Earlier this year, 175 first-year Journalism students at Rhodes were asked to make personal digital stories – short first-person narratives that document meaningful life experiences, ideas, or feelings through the use of multimedia elements.
To mark Women’s Month, we asked two of these students to share their stories with Makhanda.
The first is a moving tribute by Chulumanco Kuhlane to the grandmother who raised him – his “knight in shining armour”, his “goddess in human form”. The story traces her battle with dementia but celebrates her ongoing loving presence in family life.
The second is by Mihle Mdashe, who wanted to make a story that explores “why women and children in South Africa fear for their lives and how the men refuse to take responsibility – because boys will be boys!”
“Making this digital story was a form of self-expression and a way to inform people of the femicide in South Africa,” Mihle wrote in her reflective essay. “I want to be heard by South Africans to recognize that is a problem with a democracy that fails to acknowledge the ongoing violence against women and children. So, I am hopeful that there will be a response to my digital story.”
You can watch the videos by clicking here: https://www.grocotts.co.za/2021/08/26/reflecting-on-womens-month-through-homemade-digital-stories/
