TAKING IT ONE STEP AT A TIME

The work has begun; I have already paid a visit to the project and I have met with all the members. The uMthathi project members visit schools in different areas in and around Grahamstown, where they help them with gardening. They also help educate the schools about how they can keep their gardens green. I went to Siyazama crèche, where the uMthathi members were gathered to educate the Siyazama teachers about the importance of gardening, nutrition, budgeting and health care. Upon my arrival I saw people who were familiar to me (because I had met with them in the staff meeting at Umthati). There were also some new faces, and these were members of the surrounding community who have also joined the teachers to learn about gardening, plants, herbs, vegetables and so forth.

Everyone was looking at me and my group members as we arrived, carrying our equipment. We greeted everyone there, and we were welcomed. At this point, the facilitators were demonstrating to people how they can make their own small gardens at home. Like everyone else, I stood and I listened. After a short time, we also started to move around, and interviewing some of the people there.  I watched the facilitators working the soil, while others were making fertilizer, community members helping and involved. After a long time of observation and listening attentively, something inside me said, ‘so are you just going to stand there and watch other people working. Is that really what you are here for?!’ Then I realized that the only answer I have for these questions is to take a garden spade and do what everyone is doing.

I excitedly took the garden spade; I thought I could do this because I have been watching while others were doing it. However, I realised that it was not easy; filling a garden spade with soil requires lot of energy. After a short time, I got tired and I complained but everyone laughed at me. I laughed too because while I was watching others do it, I thought it was easy. I am glad I did this- I participated. I was glad to be part of the people who participated during this day because I felt as if I am making a difference. Even though I did not do much but no one had to again do what I have done.

 I am convinced that what I did made a difference. Taking a garden spade and working the soil is no child’s play especially in a hot day like that. This is not the only thing I did but I also interviewed some of the facilitators (who were keen to talk to me). What I noticed is that when I asked them to tell me about the different roles that they play, all of them were very excited to do so. They are passionate about what they are doing. I think the whole idea of this project is brilliant. Educating the community about the importance of gardening is very important, and they do this without expecting anything in return besides the fact that the schools have to maintain the garden.

I also talked to the kids who were playing outside making a lot of joyful noise and others crying. I interviewed them as part of my research; I wanted to know if the kids understand what was going on in their school. Some of them knew while others were too young to know. I asked them to tell me the names of the vegetables that they know, and almost all of them did not forget to mention carrots. I enjoyed interviewing them even though there were times when I wanted to laugh (because of their pronunciation of words, for instance carrots as calots) but I could not because “Miss” (as they called me) cannot laugh. It was now time for us to go, we said our goodbyes and off we went.

So I would say that on this visit, everything went well.  When we left Umthati, I was tired and my hands dirty, but it does not matter; it is the dirt on my hands that confirms my participation in the garden and in everything that was happening.

VIEWS ON UMTHATHI TRAINING PROJECT

Having been introduced to the course and how it is structured, that is, what we are going to be doing this year, I am excited. There are basically two things that excite me the most first one is: I am looking forward to establishing a relationship with a community partner organisation (uMthathi Training Project). I think this will advance my communication skills and also teach me how to work well with people. I am nervous about this whole experience because I am aware that it is not going to be easy. There are going to be challenges along the way. However, I believe I will learn through those, I will soldier on. Secondly: I will get a chance to report on some of the important events (like the weekly demonstrations or training sessions that uMthathi hold). This (reporting) could be made possible through working with Radio Grahamstown.

I think the aim of the project that I am going to be embarking on is to expose some of the good work that uMthathi is doing. It is, more particularly to play the facilitative role that Christians et al (2009) describe in their discussion of alternative approaches to ‘professional’ journalism.  They argue that, in adopting a facilitative role journalists distance themselves from centres of power. Instead they seek to provide citizens with a platform for expressing themselves and participating in the political process. It is this role that I hope to adopt in this whole process. I am there to facilitate social change whilst not forgetting my journalism ethics and principles. That is, we are not there to provide for the organisation but we are there to help the organisation broadcast some of the important things that they want the rest of the Grahamstown community to know.

What I like about this whole thing is the fact that I am going to be working beyond the limits or boundaries of objectivity which I think is a very problematic concept. Last year in the third year radio course, we spent time looking at what Glasser (1984) has to say about these limitations. Like him, I also find the concept of objectivity problematic. It is a term that is open to many interpretations. Different people perceive or look at the term in different ways.

Also I personally do not think that it is a term that allows one to represent journalists as active agents working within communities to raise awareness about certain issues. It signals, instead, that journalists are passive people and inactive members of the society. I believe this is not the case because journalists are the ones who bring social issues upfront; they expose them and by so doing are raising awareness. Adherence to the ideal of objectivity provides limited room for journalists to write about their own ideas and opinions.

Well…moving on, I assume that this is a community based project, it is ran by ordinary citizens from Grahamstown who also help teach fellow citizens about the importance of gardening, nutrition and so forth. I strongly believe that they need exposure, they may need some of the material that they work with but as far as I have observed, material wise, they are not lacking or at least they have not said anything about that during our regular meetings on Friday.

All in all, by working with uMthathi; I feel as if I will be fulfilling what I have always wanted to do as a journalist. I will not run away from the fact that I believe in development journalism because I believe through this kind of journalism, interaction with the citizens at their level is crucial. Moreover I believe I am obligated to serve people and make other people’s voices heard, I believe it is my responsibility to make known and available what has been hidden for a very long time to the majority of South Africans (a platform where they can voice out their views or in this case, talk about their project). I believe it is every citizen’s responsibility to make South Africa a better place, and therefore I trust that through radio such dreams (of uniting South Africans through working together in making this country a better one) do come true because almost every household has access to radio.

I believe I will learn a lot, and I will be challenged a lot. I also hope that by the end of this I will be able to fully understand my identity and my role as a journalist and also as a South African Citizen. Looking forward to the experience!!!!

WELCOME TO MY WORLD...

Yay!!! I finally created my own blog: where I can write about different things and about life in general  through my eye. I will also be posting my Radio production work, this includes; documentaries the comments and compliments about the uMthathi Training Project that I am currently working with. Basically I am going to use this blog to write everything-by everything i mean everything- that I want to talk about. About my journey as it unfolds!!!

 Follow me through this process of making a difference in people's lives and also in a process of facilitating social change in Grahamstown by engaging with uMthathi Training Project and also through my Radio work in general...so tie up your shoe laces and take a walk with me as I am about to climb the ladder of success through experiences that I am going to acquire along the way, it is going to be fun!!!!!