Clare's Story

I met Whisky when I went to South Africa as a World Library Partnership volunteer. As part of our cultural orientation, Whisky demonstrated how she uses traditional culture to reach adults and children at the library. I then stayed with her family in Soweto. The following year I sponsored a speaking and storytelling tour of the American Pacific Northwest for Whisky to build support for her work.
Whisky invited me to return to South Africa and collaborate on Soweto Stories because international visitors are important for the development of adult learners as global citizens. An outsider’s involvement motivates learners to use English and develop English literacy. My presence validates their experiences and their efforts to share their stories, which are important contributions to the global community. As an outsider, I can access resources currently beyond the reach of the Soweto community. I am getting foundation and corporate support, locating a publisher, and I am inviting you to invest as a partner in building this international bridge.

By supporting this project, you too become a witness from the rich world, willing to listen and honor the courage and aspirations of these women. I believe the work of witnessing is a powerful and crucial step toward global healing.
Through the publication of Soweto Stories, the experience of witnessing and work of authentic partnership will be extended between communities of the rich and developing worlds.

Stories are powerful assets that celebrate a community’s wisdom and courage. Telling and witnessing stories connects people across oceans and cultures, creating the global community that we long for. I believe the world still has much to learn from Soweto: we can learn from the courage of living with dying, the compassion of taking orphaned children into extended families with faith that the resources will become available, the persistence of learning maths and English to improve economic opportunities, and, as Whisky says, the ability to sing when your heart breaks.