Justice through education

A good friend, Travis Gale as part of an AppleTree project has in recent months coordinated and facilitated really fantastic evenings called “Story Sessions”. Hosted in interesting Durban venues with even better speakers (Gareth Gale, Aaron McIlroy and Shaun Thompson), these uniquely Durban nights create the space to tell stories and for unheard stories to be shared. These story nights are not just about listening to others but have the power to inspire the wider community to live out their own unique life story. As said by the Story Session team

“we aim...to create a community of people who not only listen to the stories of others but become intentional in living out the most authentic and unique expression of their own stories. ”

On Wednesday 15^th February 2012 at 6.30pm at The Stable Theatre, the Story Sessions featured speaker is Gcina Mhlope- internationally renowned story-teller, author and poet. I get the feeling that she is going to blow everyone’s socks off as she shares not just African tales but her own life story. I am truly interested in how she manages to do what she does with such talent and passion. I am also ecstatic about the opportunity this night creates to “Spark-off” of a library and reading project at a local school Sparks Estate Secondary.

The first encounter I had with Gcina’s talent was as a school girl attending a production at Clifton Preparatory for Boys. A single teen at the time, I probably should have been more interested in the young ‘okes’ on stage than some person I had never seen or heard of before telling an African tale. But I was mesmerized watching and hearing this woman. I had never seen one person almost entirely fill a hall with nothing else than inner talent. I recall an African royal projection that caught me by the collar, pulling me closer as each new word or whisper was uttered. She had an ability to almost hold the atmosphere with just a subtle body movement or blink of an eye.

These days my experience of Gcina is through her poems as our Micah6 girls prepare for their English literature exams. If you ask a student at Sparks Estate Secondary “Who is Gcina Mhlope” they will easily be able to say “She is a poet, we study her poems in class”. In a few days time; however, when I ask this question again they may be saying “Gcina is the lady who gets libraries working, who gets our library working”. This is because at next weeks Story Sessions, audience members will have the opportunity to purchase a book from an Adams store to donate to the Sparks Estate Library Project. (Thanks Travis)

Micah6 are facilitating a process of resurrecting a closed and outdated library at Sparks Estate Secondary School. Every child should have the opportunity to read and the resources to effectively engage in research for school projects. I can’t think of a better way than for Gcina Mhlope, a living story, to spark off a drive to fill our library with books and stories. It is a great opportunity to be a part of a night that both entertains and inspires its audience but also shares the power of story with marginalised kids in our community.

For more information on Story Sessions, Gcina Mhlope and the evening go to storysessions.co.za