"What kind of leader are you?" Curator Simon Njami's question stayed with me long after the Poetics of Leadership programme with the Moleskine Foundation. I spoke about softness and realised listening, care and vulnerability were already shaping how I lead. Photography by - Cartacarbone

Meet Onethemba Xoma, UCT postgrad and facilitator lead for our Learner Doccies science workshops. "It's easy to lose sight of how the issues we research directly impact people in our communities, who may not always have access to that knowledge."

50 years after June 16, young people are still asking to be heard this time about healthcare. With VUKA Research Clinic, we held a debate: Are local clinics truly accessible and responsive to young people?

No outbreak. No headlines. Antibiotic resistance quietly stops treatments from working, and not equally for everyone. This week Eh!woza Youth took that conversation to Grade 9 and 10 learners in Khayelitsha.

17 years old. First documentary. Shot and edited in her own community. 🎬 Beantry Matsotso from IkamvaYouthSA Khayelitsha joined the Learner Doccies programme very shy and left with a powerful film on Climate Change and TB.

Closing out The Trinity Challenge Youth Campaign with a community screening at Bulungula Incubator. Protecting Cultural Livelihoods brought together young filmmakers, farmers & community health workers to explore AMR through community storytelling. Grateful to everyone involved.

Eh!woza Youth Workshops are back! Grade 9 & 10 learners from IkamvaYouth Khayelitsha focus on TB, AMR, cancer, HIV, sexual health, and mental health, with facilitation by UCT Faculty of Health Science students. Thanks to our facilitators and learners for sparking these conversations.

Seeing Khayelitsha from above, as young people from IkamvaYouth learned aerial storytelling, was great. Drone footage revealed what communities already know: diseases and climate change are deeply connected. Thank you to the learners for the confidence in flying the drone.

As part of our 2025 The Trinity Challenge-Youth campaign in Xhora Mouth, led by Mbali Jiyane, we ran Learner Doccies workshops with Bulungula Incubator JSEP interns on AMR, filmmaking & community research. Three youth-led documentaries were created. Films coming soon.

Clinical trials workshop at VUKA Research Clinic with the IkamvaYouth learners and Dr Amy Ward.

IkamvaYouth learners explored biomedical research at UCT's IDM through the Learner Doccies programme, from microbiology labs and TB workshops to a deep dive into clinical trials with VUKA Research Clinic. Science is for everyone.

Working with the Bulungula Incubator, we co-created a community-driven campaign on antibiotic use & AMR. From workshops to learner-made films, we brought together farmers, Nomakhayas & local leaders to spark dialogue rooted in real experiences. Can't wait to share the films!

We’ve reached the editing stage of the Learner Doccies programme. The learners are now shaping stories into powerful narratives after weeks of filming in local communities. Proud of the learners, this is where voices truly come to life. Can't wait to share these films!

We’ve kicked off our 2026 Learner Doccies programme IkamvaYouth Khayelitsha learners are building skills in storytelling, ethics & filmmaking with EdYoung & Yonwaba Olo We're excited to see the stories the learners will tell.

Co-design workshop with Khayelitsha & Gugulethu residents led by Tlangelani Makamu from Prof. Esmita Charani's team. We explored how social, environmental & economic factors shape drug-resistant infections, beyond biology. Community voices matter for real solutions.

Curiosity is where science begins. IkamvaYouth Khayelitsha learners joined us at the @UCTIDM, University of Cape Town, for their first workshop. From TB basics to a lab tour, a strong start. Grateful for the energy.

We kicked off the 2026 Learner Doccies programme with a recruitment session at IkamvaYouth Khayelitsha. The programme combines science engagement at UCT IDM with hands-on filmmaking, equipping learners to tell community-rooted stories on health and climate. Stay tuned!

When floods hit Khayelitsha, the impact goes beyond water. It affects health, well-being, and daily life. We hosted a workshop with residents & the CASCADE team led by Romyne Karen to explore these challenges and co-develop responses rooted in lived experience.

A week later, we still celebrate #WTBD, held at Isivivana Centre in Khayelitsha, in partnership with Vuka Research Clinic & UCT IDM. We brought researchers and the community together to talk about TB, stigma, and solutions. Thank you to everyone who was part of this #ENDTB

[TRAILER] The Weight of Depression is a film created by IkamvaYouth Khayelitsha learners. It explores how grief, loss, and family challenges impact the lives, education, relationships, and mental health of young people. Full film: www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmbI...

TB spreads through the air. Tiny droplets called aerosols carry the bacteria from person to person. Open windows. Improve ventilation. Reduce risk. Part 3 of our TB animation series for #WTBD2026. Animation: Mitchell Gilbert Messina www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_84...

B spreads through the air. Tiny droplets called aerosols carry the bacteria from person to person. Open windows. Improve ventilation. Reduce risk. Part 3 of our TB animation series for #WTBD2026. Animation: Mitchell Gilbert Messina www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_84...

TB is often blamed on smoking, dust, cold weather, or dirt, but those are myths. TB is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and spreads through the air. Meet Mike O’Bacterium in Episode 2 of our animated series ahead of #WTBD2026. Full video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYg3...

As we prepare for our 2026 programmes, we hosted a facilitator recruitment session with postgrad and postdoc students from @UCTHealthSci. The group of volunteers play a key role in supporting and facilitating the scientific components of our programmes. Thank you to everyone who joined us.

As we approach the #WTBD2026, we will be sharing a short animated series explaining TB, what it is, how it spreads, and the myths surrounding it. Episode 1: What do we know about TB? Animation by: Mitchell Gilbert Messina Full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1J2uOpPZ44#WTBD2026

[TRAILER] Shot and edited by learners from IkamvaYouth Khayelitsha, Tuberculosis in South Africa explores TB symptoms, misdiagnosis, and the challenges children face in staying on treatment. Watch Full Film: youtu.be/YvS7jKlN5Js?si…#TBT#healthcarer#WTBD202626

[TRAILER] Silencing Stigma 🎥 High school learners from IkamvaYouthSA Khayelitsha explore the lived realities of TB, highlighting the risks of interrupting treatment and the dangers of transmission to babies. Full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIkW0SkEdeE

Researchers and community members came together at Masiphumelele Library for a SA-CARES workshop coordinated by Eh!woza. Led by Prof. Jonathan Peter, the study explores how climate change is impacting asthma in children and families.

[Trailer] Post-Covid High school learners from Bishop Lavis created this short documentary through the Learner Doccies programme in collaboration with C-SHARP. Film by: Lorenzo Lauw, Sohail Pretorius, Shayne Adonis Full video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yqJ...

Back at IkamvaYouth for the open day & prize-giving! This time, we celebrated the 2025 Learner Doccies participants from the Khayelitsha Branch for short films on TB, mental health & climate change. We're so proud of these young storytellers, and we wish them all the best for the future.

[TRAILER] Voices of Lambasi A short documentary film by young people from Lambasi, Lusikisiki, exploring challenges like crime, gender-based violence, poor services, limited healthcare, and school safety while sharing community-driven ideas for change. Full video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEO-...

Last week, we kicked off a new TDR-funded project with Prof. Esmita Charani and her team to explore how social conditions and climate change shape drug-resistant infections. The work will be co-designed with the Eh!woza Adults group in Khayelitsha. We'll share more updates soon.

We were pleased to be part of the IkamvaYouth Masiphumelele Open Day and Prize Giving in Fish Hoek, where we presented certificates to the 2025 Learner Doccies participants. Their films explored mental health, unemployment, and asthma. Thank you to IkamvaYouth for the invite.

[TRAILER] Where the Cow Breathes A short documentary film made by youth from Lambasi, Eastern Cape. Exploring cattle illness, traditional medicine, limited veterinary care, antibiotic resistance, and the role of rotational grazing in animal health. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWSveoNIxbU

[TRAILER] Indyebo Emhlabeni A short film by young filmmakers from Lambasi in Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape, exploring how farming sustains local livelihoods and how limited agricultural and veterinary support and antibiotic misuse threaten animal health and food systems. www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWdd...

We were invited to #WAAW2025 at Groote Schuur Hospital hosted by the CAMO_NET team together with community members from Khayelitsha. Thank you to everyone who made this session meaningful. #AMR #AntibioticAwareness

New music video with Pro CHxLD - Nomalizo (Ft. Gaffii & Meijar Probeats) 🔥🔥🔥 Our learner doc programme trains young people in Khayelitsha to make films on health. Local artists share tracks. We make visuals in return. More collaborations coming in 2026.

In September, our team went to Lusikisiki in Lambasi (Eastern Cape) as part of the AMRoots project funded by Trinity Challenge and led by Prof Helen Mcilleron from UCT on AMR and the use and misuse of antibiotics in livestock and humans. Thanks to everyone who took part.

Part 3 of our AMR series: What can we do to prevent Antimicrobial Resistance? Watch here to find out how: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUOJ... Animation by Mitchel Gilbert Messina

AMR affects everyone, from global health systems to local communities. Resistant bacteria make infections harder to treat. 'We all have a role to play. Staying up to date with vaccines, taking antibiotics only when prescribed and more are actions that can help us. www.youtube.com/watch?v=lze0...

Did you know 39 trillion microbes live in and on our bodies? Most keep us healthy, but some cause infections. Enter antimicrobials. But bacteria are evolving to resist them, making infections harder to treat. This is #AMR. Animation by Mitchel Gilbert Messina www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F5Q...

Behind the Scenes: Utata Music Video. As part of our Learner Doccies program, we collaborate with local artists, using their music in our projects and, in return, creating music videos for them. This past weekend, our team was out filming the music video for Utata by Sir Jay.

We had the great pleasure of hosting @CAMO_Net1 fellows from India, Uganda, Bangladesh, the UK, Brazil, and Malawi at our offices in Khayelitsha for a reflective session on community engagement around Antimicrobial Resistance.

We asked Sikholiwe Mlambisa (16) questions about his experience in the Learner Doccies program. One of the questions was: Did this program change how you think about health topics?

In the second week of October, Ed Young, Co-Director of Eh!woza and Mbali Jiyane, Programmes Manager, had the privilege of representing our team at the annual Creativity Pioneers Fund Unconference, hosted by the Moleskine Foundation at the Base in Milano. Photo credit: Cartacarbone

On the 21st of October, we hosted and delivered a guest lecture to undergraduate students from the Council on International Educational Exchange course, focused on Contemporary Challenges in Global Health. The students, led by Sarah Lampert, a PhD researcher from the UCT's Department of Pathology.

Consent is one of the values we hold dearly. We asked Imitha what she had learnt since joining the Learner Doccies program. She shared that one of the most important lessons for her has been understanding consent, what it means, and why it matters.

Our Programme Manager, Mbali Jiyane, attended the German-South African Public Engagement Exchange conference in September.

Melissa Ntoyaphi reflects on the Learner Doccies program.

Learner Doccies Masiphumelele, Fish Hoek 🔥 The IkamvaYouth learners are in the editing stage, impactful stories are cooking! We can’t wait to share these films with you soon!