Little Travellers Movie

From Paula Thomson, director of Woza Moya, the income generation project of the Hillcrest AIDS Trust:

A wonderful Canadian Volunteer, Albert Wisco made a movie of the Little Travellers. It followed the day of three of the crafters and the journey that the “Little Travellers” make to the centre each Friday.

There are many reasons why we celebrate the making of the “Little Traveller” movie. The first is that it represents a turning point for us, as for a long time we have shared the Woza Moya stories with anyone who came to the shop or the centre. The stories we shared were the voices of the women, sometimes it was a happy story about how lights or water were connected, sometimes the story was a sad story about a loss or a difficulty. Every week when Busi and I are collecting in the beadwork we are collecting stories too. We are weaving this rich tapestry of stories that make up the bitter-sweet experience of being part of Woza Moya. Sometimes no words are needed as the stories are written in the faces of the crafters. We carry the stories in our hearts, the voices and the beautiful children we carry with us when we go home. The beadwork too carries the beaders stories and we all love listening to the beads and surrounding ourselves in them.

We are so proud that people are coming from around the world to hear the Woza Moya story and to visit the centre in person. We had no idea how successful the income generation project would become. The shop started as two plastic buckets in 2003! People from all around the world have been lured by the magnificent beadwork and they come not because they feel sorry for us or that we have suffered or that we are sick, rather that we are men and women who offer a story of great hope and courage. Together we are immensely powerful and our story lifts up those who hear it. Our story is a ladder out of darkness and into light.

We have seen how the Woza Moya crafters have shared their hope and love with others in their community, a sister, a neighbour. The Woza Moya project has demonstrated that together there is great strength and that by sharing our stories, even the most difficult problems can be overcome.