Slum Dwellers International (SDI), Know Your City TV (KYC.TV) and CoHabitat Network have officially launched our very first digital publication ‘Hidden Treasure’.
KYC.TV is a creative collective of talented youth from the global movement that is SDI. We mobilised to make change at settlement, city and global levels through photography, film and storytelling.
A first of its kind, the publication is a celebration of the wealth of talent and imagination of our federation youth. In the face of poverty and need, there is an abundance of creativity and ingenuity which #HiddenTreasure aims to showcase. The treasure is right here in front of all of us.
“Nothing for us, without us.”
The publication reflects on Life, Work, Change, Rest and Insight from the perspective of our talented youth. We say, “Nothing for us, without us.”
At present, Africa is the world’s youngest and fastest urbanising continent. Estimates show that Africa’s population will reach 2 billion by 2050, with 50% of its population being youths under the age of 25. This means the future of work, environment, technologies, the global economy, health and sustainable cities are dependent on the youth in African cities.
Download #HiddenTreasure here.
James Tayler, SDI’s Youth and Media Programme Coordinator, shares how the digital publication came about.
“The magazine emerged out of the demand for young people in informal settlements to be the authors of their own narrative,” he said.
“Too often media products concerning slums are extractive and based on appeals to people’s pity. We reject that and hope to show that young people in informal settlements hold the solutions to global problems.”
According to James, the aim is to publish the magazine quarterly and grow the distribution and reach globally.
“This magazine represents our approach to learning by doing and demonstrates that youth from informal settlements are capable of producing work on an international standard,” said the Prgogramme Coordinator.
“With this media product, we want to open a window into our world. We carry so many problems but we also carry the seeds to the solutions.”
To professionals and agencies: you are welcome to work with us, but make sure skills, a network and increased access to opportunity remain here with us when you leave. For enquiries, contact us here.
