Photography class

Last week i held a photography class at the happys school. I taught them about documentary photography, what it is and how they can achieve it and gave them the task of documenting their daily life. Private photos, photos that others are unable to access, photos that tell the truth. I gave them all a disposable camera and i had them developed yesterday, below are some of the shocking, intimate and beautiful photos. some of them really grasped the concept. I hope to combine them into a book format which will then go on sale to raise money for the projects here in south africa. I would also love to find an exhibition space for them too somewhere here in south africa. we'll see...

Donations for happys

Thanks to the generous members of Westville who had a clear out of clothes and toys we were able to donate these to the happy's children. A fair few of them were in need of some clothes! We managed it into a jumble sale sort of affair letting a handful of children in at a time. It was quite funny, they ALL wanted a teddy bear. even the boys. One of the older girls i took in who was maybe about 16 wasn't bothered about the clothes, she had seen 2 of the boys with a squeaky dice sort of thing ( a bit like a dogs toy) and she wanted one of those, straight in and straight out and happy with a squeaky dice. It was so good to be able to see the children's ecstatic faces as they were let inside the room and were allowed to pick something for free.

We are told to be like children. We should be so thankful for all our blessings, ALL of them, because some people have nothing that they are so happy when they receive a second hand teddy bear for free!

The queue under shelter as it started raining

An appeal for donations

This is my friend and sister Nozipho. She showed me a picture of her when she was 9, before she was disabled. She has rhumatoid artharitus. Shes at the front on the right.

Im trying to fundraise to get her an electric wheelchair because at the moment she has to be pushed everywhere. An electric wheelchair would give her so much more freedom. She is 28 years old.

If you would like to donate please email me at naomi_midgley@hotmail.co.uk

Classroom signs

Finally finished the wooden signs for the wooden shed classrooms and put them up the other day. Unfortunately i made it out of wood that pretty much disintigrates in the rain so i couldnt put them on the outside of the classroom so i had to put them on the doors instead which stay open so it worked out ok. they just have to shut them when it rains! Londiwe was a babe and held the signs up for me while i put them up. Shes the girl in the second picture.

got my new gloves on

For those of you who dont know phila, the is the most comical, outgoing, demanding, joyful person you will ever meet. She is pure joy to be around. In her lively demanding character she demanded some gloves to stop the skin getting hard on the tops of her hand. She doesnt have the full use of her hand so she wheels her wheelchair with the top of her hand, this result of this is in the photo below. Someone very kindly donated some money for some good long-lasting leather gloves. She was so happy...

A brighter corridor

So basically, the corridors at Happy's are sooo dull!! The school used to be a hospital, but thats no excuse. It looks more like a prison. I noticed that above each classroom it had a tiny piece of paper "Grade 5", "Grade 8" that no one could read anyway it was so faded and tiny (and in times new roman). I decided it deffinately needed some colour and some fun font which the kids just love. Dani and i have done the 4 indoor ones. 3 of the classrooms are outdoors and are wooden sheds, so iv made some wooden signs which im going to screw onto the doors. They just need painting...

Here's the first 2

working in the sun :-)

This guy is a dude...

Grade 11, we did the one next to it too but i dont seem to have a picture of the two for some reason...

Once a week we go to the hospital to chat to the patients, sing and pray as a result of one of our brothers being in the hospital. The guy in the bed next to him, Siphiwe, is now baptised as a result. Although our brother marcus has now passed away this has opened up more new friendships in the hospital. Last week on our weekly visit we bumped into Promise, a girl from the Happys school. It was fantastic to see her although not in those circumstances. But out of all the wards in the hospital we only visit 1 womens one. and she was in there! God's hand at work! I was aware she had cancer but had no idea she would be spending the entire 5 week holidays in the hospital recieving radiotherapy.

Her family dont want to see her, she is in care of social services when not at school (the children board at the school). So being in hospital is quite lonely for her not to mention upsetting with all she has to go through with cancer! When she has a day off from the clinic i take some of the girls from school to go see her. This sunday shes aloud out, shes coming to church and having a fun day with her friends from school!