And thats a wrap!

So when we were told that we had to get into groups to do these CMP JDD assignments, I was quite shocked at the size of the groups that we had to be in. as well as the expectations that were thus place on us to go out there and make a difference.

So students no matter what we make think I personally felt that we were invaders… who were we to go into other peoples life and assume they had problems, assume that they needed our help…

More maybe the other side of that coin was that yes we do go into these communities… “All bright eyed and bushy tailed” but what capacity did we have to make a difference.

Yes we did have the power to generate an awareness, be had the skills to produce the content that we wanted successfully. But what real change would we be able to generate.

We have people the voices but also I feel we built up a lot of false hope within these communities, yes we may have had the best of intentions, but it is with that we were yet again another group of students, outsiders, invaders who took what we needed and left.

In extension 4 Joza, my photojourn partner Megan Hollis and I set out wanting to make a difference, just like the rest of the group. We found Makanshop, age in action and aged residential facility which we found did in fact needed a helping hand in order to stay running.

We were able to gain some help, but I fear that this would not be something sustainable. What is the point of rending help if we can’t ensure anything at all? Thus we felt with a feeling of guilty fulfilment and also a sense of hopelessness.

On the 19th of October we held our final community meeting and were also well attended. But I do feel that the relevant parties who needed to be there weren’t.

I’m glad I was given the opportunity to work the field, and put this whole concept of public journalism into practice, though I do believe with more time we would have been more we could have been more effective. Maybe public journalism is for me… maybe mot, but it is an aspect that I would like to experiment with further.

In the same breath although in the beginning I have to say that the size of the group we were to work in concerned me, but at the end of this I believe that like a well oiled machine (one with a lot of heart) our group did well, and great work. The efforts and contributions that they have made with individuals in these communities can safely be said that it was enriching for all involved.