[Credit: Elethu Nkala]
“You hypocrites! You can forecast the weather by judging the appearance of earth and sky. But for some reason you don’t know how to judge the times in which you’re living.”
Luke 12:56. God’s word translation.
The conquest of humanity has led him to the moon, the stars, and the deepest depths of the ocean and forest. To hold the sun in our hands would be a project of humanity given our drive. Yet we still have dialogues about the rife poverty that cloaks our people.
These projects come at a cost and sacrifice of the very same environment that houses all of us. They come at the toil of men and women who create wealth they will never enjoy. Where are we looking? What is our common ground? Is there work that is more important than other work? Who is it done by and for who?
[Credit: Umkhomba Ndlela: “Navagation” by Elethu Nkala]
Deep into the ocean, we keep going. Somewhere in the desert, we keep going. All around us, we see one substance. A void of some kind, yet we still find our way home. I guess we have a navigator in us. As long as we are still breathing, we strive to get to the point we can call home so that we can keep breathing and inspiring. Or maybe get back to business and punctuate our conversations with puffs of cigarettes and other smokables.
For the man in the desert, it could be the first sight of civilisation or the illusions induced by the scorching heat. For as long as we keep going, the breath of our thoughts will tell us to move on. Maybe in this direction, we can find home. The wind will blow our sails and we catch a breath here and then when we feel our lungs are not doing enough.
The blood and bones of fallen men and women, mammals and reptiles in the hands of nature and the ignorance of conquest of men supports our boats and keep our feet above surface.
“The art that I create comes from a place of trying to understand myself and my place in the society that I occupy. I create in confidence to uncover unexplored truths and myths that might be suggested by the output of my efforts. My art is a mirror that I use to prepare myself for the best path to follow and best way to interact with my environment in the labyrinth called life.” – Elethu Nkala.
Elethu Nkala is a 20-year-old human dignity activist, visual artist and event organiser with an extensive background in public health activism. Currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Political Science and Economics, Elethu seeks to continue to inform his activism through education, art, and encouraging conversation among his community. He is the co-founder of youth initiative, The Pulse, which focuses on environmental wellbeing and farming, sporting events and the creative arts.
