Southern African Livelihoods Project for World Vision Australia
In 2017 World Vision Australia, in partnership with Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, initiated the Southern Africa Livelihoods Project. The project is working with a number of agricultural groups across Southern Africa in a bid to assist them to diversify and commercialise their production.
Over the project’s life 2018-2020 I was engaged to use my ‘longitudinal storytelling’ approach to capturing stories that provide a rich picture of the experiences of individual and groups as well as project-wide themes.
Musa’s Story
Like most parents living in rural Lesotho, Musa has spent the majority of his life providing for his family through subsistence rain-fed agriculture.
Whether growing regular staple crops like maize and sorghum or a small plot of green vegetables at home, Musa has always had a passion for farming. He recalls, “I have always been someone who had a love for agriculture.”
Meet Five Minds
In the southern Lesotho region of Maphutseng, the mountainous landscape is harsh and the opportunities for youth extremely limited. yet down the dirt road that winds its way over a mountain range and into the village of Sekoati, a group of young adults are growing a future for themselves. you can see their greenhouse and new chicken shed from a distance and upon reaching the farm, young voices can be heard chatting away as they water their cabbages.
Five Minds is a youth-led agriculture enterprise supported by SALP. Since earning a profit has begun proactively looking for other ways to use their profits to support other young people in the community that are unable to afford their education.
The Helping Hand of Honey
In a small village named Holy Cross nestled in the mountains of southern Lesotho, a group of mothers and fathers listen intently to Kelebone Majobene as he passionately moves among them demonstrating how to build a beehive.
The communirt members have come to learn from their leader and the bee keeping group’s eldest member. Never far from Kelebone’s side is the group’s youngest member and rising bee keeper, 29-year-old Mateboho Moeti.
While working on the project for World Vision Australia. I created 19 short films with accompanying text pieces and photo essays. Below are the links to all the stories.
