Voices of Lambasi is a short film produced by young people from Lambasi, a village in Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape. It examines the everyday hardships faced by the local community, including crime, gender-based violence, and poor service delivery.
The film highlights environmental and health risks, including pollution from discarded medication containers, alcohol bottles, and nappies near the river, which the community relies on for drinking water. It also shows how sharing these water sources with livestock, such as cows and horses, can potentially expose residents to waterborne diseases.
The film also addresses dangers schoolchildren face when travelling home from school in the afternoon. Despite these challenges, the documentary centres on the voices of local community members, who share perspectives and suggest solutions to improve life in Lambasi.
Film by Lindokuhle Magubha, Afika Bambanani and Ayola Dukuza
Music by: Pro CHxLD ZA
This film is part of AMRoots, a Trinity Challenge-funded project led by University of Cape Town researcher Prof. Helen McllIeron, with support from Meat Naturally Africa and Conservation Exposure Education & Training (CEET). The project explores how antibiotics are used and how resistance develops across people, animals, and the environment in rural communities. We’re really happy to have been able to collaborate on community engagement and citizen research aspects of the project, with these films being one of the outputs.