Starting a Vegetable Garden

Climate change, global warming and sustainability are the latest buzz words in this green age. Many things can be done to combat carbon footprint and gardening is one of them. The idea of starting your own vegetable garden in your back yard may seem daunting for those who do not have “green fingers.” I decided to find out how to start a garden.

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Judith Sephuma Interview

Judith Spehuma performed in Grahamstown over the national Arts Festival to a full house on two nights. She graduted from the University of Cape Town with an honours degree in Jazz performance and has two albums to date. This Jazz singer has received a number of awards, many for best female artist. She has performed  internationally in countries such as the Netherlands and Mexico. She is currently working on a new album and performing at other Jazz festivals in the country. I had a chat with her.

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Interview with Sharleen Surtie-Richards

This is an in-studio live interview with Shaleen Surtie- Richards on Radio Grahamstown during the Arts Festival. I was co-presenting a Fest Focus show that was focused on content during the National Arts festval. Surtie-Richards was in performing in a one woman stage production Shirley Valentyn. Sharleen has been on stage for a number of years but she’s also well known for her role as Aunty Mattie on Generations.

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As It Is News Podcast 2

Another edition of As It is. This is a podcast of news updates put together by a group in the third year radio journalism class. As usual we look at news happening in and around Grahamstown. The National Arts Festival is nearly upon us, so this week we tackle some issues that may have consequences for the festival.

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Tackling Substance Abuse

Drug and Substance abuse is not only a concern in South Africa, but has been a growing concern in Grahamstown. Grahamstowns in the past had a structure in place to tackle this issue, but it has not existed for a while now. Various commuity stakeholders have now come together to tackle this problem in the town. I found out about this initiative.

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As It Is News Podcast 1

As It is News podacst is a news bulletin put together by a group of third year radio journalism students. It provides a quick look at ises making news in Grahamstown. In the first edition we look at the effects of the SAMWU strike as well as what is happening with social development.

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The New Toy Library

Education is an important aspect of our society. In Grahamstown many parents live under the bread line and cannot aford to send their children to preschools. They now have the opportunity to play with their children using educational toys. The Toy library in extension six is now the place where parents can borrow these resources. Refilwe Mpshe reports.

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Picture taken by Katherine Steward

Reflecting on the Toy Library

Pitching the story on the Toy Library in Extension 6 was very important for me. This story I felt touched a social aspect of the community which is what I believe journalism should endeavour to do. The fact that this Toy Library was opening to allow parents in the community to take part in their children's education was what I felt to be an empowering step. My aim was to go to the library in its first week of running and find out more about it.

Myra Bailey Profiled

Grahamstown is a small town laidend with poverty. Dorcus support group is an initiative started by Myra Bailey that aims to provide underprivilaged mothers with the a basic kit for their new born babies. Bailey works from  a room at the back of her farm which she calls Dorcus Chapel. This is her story.

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My Journalistic Philosophy

Grahamstown is a town in which the communities are divided by language and socio economic standards. Many people are aware that the roots of this division go as far back as the days of the colonisers and have continued long after the apartheid days. The larger part of this town and the university seem to be separate entities and it is to the detriment of any journalist to allow themselves to remain in the bubble that is Rhodes University. The fear of the unknown may be a deterrent from going to find the stories in the “real” Grahamstown, but this fear is easily an indication of an underlying bias against the town.Journalists are supposed to inform, teach, educate and at times, entertain the audiences for which they report. Without objectivity, the credibility of every news agency would always be questioned. Yet, the question one is faced with is, does objectivity make ones reporting responsible?