"We are kids from different places, homes and cultures, 
the way we communicate 
          is in a very special way...

think twice before you close that door"  

The wound that does not bleed
a view from the inside
Iduma Elingopiyo

a photographic exhibition with text and drawings from youth living
on the street combined with radio and video documentaries.

60 x A0 photographs + drawings + poems + creative writing +
quotes from interviews + videos + radio programmes + a book

Exploring the world of children and youth living on the street in CapeTown, this exhibition invites you into the lives of those who have been forced to cope on their own. "Strollers", as the kids call themselves,survive in a harsh reality between the uncaring city and the criminal underworld. The language of the street is a mixture of slang, hand signs,gestures and looks. Forming intense bonds amongst themselves, strollers do not easily trust or allow outsiders in. Represented as vermin and tourist deterrents in the media, the youth are marginalised and rarely given opportunities to express themselves.

Through drawings, extracts from interviews, poems and pieces of creative writing accompanying the photographs, children and youth contribute to thisproject providing insight into their predicaments, aspirations, fears and dreams.

photographer: Davide Tosco

This exhibition has been shown in a youth reformatory in the city of Turin Italy, during the cultural event "Identity and Difference". It has also been presented at the South African Library (Cape Town) as part of "100XC The Month of Photography" and was shown at Cape Town's "One City Many Cultures Festival". The exhibition was judged to be a moving and worthwhile experience by those who attended, revealing an intimate side, rarely encountered, of children and youth living on the street .

Read the comments written in the visitor's book.

The exhibition has been specially designed to be transportable and easy to put up. If you wish to host the exhibition contact Other-Wise.

Other-Wise also has experienced, professional facilitators who can conduct workshops around the issues of children living on the streets. These workshops have been successfully run in schools with children and youth of various different age groups. A selection of the photograps is shown and there are specifically designed exercises to let kids know what street life is really about.