Madiba's People

Madiba's People is a collection of photographs taken during 2 time frames, the latest being  2011 - 2013 while I was living in the Eastern Cape, Wild Coast amongst the amaXhosa people in the rural apartheid era homelands (formerly known as the Transkei). 

 This set is called "Makhelwane (My neighbour)"

During the time I was teaching English and basic literacy to the local people and established a Reading Hut for the children in Coffee Bay.  Please have a further look at my blog www.wildcoastgypsygirl.blogspot.com to read about my adventures here.

The earlier set is from an earlier project during 2007 - 2008 taken in the Cape Town townships of Khayelitsha and Imizamu Yethu, while photographing for the Niall Mellon Housing Township Trust.  

This set is called "Ilungile (It is good)".

Any prints can be ordered directly from me.  A 40 page Madiba's People postcard booklet is also available to purchase.  Direct any enquiries to me at Lavonnebosman@gmail.com

Thank you for your interest and support! 

Josh

Kaya

Kaya, the little girl who lives at the backpackers where we stayed in Coffee Bay, Eastern Cape.

Patrick, our 'ferry' guy, that rowed us across the Mtata mouth.

One of the very common sights around Coffee Bay...

Magic boys

As we drove towards Coffee Bay in the dark and on a road splattered with potholes , our fancy rental car got an unavoidable puncture. The next morning we had to take the tyre to a man called Magic, who fixed it while we waited. Soon enough we had the neighbor's two little boys curiously watching our every move.

My friends, Steve and Ilse started playing a chess-like game with bottle-tops in Magic's garage. I can't remember the name of the game, but only the most important rule: "A touch is a move!".

After a while the boys grew bored of watching the game and discovered an Auto Trader magazine that provided them with a wonderful escape into the world of cars. At this point, I was still curiously watching them.

I thank God for a blessed weekend with wonderful people, a puncture and everything else that flowed from it!

Coffee Bay, May 2010