Reflections on the Oxfam Participatory Project

From February to August 2024, I took part in the Oxfam Participatory Project at the Market Photo Workshop in Johannesburg. It was a six-month period shaped by learning, observation, and constant reflection on what it means to tell stories responsibly.

The programme combined multimedia storytelling, visual literacy, and ethical practice, bringing together storytellers from Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. What stayed with me most was not only the technical training, but the consistent emphasis on context, on slowing down enough to understand what sits beneath an image.

As a self-taught photographer, I entered the space with habits shaped by independence. That kind of learning builds instinct, but it can also create blind spots. This experience challenged me to reconsider how I listen before I frame a story, and how much of the work happens before a camera is even lifted.

Working alongside mentors and fellow photographers from across the region also reshaped my understanding of practice. The conversations outside formal sessions often carried as much weight as the training itself especially those about ethics, representation, and the responsibility of working with people’s lived realities.