Acclaimed Photographer Visits Mentor Mothers

We were delighted that the acclaimed photographer and Magnum nominee, Lindokuhle Sobekwa, took the time to visit our projects on the Eastern Cape.

Lindokuhle is a South African photographer and visual storyteller, born and based in Thokoza. He uses visual storytelling as a way to share personal stories and of those in his environment. Lindokuhle’s early projects dealt with poverty and unemployment in the townships of South Africa, as well as the growing nyaope drug crisis within them. His ongoing works, as well as revisiting those early themes, also deal with his own life – for example his relationship with his sister, Ziyanda, who died after becoming estranged from her family. Lindokuhle joined Magnum Photos in 2018 and became an associate member in 2020.

We were honoured that Lindokuhle chose to focus his lens on our Eastern Cape projects, bringing our work to life so that you can experience it as if it was firsthand.

In his assignment, Lindokuhle travelled to the Eastern Cape with Magnum Photos, to photograph the Mentor Mothers in action. These photographs encapsulate the incredible role that Mentor Mothers do; guiding mothers and children alike through issues such as family planning, HIV and treatment adherence, and child and maternal health.

During the trip, Lindokuhle also conducted a workshop with the Mentor Mothers to teach them how to use their mobile phones to take moving and atmospheric shots of their work. This workshop has provided us with an innovative and sustainable way to receive regular updates directly from the field, and has empowered the Mentor Mothers to tell their story from their unique and personal perspective.

Lindokuhle is an outstanding new talent, as indicated by his inclusion in a recent New York Times feature on the world’s great photographers. We were delighted to host him in our webinar this week, where we explored his sources of inspiration. We delved into conversation on his personal journey into photography, the impact of South Africa’s history of violence on his practice, and his ongoing personal projects.

Missed the webinar? Don’t worry, you can check it out here.