I am interning in the Audience Development Office at Artscape which is a theatre complex in downtown Cape Town. Currently they are working on a book called The Mitchells Plain Oral History Project. This book contains the stories of 25 influential individuals ranging in age from mid 20s to 90. All of the participants were nominated by community members for rising above the poverty stricken community to inspire change and hope.
As I stepped out onto the porch on Friday I was greeted by the brisk 6:20 a.m. African morning. My taxi was waiting at the bottom on the stairs and I approach joyfully to head to Artscape. Nolan (my supervisor), Jan (the photographer), Alex (Jan’s assistant), and I left Artscape at 7 for Mitchells Plain’s Town Center.
The first model for the day was Rudolf Paulse. Mr. Paulse started his career as a singer then he became a manager. He organized talent shows and became a manager for a major nightspot in Mitchells Plain bringing entertainment for the people for a small fee. Today he helps kids develop their singing abilities. Mr. Paulse was not as keen to being photographed as he was on talking to everyone who passed by. Mitchells Plains has such a strong community it is like living in a small town of 1 million people.
Mr. Paulse’s photo shoot finished early and we were all freezing since the sun had just graced the Cape Flats with its presence, so Nolan took us by his cousin Vernon’s school for hot water. We made packets of instant soup to warm our chilled bodies, and in no time we were off to the Rocklands Civic Center to photograph Veronica and Willie Simmers. Mr. Simmers description by the reporter is “a quiet, unassuming man” and he is just that. Just by looking at him you can he is a great man, but very humble. He was involved in the struggle against apartheid and was arrested numerous times for his resistant efforts. He helped form the UDF (united democratic front). Today he is in his 70s and still counsels kids in trouble everyday in Mitchells Plains.
Next up for the day was Veronica Simmers the wife and fellow activist of Willie Simmers. The moment I was introduced to Mrs. Simmers with a handshake it felt as though I have known her all of my life. She spent the apartheid years organizing boycotts and mobilizing communities. She was arrested three times and was detained twice. I cannot even fathom the horrors she witnessed in and outside of prison. She is one of the kindest and most elegant women I have ever met. While Mr. Simmers was being photographed I had the privilege of talking with Mrs. Simmers and she shared a little bit about herself. One of the parades she helped organized packed 15,000 people into the Civic Center, which is a little larger than a high school gym. Mrs. Simmers photo shoot was finished far too quickly, I could spend the next decade listening to her story and only have scratched the surface. She parted with a hug and I was left with the honor of having met her.
Marlene Le Roux the head of the Audience Development Office met us at Rocklands and we headed towards The Promenade (a mall) to meet Mark Kleinschmidt. We were running early so Marlene bought us coffee, samoosas, and chili poppers. By the time Mr. Kleinschmidt arrived our stomachs were full and we were recaffeinated. Mr. Kleinschmidt was the most energetic model we have seen. He was all for posing and he had a gigantic smile on his face the entire time. Mr. Kleinschmidt is a former teacher, principal, and a businessman. He also established the first community radio station in Mithchells Plain. Through the radio station Mr. Kleinschmidt helped mobilize schools during the height of the unrest and broadcast subliminal messages to detainees. One of his proudest moments is when he introduced Nelson Mandela to the people of Mitchells Plain. From the Promenade we moved to the outdoor market which he helped build. Everyone was out enjoying the beautiful sunny day. The market was full of a wonderful energetic vibe that was impossible not to catch.
Our last stop was Michelle Ohlsson’s home. Her photo was taken in front of a family portrait in her living room. Mrs. Ohlsson’s son disappeared when he was nine years old today he is 25 years old. Every time Mrs. Ohlsson walks into her home she hopes that her son will be sitting on the couch alive. Because of this tragedy Mr. Ohlsson helped make missing children part of the national agenda; she also counsels parents of missing children, is a liason for the police, a safe haven for abused mother and children, and is involved in saving the lives of missing children. That concluded the photo shoot for the day and we headed back to Artscape.
These are only a few of the outstanding individuals whose stories are going to be published in the book. Along with there stories there was a creative writing competition for high schoolers on where they see Mitchells Plain in 2050 the winner’s essay will serve as the epilogue. There is also a drawing contest for students in junior high and the winner’s drawing will be the cover art of the book. The book is about bringing the community of Mitchells Plain together and recognizing all of the great things that have come from the largest township in Cape Town. I am so grateful for having the opportunity to work along side and get to know all of these amazing people.
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