The Mamelodi Project: Official Blogsite

by Ajani Husbands
Founder | Director- The Mamelodi Project

“Everyone knows the image of a small starving black child. We have seen it so many times now, but it doesn’t work anymore,”
- Nadia Plesner

 Nadia is absolutely right.  The image of a starving Black child no longer brings forth the well of emotions it did in the early 90s among Western audiences.  The image has become commonplace, expected.  That is where the above design comes in.  The image shown above features prominently on a line of self-styled t-shirts that Nadia Plesner has designed to raise awareness for Darfur.  The concept being, in her own words:

Since doing nothing but wearing designer bags and small ugly dogs appearantly is enough to get you on a magasine cover, maybe it is worth a try for people who actually deserves and needs attention.

Nadia has an intriguing concept on her hands-  Taking an image that the world has become used to seeing (destitute Africans) and remixing it with perhaps the most recognizable symbol of America’s consumerist culture.  The intended effect is to guilt audiences into returning their focus to the frail African youths that filled our television screens along with Sally Struthers and instructive 1-800 numbers.  Continue Reading »

By Leon Hartwell
Political Sciences Department at the University of Pretoria
Mamelodi Project Public Relations Director, South Africa

Before I became involved with the Mamelodi Project I took one of my friends – Dr. Mike Wolf – on a township tour through Mamelodi.    It was not until after the months of filming, interviewing, and building relationships with several Mamelodi oganizations that I realised how biased I was when I took Dr. Wolf on the township tour and what the implications of this might be.  What I know now is that there are different approaches with different results on how to give a township tour. One approach that promotes the worldwide negative stereotype of the African continent, and one approach that highlights the positive developments taking place within the township. Continue Reading »

The Power of Football: Challenging Local Issues
by Leon Hartwell
Political Sciences Department, University of Pretoria
Mamelodi Project Public Relations Director, South Africa

images courtesy GTZ
The clock is ticking its way to the 2010 FIFA World Cup that will be hosted by South Africa. Yet, most discussions about this spectacular event focus on the potential of material benefits to the country. Others speculate about the possibility that deadlines in preparation for the World Cup will be missed due to the national electricity crisis. However, not a lot of publicity exists on football approaches in support of local causes. Continue Reading »

March 18, 2008: When extension services offered to farmers by the Government were discontinued in the 1990s to cut on public expenditure, Mr Sammy Ng’etich and other farmers were wondering what they would do next. Continue Reading »

You can view the preview on google video at the link below:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3511147092838812665&hl=en

Please add your comments to the blog! Your commentary will help us build a more perfect documentary.

Scheduled release date of full film: August 2008

Africare (Washington, DC)

PRESS RELEASE
29 February 2008
Posted to the web 29 February 2008

In celebration of Black History Month, Africare, together with the Embassy of South Africa, hosted the official documentary preview of “A Positive Vision for Africa,” a documentary that aims to raise awareness of the hard work and determination of community organizations in Africa through the story of the South African township of Mamelodi. Continue Reading »

The Mamelodi Project Official Documentary Preview

Who:
The Mamelodi Project will be presenting the official preview of its upcoming documentary at the Africare House.

What:
Join us for food, raffle prizes, performances, photo galleries, and the official documentary preview.

When:
Wednesday, Feb. 27th; 6-8pm

Where:
Africare House (440 R St. NW)

How:
RSVP to info@mamelodiproject.org (seating is limited).

Why:
Because we’ve seen enough negative images of Africa…

News from the Front: Student Volunteer in Mamelodi

After attending the Mamelodi Development Conference at the University of Pretoria in Mamelodi, one of the attendees found himself inspired to volunteer at the Berakah Foundation. Africa Chauke is a final year student at the University of Pretoria on the Mamelodi Campus as well as a tutor in the Department of Political Sciences.

As we drove Africa to the Berakah Foundation to introduce Africa to the team, he seemed reserved and not sure whether he would be able to contribute anything meaningful to the organization. However, the team at Berakah, as with all the other organizations that we have visited, was overwhelmingly friendly and receptive towards anyone willing to join them in their endeavors. Africa was almost immediately handed a list of numerous activities in which he could readily involve himself. Continue Reading »

(see original article here:
http://www.screenafrica.com/news/film/656359.htm)

Film With A Conscience
Mon, 22 Oct 2007

The Mamelodi Documentary Project, the brainchild of Ajani Husbands, a Master’s degree graduate in International Development from the American University in Washington DC, is currently being edited in the US. Part of the goals is to have the hour-long documentary ready for distribution by January 2008.

The Mamelodi Documentary Project aims to document the experiences of community organisations in the Pretoria township of Mamelodi and to give their struggles and determinations a world audience. It is primarily aimed at the American audience and aims to “acquaint the audience with the history of South Africa’s former system of Apartheid, how it affects the population today, and what individuals and concerned community members are doing to work against these effects”. Continue Reading »

Check out the commercial for the Mamelodi Project on Youtube. Give us your feedback!!Media Images of Africa…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6HKsJ2NaeE