This morning we're in Sharpeville,a place known mainly for the massacre that took place here on the 21 march 1976,where police opened fire on a gathering of unarmed protesters who sang songs and shouted political slogans. We made our way to the old police station which played a huge role in the 21 march tragedy. It's now being occupied by local craftsmen and artists as a 'place to create'. We took some time to speak to these guys and learn they're eager to expand, its awesome to see what they're doing! We scheduled a meeting for Wednesday where we'll go over their styles and swap ideas with the craftsmen, who are also amped to start recruiting new talents! Next up we were meeting with David (our Heidelberg contact) to discuss further work with the Heidelberg crafter's, we also discussed the use of the group of artists we met on Tuesday, unfortunately as they are still in school they're not eligible for loans. These are kinks that must be followed up and sorted out. Trying to get people into the programme can prove to be frustrating if the people aiding us cannot be reached or found! Like looking for a needle in a stack of needles. I was shocked to hear the amount of politics involved in our work,apparently from what i heard,some members of a crafts group aim to monopolize the situation by keeping other groups in the dark and making it a political thing when its really about upliftment and entrepreneurial progress..
But aside from that,everything seems to be moving along well,hopefully everything goes smoothly next Tuesday when we can meet and asses our new group of crafters!!
its very encouraging as an outsider to learn that south africans are still willingly trying to aid and assist one another for a better Africa! Im very impressed at how your blog indicates your perserverance! Here's wishing you and your team a very successful week next week and I look forward to following your progress! Viva Africa! Power to the People!
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