With a background in filming and creating short online videos, Koketso Mhlongo and Semende Ndlovu decided it was time to take on the YouTube algorithm and try their hand at making an impactful video, which they pulled off.
Shortly after launching the Universal Dreamers YouTube channel, the two were surprised when their most recent video had 400 views in only two weeks. The video, it turns out, conveys an important message that Koketso and Semende believe everyone should hear.
The video about gender-based violence, No Happiness can be viewed below:
In the video, a mother and daughter happily enjoy an after-school meal the former has lovingly prepared when her drunken husband stumbles down the road and into their house. The mood immediately changes as the two women tiptoe around him. This, Koketso wanted to point out, is a normal occurrence for too many families in township households.
This scene quickly becomes a horrible beating and a desperate attempt by the daughter to protect her mother.
It’s a stark look at how easily family members can find themselves in a similar situation and how bad the results of gender-based violence usually are.
“We’re relieved to know we can do the change,” Koketso explained.
We should be uplifting more upcoming talents. They should understand that you grow a tree first and take the necessary steps before you reap the fruits. A huge focus is on the youth and children alike. We believe the video could save a lots of lives.”
Koketso hopes to tell his community’s stories and, especially, provide them with a “… platform to showcase their skills and abilities, since many of them come from societies that feel so left out”.
