Production, production and a lot of production

Today we were designing the topic page. It seemed easy but was far from it. As a group we had not sat down and spoken about how we wanted the page to look like. We knew what we wanted on it but the design was the last thing on our minds.

It took us about 30minutes to map out what we wanted the topic page to look like...I personally was not satisfied but time was not our friend. I sat with the web designer and started saying what it is we wanted. Design is not easy.

It is so easy to pen things down on paper and envision this master piece but when it comes down to technology, many things have to be taken in to consideration; the colour scheme of the actual website, the fact that you can't re size YouTube video's, the size of you pictures, text and so forth.

I had to cut some stories out of the topic pages and I am sure some of my group members are not going to be happy but they will understand. The layout of our topic page is done but I think it is so basic. I really wish we could do more with it but in a day we can only do so much.

Today I learnt to appreciate the work that goes behind designing a news website, it is not easy. You have to consider your strongest story and you should not have too much multimedia...it does not look good.

The end is close...the text is done!

I sat, I wrote, she edited and Silver Town text is ready to upload.

Wow I never thought I would be done with that part of the project. Intensive interviews, being sent from pillar to post and late nights trying to tell the story as is.

I won't lie I loved it. It was a learning experience and more. I realised that if you ask the right questions you will get your story. Government officials have a way of digging their own graves without knowing it. I think their ego gets in the way. Well it worked for me.

So my article has both sides of the story; the forgotten people of Silver Town and the "hard" working government trying to get them homes. The great thing is that my opinion of the whole situation is not there...people just spoke.

From the article one will see that South Africa has a long way to go when it comes to providing proper homes for millions and millions of people. That I think is the lesson I got from working on Silver Town. For improvements to be made...some people will have to suffer.

Unfortunately those that are always on the suffering side are the poor people. The gap between the "haves" and the "have not's" in this country is far from being closed. Money makes the world go round...period.

My next focus is my audio. My multimedia story is on a creche in Setjwetla where children are taught water safety. Considering that they are exposed to the very dirty Jukskei daily, I thought this would be interesting to see how children are informed.

It is a lighter piece compared to Silver Town but it is relevant. Children suffer the most in such conditions, so watching this one woman try to protect them from the harsh reality they live in is inspiring.

And on one of my visits there I got the children to scream out "Tokiso we love you"....wonderful, *sigh*

I asked, they got angry, now they want to meet :-)

This folks, is a makeshift bathroom for a family too big to use the one room shack for bathing.

Silver Town is really keeping me awake. I got a hot email today from the people on top at the Alexandra Renewal Project (ARP). I emailed them some questions like they requested and from my questions they state that I am biased and lack objectivity.

Well I asked the questions based on what the people of Silver Town and their lawyer told me. Anyway I got what I wanted from them...an interview for Thursday morning. From the email I got I better go to that interview prepared or I am going to get eaten alive.

I honestly want to understand how people can be allowed to live like that. Fair enough the people of Silver Town do not have it as bad as their neighbours in Setjwetla; they have electricity and a bit of breathing space. But one needs to remember that these people do not come from one roomed shacks. Yes their previous homes were not great but Silver Town is doing them no favours.

Another thing I need to understand is based on safety. How safe is it to have a small group of shiny shacks with electricity placed right at the foot step of a huge community of dirty shacks with no electricity?

Maybe ARP are right, I am biased. Maybe their side of the story will make sense of this situation. Maybe they have a really good reason for placing people in a transit camp for more than three years. Maybe they have a really good reason they place these people next to a river that has a history of flooding. Maybe they have a very good reason why their communication lines with the people of Silver Town are so bad.

Well...I am going to work on my questions and try my best not to take sides. I need to go to that office with an open mind and prepared for anything. I should by now be prepared for anything...I have seen a makeshift bathroom...anything is possible.