Mandela Day leads to cleaner township

The 18th of July, marked a day when the community of Imizamo Yethu changed their perspective on conditions in their environment. Organized by the Lalela Project, which empowers disadvantaged youth through the arts, hundreds of people gathered to give their 67 minuets for a cleaner township.

Due to a lack of art education in low-income schools, and a need for children to generate an imaginative visual language, the Lalela Project, founded by Andrea Kerzner in 2010, was started within the townships of Masiphumele, Imizamo Yethu and Hangberg.

During the April holidays, students of the Lalela Project participted in a photography workshop where they had to capture images of their environment. Once they zoomed in on their surroundings with a camera, they were left discouraged and depressed. That’s when the idea of a sanitation program was born.

A partnership between The One and Only Luxury Hotel and Mahomed’s Inc. Attorney’s was established to clean up the township for Mandela Day. The goal was to create a safe, sanitary  environment, for not only the children but for the entire local community.

An exhibition, held at Iziko Lebomi, visually showcased the harsh living conditions within the township. Through the powerful messaging platform of photography, the community were were able to adjust their mindset and focus on a cleaner tomorrow.

According to Cat Rieper, COO of the Lalela Project, “Through visual communication, one can communicate critical messages relating to certain issues in the lives of the community, changing perspectives.”

The Lalela project invites local volunteers to come and share their knowledge of art, life skills with their students. To volunteer at The Lalela Project please contact Cat Rieper