CAPE TOWN PHOTO TOUR

At eKhaya eKasi, mobile photography creates awareness, promotes products and events, tells stories and generates income.

Since the beginning of The Heart of a Woman Project (THOAW), I’ve felt it was essential to connect the ladies I work with and the THOAW supporters as a means of encouragement, transparency, and in hopes that they could learn about each other. I thought the best way to do so was through social media, so I taught the ladies about Instagram, Twitter and Facebook and helped them set up their accounts. I also thought social media could be a way for them to create awareness, promote their products and events, and tell stories.

I often share what I experience when visiting South Africa to encourage others to see it for themselves as I know the media doesn’t always paint a positive picture of the country. There is so much natural beauty and incredible wildlife in South Africa, but I’ve always said that the secret to South Africa is the people. Most people that go to Cape Town don’t visit the communities outside of the city centre. I feel that tourists are missing out on something special by not visiting places like Khayelitsha and aren’t getting a fuller picture of the beauty of Cape Town.

I’ve wanted to bring people to Cape Town since 2013, to travel the way I do – to learn, immerse, volunteer, explore and make connections. I started by bringing my family. First, my father travelled with me in May 2014. He he helped set up the printer at eKhaya eKasi (the Centre where the project is based), helped the ladies with set up Gmail accounts and taught them how to use it.

In November 2014, my husband and two sons travelled with me to Cape Town for the 1st anniversary of The Heart of a Woman Project. While I was teaching and helping where I was needed, my sons (4.5 and 9 years old at the time) played with the children in the neighbourhood. They shared games and songs and went on walks with some of the ladies to the neighbourhood shops.

We spent 6 of our 9 days in Khayelitsha because my husband and sons loved being there. My family enjoyed their time in Khayelitsha so much that we returned in February 2016. It was heartwarming to see the children greet each other as if no time has passed. In November 2018, my niece visited South Africa for the first time, and yes, I took her to the Centre too. She can’t wait to return to South Africa.

PHOTO TOUR WITH A PURPOSE

I’m excited to announce an opportunity to bring more people to Cape Town. I’ve (Andrea) partnered with Penda Photo Tours for a volunteer photography and photo tour in Cape Town. With nine trips to South Africa since Dec. 2012, it’s become my favourite country to visit and feels like home when I return. We’ve developed a small group photo tour (3-10 people) with a fantastic itinerary for 7 days in Cape Town. This trip is an opportunity to give back with your photography and visit. Volunteering gives you time to immerse in a place and allows for cross-cultural exchange. It gives you an experience you just won’t get as a tourist that spends 45 minutes or 3-4 hours in Khayelitsha. This trip is more than a photo tour; it is a meaningful experience.

ABOUT PENDA:

Penda is the product of a small group of people coming together with combined passions for travel, photography, and NGO work. We also created the Penda Trust, a charity that uses photography to generate positive change in developing countries, both on a community and a conservation level. Our projects train talented young people, support grass-roots charities by supplying them with professional images and use photography as a tool to raise awareness about important issues.

Most importantly, Penda is based on one vision; the belief that it is possible to have the photography trip of a lifetime and do something good at the same time.

The 7-day photo tour highlights the beautiful landscapes, vibrant culture, incredible wildlife, non-profits and local tourism in Khayelitsha.

Half of the tour will take us to Khayelitsha as we spend 3-4 days getting to know it by experiencing local tourism and volunteering our time. We’ll teach mobile photography to women who run or are a part of social impact programs in Khayelitsha. THOAW provides donated used iPhones to the organization and teaches the skills necessary. We’ll also work with a small non-profit organization and donate our images to help them with their fundraising and digital communications efforts.

The other part of the trip will be spent exploring Cape Town from the iconic Table Mountain to the penguins of Boulders Beach. I will also take you to places, not on the tourist trail. There will be ample photo opportunities, at the right times.

Whether you enjoy taking photos with your smartphone, mirrorless or DSLR camera, you’re welcome to join us, just bring your love for photography. For your non-photography companions, there will be plenty to see and do, and they will have photographic opportunities should they wish to join in as much of what I will teach on this photo tour will apply to any camera as we dive into the art of seeing and storytelling.