Written By Lindokuhle Vellem and originally posted here.
It is the destruction of the world in our own lives that drives us half insane, and more than half. (Wendell Berry cited by Macy & Young Brown, 1998)
Working with marginalised communities, what I refer to in this article as spaces of scarcity¹, is a fulfilling vocation, where one gets to witness and experience the liberation and emancipation of communities that have been forgotten and somewhat excluded from mainstream economic trajectories within society and even from political activities. As fulfilling as it may be, the job comes with its own challenges. Often, in building capacity, empowering, standing with and pushing against, as some of the activities one often engages in as we work in these spaces of scarcity, we have to make sure that they come out whole on the other side. That is easier said than done because the work takes a toll on one emotionally.
To read more, you can access the full article here.