everyone he knew, printed the pamphlets and started to distribute them around the community. This simple act of outreach brought him to the attention of others in the community and motivated Simon to start a suicide prevention movement, which he later registered as an NPO called SMAF (Save Men and Flowers). He then recruited a team of dedicated, selfless individuals from around Kagiso township to join him. SMAF runs a simple but effective programme utilising two weekly social media campaigns and an ongoing public engagement initiative using fashion as a means of activism and connection. The Monday campaign is called “O grand jo?” (are you fine?), and it encourages people to check in on each other more often and to show love, care and support. “The weekend is a hectic time. We all think we are happy and excited and doing well. Monday is back to reality. All your anxieties come back. We specifically choose Monday to say ‘Are you okay?’” Every Thursday they run the “Anti Suicide Campaign” which focuses on mental health awareness and education. Through Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram they provide well-researched mental health tips, suicide prevention and referrals. This may not be anything new, but their real Actionism happens in the space between these messages. All five volunteers have a range of SMAF-branded T-shirts which they commit to wearing whenever they are in public. These carry simple messages; “Depression Is Real”, “We Don’t Hide, We Confide” and “Choose To Live”, together with the telephone numbers for SADAG (South African Depression and Anxiety Group) and the suicide crisis hotline. Together with their two cars, branded “Anti-Suicide Campaign”, you would be forgiven for thinking that this is simply a promotional exercise, but the objective is not to advertise their NPO. The objective is to offer a first point of contact to anyone who needs help with depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. To be available, on an ongoing basis, for anyone to approach. To talk, listen and if necessary, pass on the contact details that they need to get help from professionals. And, this gentle invite to talk, is incredibly effective. Every day strangers will approach them, take photographs of the car or make a comment about the T-shirts. This often turns into a longer conversation which invariably offers a valuable space for help, advice and referral, if needed. “Just by listening you have helped people. We cannot diagnose, we can suggest to people that if they feel like they need help here is someone to talk to.” Two other members of the team are Minene Baloi, a fitness instructor, and Ernest Mocumi, a musician. Both of them use their work as an opportunity to talk to people about mental health and, by wearing the T-shirts, they start conversations more easily - and without having to probe. The T-shirt is, in essence, a sign that says ‘I am open to talk about mental health if you need to’. “For me it was easy, I’m a fitness trainer. People come to me with issues and with physical wellness; it's so connected to the mind. There is no way to take away the physical part of things. I don't have to go anywhere, I bring the message to my place of expertise. I get to do what I love but now on a greater scale.” Simple ideas can often have the most impact. A social media post and a selection of T-shirts may not seem like much, but to be on hand to help anyone in the community who needs you is a generous gesture that can change a life. SMAF is increasing its reach with a growing radio presence and a series of mental health workshops at local churches. They are looking to broaden their impact by offering their services to schools, workplaces, gyms and government departments around the country. < Previous Item Next Item >

48 The Actionists About Partner With Us Contact Us FAQ ____________________ Thom Pierce Studios Menu Close Dineo Baloyi Lights. shoes & lessons for learners Dineo Baloyi at work in Sandton, Gauteng They say if you want to get things done, ask a busy person. As soon as she got her first job at the age of 21, Dineo Baloyi started to help others, assisting learners in her neighbourhood with admissions and bursary applications. In 2016 she started her own foundation to increase the number of people she could help provide better educational opportunities to in her home town of Hammanskraal. Seven years later and Dineo is now working full-time for an Infrastructure Development firm in Sandton, whilst also studying and raising a young child. She is still running the Dineo Foundation which continues to support learners, providing her with a way to make a positive change in the lives of many others. “I am a giver, my name means “gifts”. So I just wanted to be that gift to the world” Although Dineo grew up in a family who were struggling to make ends meet, what they had they gave in abundance, namely their unwavering support and love. Even though they did not always have money for food, books or school uniforms, her dad would be at school every two weeks to monitor her progress. When she studied for her further education he would sit up with her while she worked late into the night. It is not a stretch to see where the motivation for The Dineo Foundation comes from, it is clearly inspired by the strength and struggles of her own upbringing. The foundation has a few different programs, one of which is the monitoring and support of learners at Rapelego Primary School and Sibongile Community Centre. They are assessed on a quarterly basis and supported by the foundation in any way that will help them to thrive at school. Whether that be in the provision of school shoes, reading glasses, uniforms, food, or extra lessons. “I would like to see the foundation providing a support structure and extending its hand to the disadvantaged because I believe that everybody succeeds through support.” Currently, Dineo is working on The Light For Life project, raising funds to supply matric students with rechargeable lights so that they can study during load shedding. Each light costs R300. If you would like to donate or sponsor a light, email us and we will connect you with Dineo. < Previous Item Next Item >

34 The Actionists About Partner With Us Contact Us FAQ ____________________ Thom Pierce Studios Menu Close Sherie De Wet Pads designed for girls & the planet Sherie De Wet in her Palesa Pads factory The numbers that Sherie De Wet reels off are staggering, and the pride that she exudes as she does so says everything you need to know about her journey from corporate accountant to social entrepreneur, and founder of Palesa Pads. 780,000 reusable pads sold. 120,000 girls helped. 156,000,000 disposable pads kept out of the environment. Sherie had her ‘road to Damascus’ moment in 2017 whilst on a business trip to Kinshasa in DRC. Seeing a young girl on the side of the road, abandoned by her parents because they did not have the means to raise her, and the realisation that this was not an isolated incident, was the motivation that she needed to do something with her life that had more purpose. She read a Facebook post about girls missing out on school because they could not afford to buy sanitary pads, ran the numbers and made a decision. Overnight Sherie’s world changed and an obsession began; to create and produce an affordable, high-quality, reusable sanitary pad; for the environment, for young learners and for every other person who menstruates. Over the next six months, she researched, created and tested dozens of designs, combining different materials and shapes to find the best combination for the product. She tested every design on herself, every month whilst she had her period, and made notes on each of the different prototypes. “If it isn’t good enough for me why should it be good enough for anyone else” Eventually, she settled on a combination of fabrics and a design that worked and she hasn’t looked back. These days Palesa Pads produces around 400 pads a day from a small factory in Meyerton, Gauteng. Most of these are donated to girls who need them through sponsorship programs, allowing corporates and individuals to buy the pads at a low price and distribute them. The pads themselves last for five years and are incredibly efficient and hygienic. They come in five different sizes and work out to approximately 10% of the price of disposable pads, over a five-year period*. Looking back on the journey, Sherie is clear about the fact that she makes a lot less money now than she did as an accountant, but the impact that she is having on the environment and the lives of others is well worth the sacrifice. * 5 years' worth of disposable pads would cost approximately R3000, not accounting for inflation, as compared to R300 worth of reusable Palesa Pads for the same length of time. < Previous Item Next Item >

79 The Actionists About Partner With Us Contact Us FAQ ____________________ Thom Pierce Studios Menu Close Freedom Nonkululeko ‘Nox’ Mtshali Supporting the Vaal LGBTQIA+ community Freedom Nonkululeko ‘Nox’ Mtshali at home in the Vaal As the daughter of a preacher, Nox Mtshali found it particularly difficult to accept, at the age of 15, that she was a lesbian. She was ashamed, embarrassed and worried that she had been “attacked by demons”. She needed support and, in Sebokeng, there was very little immediately available to her. A friend advised her to check online where she found a Facebook group for Vaal Lesbians and Gays. It was through this initial social media group that she met a community of similar people in her area and became a founding member of the Vaal LGBTI. An organisation that was started to provide much-needed support and mobilisation to the queer community in the Vaal, Sedibeng Region of Gauteng. “Just because I am lesbian, I shouldn’t be worried about going to a government facility. I have to be able to go to a clinic and be treated like a lesbian woman. We need the community to be able to provide for us. We saw the loopholes and we saw the need for us to get involved in the way that the community functions. We saw that a lot of people did not know about LGBTQI issues, that they needed information about the people living around them.” Vaal LGBTI was formed in 2013 by 8 people and formally registered in 2014. There are now only 4 full-time committee members of the organisation catering to the needs of around 400 people in the area. They use social media to support and mobilise, deal with hate crimes and monitor court proceedings, putting pressure on the legal system to represent them fairly. They also provide workshops that deal with different aspects of life in the queer community. These workshops range from educating LGBTQIA+ groups about their legal rights and the court process to informing the community about the best ways to support others. As an organisation, they are currently working on a school project to deal with the high incidence of death by suicide of young LGBTQIA+ students. There is a concerning prevalence of discrimination at school between peers, which is often perpetuated through the outdated policies of the schools towards gender and identity. Through ActionAid, they have been able to be a part of the “Generation G” project which is a space for a variety of grassroots youth organisations to come together, support and learn from each other. “We are different organisations from different locations so the main objectives are that the youth of South Africa can share experiences and unite and capacitate each other and build a movement.” Run by Sonke Gender Justice, ActionAid and Activate the project provides training on capacitation, policy, justice and austerity measures; teaching its beneficiaries how to fundraise, write proposals, and pitch to funders. There is a strong focus on austerity measures, especially as they apply to vulnerable communities making budgeting and mobilising support important aspects of the programme. “My dream would be first, a world without any kind of discrimination in every aspect. Where everyone lives freely in holistic harmony, where they are not violated, or discriminated against for their gender, sexual orientation, size, race, religion or culture. With the work we are doing it is possible, I believe, to change one mindset at a time. With enough resources, we can reach enough minds and create a better world.“ This story was created in partnership with Action Aid < Previous Item Next Item >

68 The Actionists About Partner With Us Contact Us FAQ ____________________ Thom Pierce Studios Menu Close Refiloe Molefe A food garden for the suburbs Refiloe Molefe at her community garden in Soweto Fifi is a food security activist who has worked tirelessly on her mission to alleviate poverty and make sure that no one in her community goes to bed hungry. In June 2022, Fifi’s inner-city garden of 15 years was forced to close to make way for a multi-purpose centre. She was not deterred. From her new garden in Soweto, she feeds around 250 people a week, mostly from the local schools and old people’s homes. She encourages people to come to her and learn how to be self-sufficient. Find out more about Fifi and her work on instagram: @fifi_farmacy < Previous Item Next Item >

16 The Actionists About Partner With Us Contact Us FAQ ____________________ Thom Pierce Studios Menu Close Natania Botha Environmental awareness through art Natania Botha in her home studio outside Pretoria, Gauteng Six years ago, Natania Botha was walking along a beach on The Bluff, whilst on a trip to Durban. She noticed the environmental centre that was lying vacant and the beach that was covered in plastic litter. The sight of such neglect impacted her so profoundly that she resigned from her job as a marketing executive and dedicated her time to cleaning the beach. Over the coming months, she managed to pull together funding to get the environmental education centre reopened and mobilised two thousand people over a four-day period to clean up the entire beach. This was the first step in her journey as an environmental Actionist. “If I’m going to leave this for someone else to do, then it’s not going to happen. If you have the ability to do something then you have a responsibility to do it.” At the age of sixteen, Natania's father left suddenly and she was forced to support herself and her mother by leaving school and getting a job at Woolworths in Brits. Her first task was to wash one of the store mannequins. It was from this simple experience, at a formative time in her life, that Natania developed a strong emotional connection to mannequins, their form and power as a symbol of life. It was not until many years later that this fascination developed into an artistic endeavour to express humanity's responsibility towards the planet through a bold series of sculptures titled Reflections of Resilience. For the last six months, Natania has disconnected herself from the outside world to tirelessly work in her home studio to create 40 mannequins adorned with mosaics, created from ceramic items collected from around the world. She has sourced thousands of tiles to diligently compose a series of human portraits that stand as a “body of work” to invite humanity to delve into their own experience and explore the connections that envelop them with the natural world. “This collection is entirely dedicated to the river of life. The pattern is free flow. You become an empty vessel where the art reveals itself going through your hands.” Natania wants the work to stand as a conversation starter, to encourage the public to take the topic of climate change more seriously. The message of the work is that we should, as South Africans, be talking about climate change at home and around the braai. We have evidence of extreme weather but most of us feel like it doesn’t immediately impact us, so we don’t engage with it. “I want to get a strong message out there to world leaders that they need to consider the communities that are the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, usually the poorest communities.“ Up close, you can see that each piece has been painstakingly assembled; combining colour, shape and pattern to create a unique, anonymous figure. Experienced together, the 40 pieces are an eye-catching statement, and have a power transcending their individuality. Natania’s dream as an artist is to make art worthy of museums and to use her artistic voice to advocate for a harmonious coexistence with Mother Nature. Through her collection of beautiful figures, she has taken her first steps towards doing just that. < Previous Item Next Item >

32 The Actionists About Partner With Us Contact Us FAQ ____________________ Thom Pierce Studios Menu Close Kim Houston Breaking the stigma around mental health Kim Houston at home in Durban You don't have to be changing the world every day to be an Actionist. Even just once a year is enough. And the world doesn’t have to be the whole world, it can just be the world around you, and the lives of people in your own community. In 2016 Kim Houston lost her baby when she was 6 months pregnant. She had struggled with depression and anxiety before, but the loss pushed her to a whole new depth. “My actual journey started when I lost my baby. That was the most horrific and dark time of my life. Nobody knew how to comfort me.” On her road to recovery, she experienced the inevitable ups and downs. For years she battled to come to terms with what happened until, in 2020, she had a nervous breakdown and was hospitalised for 2 weeks. That was 3 years ago and these days Kim will be completely open about the fact that things are not always easy. She still struggles and still has bouts of terrible depression, but now she has decided to talk about it. The one thing that concerned her the most was that in her community in Durban, people didn’t talk about mental health. It was a subject that was swept under the rug and left for each person to deal with on their own. Kim could see people in her community battling, with no way to find help and nobody to talk to. At 3 am one September morning, Kim woke up with an idea. Not just a fragment of an idea but a fully formed, intricate vision of what she needed to do. In her mind, she saw an event in the community hall with guest speakers, music, fancy tableware and a large crowd of people sitting around talking openly about mental health. It was called “The Tea of Hope”. Within two weeks she had planned and organised the entire event, reaching out to friends and family for help, and asking the community for donations of food and equipment. She had guest speakers and musical acts. She put the tickets up for sale to cover some of her own costs, advertising them on Facebook. They sold out in 5 days. “People's lives and eyes were opened to their mental health journey and wellness. That was the end goal. If I could just change one person's perspective on how they view mental health. I wanted to be that person.” The first two Teas of Hope were major successes by anyone's standards, sold-out events that got a community talking openly about mental health issues. So this year Kim will be hosting her third annual Tea of Hope, this time only for Women, on the 29th of October, with a Men’s event in November. She may not have changed the whole world, but Kim Houston has, for one day a year, reached out and offered a safe space to talk, for a community that desperately needs it. < Previous Item Next Item >

44 The Actionists About Partner With Us Contact Us FAQ ____________________ Thom Pierce Studios Menu Close Luyanda Mazwi Developing an eco-fridge for street vendors Luyanda Mazwi (left) with Gladys, a street vendor in Brixton, Johannesburg In a small church in the Johannesburg suburb of Brixton, a rowdy crowd is singing along to Doo-Be-Doo by Freshly Ground, which is being performed by a small, enthusiastic choir. It is the last performance of a night of music and poetry that has been organised by Luyanda Mazwi, an astrophysics master's student from the University of Johannesburg. He has planned and funded the whole night for one purpose, to ask if anyone has a 3D printer that he can borrow. Whilst still an undergraduate student, Luyanda and a friend decided to build a community farm in a village in Limpopo. They wanted to provide an alternative to the lack of food security in the area, to see if they could encourage the community to get involved. They didn’t think about it too hard, they just went and did it, and they made lots of mistakes. But it started a journey for Luyanda that centred around using his time, energy and education to help others. Over the years, the idea of creating a small community farm has grown into a dream to overhaul the supply chain of fresh food, from organic community gardens to street vendors. As a first step, Luyanda has designed a portable, electricity-free cooling system, made out of recycled plastic, that could provide street vendors with a cheap and efficient way to keep their fruit and vegetables from spoiling if they do not sell them all in one day. It is a simple, water-cooled system, that could be developed and constructed at a minimal cost using materials that are readily available and already being collected by waste pickers around the city. His prototypes are promising, but the precision needed for the cooling system makes it difficult to produce by hand, hence the 3D printer. Using down-cycled plastic bottles, Luyanda wants to 3D print the prototype and develop it into a product that can be easily reproduced. Together with small community gardens, the “fridge” could allow for a more productive supply chain that includes many other members of the community. The intention is not to make money, he wants to develop the product and then release the IP so that anyone can build could build and sell the fridges. This is a big idea that could change the lives of street vendors and could be the starting point for job creation and a more inclusive supply chain. But for now, Luyanda just needs a 3D printer. If you can help Luyanda to get access to a 3D printer which can print over 260 degrees Celsius and is not PTFE lined please let us know in the comments or get in touch. < Previous Item Next Item >

To link individuals and communities to information and resources that help them to make informed decisions in relation to their challenges. Our mission Confidentiality Respect Transparency Professionalism Commitment Our values Victim support/empowerment Legal advice Mediation Court education/support Right to information program Training and capacity building Facilitate family law programs Pro-bono services Counselling support Our Services Skills development: Teaching skills to empower people to sell blankets and beaded key holders. Workshops: Topics include gender related matters, legal knowledge and violence against children. Training & Education ABOUT US We Care, We Support, We Empower & We Restore. Dobsonville Human Rights Centre is a hub of community support offerings in the Dobsonville, Doornkop and Braamfischerville areas of greater Johannesburg. Starting out as a program to combat the high levels of gender based violence (GBV) in the area, the DHRC has broadened the scope of it's work to include a wide range of services from victim support to skills development. With the support of probono.org and Norton Rose Fulbright we have developed our community support, education and development programs to fulfill the needs of the people we serve. OUR TEAM Jordan Parker Position / Role Max Johnson Position / Role Drew Carlyle Position / Role Morgan James Position / Role Our Clients Tholakele “Nova” Ngubo Nova received help to apply for guardianship of her sister who was in an unsafe situation at home. The ongoing support has helped them to receive grant payments and find ongoing education and training for her sister. “There is an organisation you can go to to give you a helping hand without charging you anything. Just to help you” Pride Ntombenhle Stephens During the covid lockdowns, Pride’s mental health started to suffer. Her medication was making her drowsy and she struggled to stick to the regimen. DHRC provided her with the support she needed to get back on track. “It feels great to know that I can get help anytime and someone is there to assist me in any situation I face.” Lerato Rampai Lerato had a dream to start an empowerment, training and education centre for women, children and youth in Lawley, Johannesburg. DHRC helped her to get her initiative started, through mentorship her vital resources. “Martha gives guidance and light to any situation. She epitomises women with true integrity.” Thapelo Chirwa After loosing his eyesight at 21 years old, Thapelo was referred to DHRC for help adapting to his new life. They are assisting with many aspects of his new life as well as finding a school to further his education. “They have helped me a lot to adjust to using a stick, how to do the washing, the ironing and even how to cook.” Nomonde Mdladlamba Nomonde’s identity was stolen and used for an illegal marriage. Her name was changed and her child support grant payments stopped. DHRC are helping her with the complicated divorce proceedings and have assisted her in reinstating the grant payments. “I used to cry every single night and day but now it has all changed. I don’t feel lost in the middle of nowhere anymore.” Pumzile Twala Pumzile approached DHRC needing help getting maintenance from her children's father. It became clear that she was stuggling with depression, so they referred her to a psychiatrist and give her ongoing counselling several times a month. “When I come here I am sad but when I leave I am laughing” CONTACT US Braamfischer Office VEP 5634 Cemetery Rd. Braamfischerville Tel: 076 104 1933 Email: dobsonville.human.rights.centre@gmail.com Doornkop Community Hall Block 4 Thulani Tel: 076 104 1933 Email: dobsonville.human.rights.centre@gmail.com Doornkop Office VFR Doornkop Police Station 2825 Mohajane Street Thulani, Doornkop Tel: 068 247 4419 Email: dobsonville.human.rights.centre@gmail.com Old Bophelong Clinic, Block 11 Doornkop Tel: 068 247 4419 Email: dobsonville.human.rights.centre@gmail.com in association with... Dobsonville Human Rights Centre Home Services Our team Our clients Contact us Menu Close