Khayelitsha
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No words will ever be able to express and no picture will be able to convey how I felt and what I was left with that day.

But let me start at the beginning.

I was asked to do a shoot for a company. I was very excited to hear that we were going to shoot in Khayelitsha and Gugulethu. So early one morning, we all hopped into a mini bus and off we went.

When we arrived in Khayelitsha.  It was as if life just handed me a serious reality check. In fact it was more like I was slapped with one.

We all know about the poverty stricken areas. We all hear of people whose basic needs such as food, running water and toilet facilities are barely met. We all hear of the poor conditions and cramped spaces these people live in.
But how many of us actually see it for ourselves?

That day I realized how fortunate I’ve always been. I’ve never known what it feels like to go to bed hungry, or known what it feels like to freeze in winter because of the cold seeping in through the cracks in the zinc plates, of what I would call home.

And I pray that I never will …

Many people invited us into their homes with pride. I gasped at the “modesty” of their homes. A bed, table, chair and gas stove, make up the entire household furniture. Many families only have one single bed that sometimes, up to 6 people share. Hot water is a luxury to only a few – and even then it’s heated in a kettle, not a geyser such as we’re accustomed to.

Despite the conditions and circumstances these people live in. They seemed content and somewhat happy… and didn’t complain about the mundane and frivolous things we do and take for granted everyday.

I left that day with a tear stained face and a humble heart. I may have been the privileged one… but they gave me something that no amount of money can ever buy… gratitude and a greater appreciation for life.
Count your blessings, name them one by one… and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

I

~~~ About the contributor ~~~

Roberta de Lilly is a wedding, portrait and lifestyle photographer based Cape Town, South Africa. The ability to keep it still and carry it with her forever is what makes photography her passion. Her photographs are twofold – to show the world how she perceives it, and they give her a chance to interpret and translate other people’s creative thoughts. Visit her website to view her work.

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