Introduction (Bear with me for a second)
There is always something quite electrifying about new ways of telling a story through technologic advances. Right now with Steemit I feel the same juvenile enthusiasm I once had when Instagram opened its doors to my first audience. Slowly but steady I gathered an audience that followed me through some of the most adventurous moments of my life. But as I got older I longed for a more mature approach of sharing my stories and pictures. As a Crypto enthusiast I knew of Steemit for some time, and I was following its development closely to find the right time to create an account.
So here we are, a new audience and a new technology that promises an even bigger connected world, I am thrilled as to where it will lead us.
Vituku and Raul - Homeless in South Africa
"Where will you sleep tonight?', I asked Vituko, the man to the right. He staggered, for he didn't know, he never knows. Sleeping, he said, is a thing that you can do when you are safe and there are no safe options for him here, a shelter is dangerous, he might lose everything he owns in one night and sleeping in the streets can be fatal. Being tired is what he choses to be instead, it means staying safe, it means survival.
Raul, on the left, lives in Gugulethu, a closeby township. Wrapped in his blanket it seemed like he felt secure, protected by the few belongings he has. It had no holes and was in mint condition. Because he wears what he has, his sense of property adapted.
Both of them showed me their neighbourhood in Wyneberg, Cape Town and the people that inhabit it, without the everyday mascarade they put on when they encounter tourists or outsiders. I quickly put down mine as well and we shared some brief moments of being equals in an unequal world.
Jesus is always there for those on the street, this leather bag vendor told me whilst looking for his favourite bible verse. With a strong voice and full of confidence in the words he preaches he gave us a blessing for the rest of our journey. Vituko and Raul introduced me to him and although I am not a man of religion I was very thankful for the greatest gift a person of believe can give.
A scar is like a footprint in concrete, it will always be there, a constant reminder of ones own mortality. Vituko wears his like an armor. Upon asking he didn't tell me where he got it, he just showecased his long healed wound and ordered me to take a picture.
Vituko or Vitu like he wants to be called wears his warning vest every day in case he gets a job at a construction site or at road works: "As long as I have feet that can carry me I can work. But there is no work here for us." Despite this tough reality he never forgets to smile and keep up a cheerful appearance.
Who knows where Vitu and Raul are now and if they are well or if they under some strange unreal fortune found a job and the possibility to turn their lifes around. I hope for their well being and safety, despite my knowledge of their upkeep.
Cape Town is a place like no other, a beauty from a far and a beauty up close, a clash of cultures where the melting pot is fueled by molten lava that spills over the edges of sanity, which leaves nothing but an uncertain future for those that live in and around it.
And this concludes my first steps on Steemit, I hope you will tag along in this new journey. I would fancy some great company, leave a comment and tell me about your travels.
I for my part will post regularly now, a picture a day and every one or two weeks a new photo story.
I leave you now with a little citation of an South African mother that mourned over the murder of her son that got stabbed by Tsotsi thugs.
'Oh lucky is the mole that lives in the darkness out of touch with the woes of man.'
Get in touch with your local homless shelter and leave a donation.