Photographer raises awareness and makes a difference
BLACKHEATH – Young photographer uses his images to tell the stories of people of his community.
We can all do something to help the fight against gender-based violence (GBV) and Growing Champions’ Tshepang Mokoena is using his camera and the world around him to make his change.
The Ferndale High School matriculant recently released a photobook which features a collection of photos taken by him that reflect the stories, experiences, consequences and potential solutions to the social ill wreaking havoc across South African communities.
Tshepang wants to use his photography to tell the stories of those that feel they are voiceless and show them a way forward. He explained, “The pictures should encourage people to know that they aren’t alone and that many people have experienced such. I want them to encourage people to find help, or go to a police station and report the abuse and violence they face. We need them to feel we believe and understand you.”
Growing Champions is a non-profit organisation that empowers children from low-income groups and abusive, drug and gang-infested homes, to become functional, balanced members of society. With the help of their team, Tshepang was able to create and sell the photobook. Founder of Growing Champions and one of Tshepang’s biggest fans, Samantha Toweel-Moore was impressed how he used his experiences to not only make a change in his own life, but for the changes he had tried to bring in others’ lives.
She said, “The photobook tells the story of how GBV works and how we overcome it. It takes a positive slant of what we can do and he sold [copies] at one of the expos recently and raised over R4 000.
“He then used this money to buy school uniforms for the girls of Growing Champions who currently live in Windsor.”
Tshepang added, “My plan for selling the book was to firstly raise funds for the girls’ uniforms and secondly, exposing my photos to people. I also wanted to help voice the realities that people face that they’re too scared or embarrassed to talk about.”
He was overwhelmed with joy that he could provide uniforms for the girls. “I’ve seen the communities they come from, and I know how demotivating it is for children to go to school without their full uniform… it affects their self-esteem and therefore affects their school work. Seeing the girls in their full uniform made me feel proud to know that they can now focus on their books.”
