Dec12016 by Andrea ReesNo Comments

Three years of women’s digital literacy in a South Africa Township

Project South Africa, South Africa, thoawSA
November is an important month for The Heart of a Woman Project, a women's mobile photography and digital literacy initiative. It is the anniversary month of the project in South Africa (#thoawSA) that was based at eKhaya eKasi Art & Education Centre, a non-profit organization in Khayelitsha, a township about 30 minutes from Cape Town's CBD. [caption id="attachment_808" align="alignleft" width="300"] thoawSA women at Table Mountain[/caption] It has been three years. It hasn't been easy, and not much has been happening with thoawSA mostly due to lack of funding. ONE, an advocacy organization to end extreme poverty and preventable disease wrote 'How Internet access could help lift women and girls out of poverty' and released the report 'Making the Connection: How the Internet can help end extreme poverty'.  ONE calls for an…
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Nov232015 by Andrea ReesNo Comments

Heart of a Woman Project South Africa Turns Two and a Mandela Monday Hero

Cape Town, capetown, heartsouthafrica, interview, media, photographygives, Project South Africa, South Africa, southafrica, thoawSA
Hard to believe November is here again. It's always a special month for me as I think back to that first day I walked into eKhaya eKasi on November 15, 2013, to launch The Heart of a Woman Project South Africa in Khayelitsha. I also think back to last year and our 1st-anniversary exhibition and celebration on November 22, 2014. It was also my family's first visit. Thanks to 'Facebook memories' I get to re-live my time in South Africa and all the wonderful memories that have been created there these last 2 years. Often times when 'volunteering abroad', you don't get to see the results of the work you've done and whether that helped or hindered. You also don't get to reunite with the people you've met unless you take the…
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Dec272014 by Andrea ReesNo Comments

The Heart of a Woman Project in South Africa is One!

Cape Town, capetown, givingback, photographygives, Project South Africa, South Africa, southafrica, thoawSA
In November 2014 my family (my husband and 9 yo & 4yo sons) and I travelled to Cape Town, South Africa to join the ladies in celebrating the 1st anniversary of  The Heart of a Woman Project at eKhaya eKasi Art & Education Centre in Khayelitsha, South Africa. During the last year, the ladies have worked to improve their photography and social media skills. They have engaged with supporters from around the world on social media and have gone on numerous photo walks to capture Township life as seen through their eyes and hearts. They have also participated in weekly photo challenges that I have given them. I have seen improvement and growth not only in photography, mobile technology, computer skills and social media, but in soft skills such as communication, public…
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