Stories are what make us human; they are a way we understand the world. I work for the FunDza Literacy Trust, where we aim to get South African youth reading by making exciting and relevant stories accessible. One of the ways we do it is via cellphone: we load a new local story every week and we have many high interest stories and articles also available. Readers can access them via Mxit, and they certainly do.
Reading is for pleasure, but it can also affect people in powerful ways. We see that in the responses to our stories. Our stories are not didactic, but they inevitably reflect issues and challenges faced by our readers. And our readers are feeling them.
A story that has touched many of our readers is an autobiography by a boy from Masiphumelele, who, although is only 18 this year and in grade 12, has faced tragedies and obstacles – and overcome them.
Read “Nobody will ever kill me” here.
It has been a huge hit on our mobisite with 1000’s of people reading it so far. We have had many comments.Here are some of them. (Translations are supplied for some of them!)
Mbu tnx bru yor story inspired m….i hv a bad lyf i even tot of commiting suicide bt i jjst read yor story nd i dnt thnk bwt t anymre tnx yor story had held me owt…u r a good guy,brave:) (Mbu thanks brother your story inspired me. I have had a bad life. I even thought of committing suicide but I just read your story and I don’t think about it anymore. Your story had held me out. You are a good guy, brave.)
I cudn’t stop crying u have been through a lot Mbu u are strong guy,lm frm Zim doing parttme jobs in Jozi,wit ur courage l wil make it! (I couldn’t stop crying, you have been through a lot. Mbu you are a strong guy. I’m from Zimbabwe doing part time jobs in Jozi. With your courage I will make it!)
Omg….i’ve heard such a beautifully written story, i cried when i read it as i can relate to so much. We can never choose family and we just have to endure the pain that we experience. My mothr past on when i was 7 years old and my father is a criminal…ow God knows how many times he wanted to rape me. This story has given me so much courage to review my past and accept reality. ..
i have been through a lot of things. I thnk The Almighty led me 2 read this book as i was planning 2 kill myself. Bhuti Mbu ngiyabonga because ur story helped me find hope in this cruel world we live in. May The Almighty bless u with a matric certificate n a better adult life.
..I cud barely put my phne down whyl readng ths. It made me cry n thnk abwt my life. I hope many good and wondrful thngs cn hapen to u, u deserv thm aftr ol u hav bn thru… No one should hav to go thru wat u went thru. U hav gven me strength to push thru my hardships and make sumthng of my life. Ndiyabulela. Good luck with everythng else. (I could barely put my phone down while I was reading this. It made me cry and think about my life. I hope many good and wonderful things can happen to you, you deserve them after all you have been through. No-one should have to go through what you went through. You have given me strength to push through my hardships and make something of my life. Ndiyabulela. Good luck with everything else.)
We have a story about a girl who became aware that she was a lesbian (written by one of our up-and-coming young writers, a young man from Masiphumelele, who himself got a hard time from his friends about his choice of subject matter). We thought some responses would be abusive, and warned readers we wouldn’t publish hate speech. We withheld only two comments.
Here are some others:
I h8ted gayz n lezbianz bt nw i c thru diff eyz
I hated gays and lesbians but now I see through different eyes.
Wat a great story am starting 2 c this issue of gays and lasbians in a diffrent way thanx ppl (What a great story. I am starting to see this issue of gays and lesbians in a different way. Thanks people.)
Some readers identified with the character:
i wish i could read it some more,i also do feel different.
Im als0 a lesbian & iv bin living in da dark 4 s0 many yrz.. (I’m also a lesbian and I’ve been living in the dark for so many years.)
Others grappled with their own attitudes as the story had created conflict within themselves: the character was only revealed to be lesbian towards the end, once the reader had been seduced into identifying with her.
Wow:|..i wsnt expectin this..nana a lesbian?nah i jst dnt lyk hw dis is endin nt tht am against
lesbianism..shz nt a bad prson at al (Wow. I wasn’t expecting this. Nana [the girl’s name] a lesbian? I just don’t like how this is ending. Not that I am against lesbianism. She’s not a bad person at all.)
Well, i think corrective rape is wrong… I do not believe in homosexuality, i believe it’s wrong. But like any other wrong things people do it should be handled in a civilised maner.
Tjo! no comments
Read “Beads under my shirt” here
Another full length book, a novel, has also elicited massive positive comments – and some of them also show how the book has encouraged them to reflect on their own lives:
dis da coolest story eva thy z a lesson dat status nd wntin 2 b kwl has a price .. (That’s the coolest story ever. There’s a lesson that status and wanting to be cool has a price..)
Wow..shes a brave gal …wow i loved it so much grt. Ntombi ma hero..:)
We’re so glad we’re providing heroes who are admirable for more than their glamour and wealth.
And one of our favourite comments:
Great book this. It made me think of ppl in ma lyf :}. Gat me blushng, cryin n even screamin at ma phne lyk a retard. I learnt lot 4wm dis book n i could read it over n over if i had a copy of ma own. :} Best book ever :} (Great book this. It made me think of people in my life. Got me blushing, crying, even screaming at my phone like a fool. I learned a lot from this book. I could read it over and over if I had a copy of my own. Best book ever.)
Wow! This is me definately me…and my singing thing ,therez just a little difference between ntombi’s life and my life. Im a bit releaved cuz i got some ideas frm the story.:D (Wow. This is definitely me..and my singing[like Ntombi the main character]. There’s just a little difference between Ntombi’s life and mine. I’m a bit relieved because I got some ideas from the story.)
Read Broken Promises here
Stories are powerful. They can help to change us, and the world around us. It is very exciting to see our stories touch people in a way that we couldn’t do any other way.