“My neighbor in Khayelitsha, South Africa,” by Busisiwe Dalingozi
Postcards can be used as more than just a means of communication. Just ask Andrea Rees of Toronto, Canada, the woman behind South Africa’s new empowerment project. Rees is a professional photographer and the creator of The Heart of a Woman Project, a mobile photography initiative designed to provide a source of economic relief and encouragement to women in poverty. After traveling to Makhaza, Khayelitsha, and connecting with the artwork created by the local women there, Rees decide she had to help.
Specifically, Rees created a two-week boot camp training session on photography and social networking for a select number of women in that area. Today, seven of these women are putting what Rees taught them to use, and making a living out of it. Equipped with iPhones, the women take to the streets to capture whatever they find beautiful or interesting. Then, they sell their pictures as postcards. Money from the sale of these postcards help the women provide for their families. It is both art and income.
While you may not have the photography skills of these women, you can still create one-of-a-kind postcards of your very own. Challenge yourself to create a unique design or employ our local design team to do it for you. Let The HeART of a Woman Project inspire you both on an artistic level and a social level. Who knows what kind of wonderful things you’ll end up creating!