Makhanda Diaries Reflections
Research Findings
Unathi: The beginning of the story
My fieldwork with Unathi Sandi begins with a simple goal: to document his daily life. However, my early field notes capture a researcher struggling with the dissonance between academic protocol and human reality. I am preoccupied with the technical challenge of recording over the sound of his family's television, an intrusion I initially see as noise. It is only through patient listening, both to his diaries and to my own unease, that I realize this "chaos" is the very essence of his story. Unathi isn’t just speaking about his environment; he is speaking from within it, and my role is not to sanitize his truth but to honor its full, complicated texture. During this period as Unathi is also a radio presenter at RMR he was also struggling to let go of the "professional" sound he is used to
Witnessing Unathi's narrative arc, from the constrained chaos of his household to the quiet sanctuary of his study spot and finally to the triumph of his exam results, transforms my understanding of agency. His audio diary becomes not a passive record, but an active tool for self-definition. Through it, he carves out moments of reflection and celebration amidst the overwhelm. Unathi teaches me that resilience is not the absence of struggle, but the creative practice of navigating it, and that the most powerful research means relinquishing control to let your subject teach you how to listen.
Local Organisations
Following the thread of Siwaphiwe’s journey leads me directly into the vibrant, often invisible, network of organisations holding up Makhanda’s youth. It’s like I’ve been looking at individual trees, Unathi, Siwaphiwe and suddenly the whole forest comes into view. My partnership with ADC and Ikamva Youth opens the door to places like the Joza Youth Hub, where the mission is as much about creating space as it is about education. Seeing the Music Band and the Toy Library, I realize these are not just programs; they are sanctuaries. They are building the foundational love for learning that Siwaphiwe’s own schooling lacked, fighting the digital and motivational divide one child at a time.
Learning the origin story of Ikamva Youth born from a simple desire to provide the information and support that the system failed to deliver resonates deeply. It echoes exactly what Siwaphiwe taught me: the obstacle is often not a lack of ambition, but a lack of a ladder. Now, when I listen to the audio diaries, I hear them differently. I don’t just hear individual struggles; I hear the potential infrastructure of support. Unathi’s sanctuary was a physical space, a quiet hilltop. For the wider community of Makhanda, these organisations are that sanctuary, the structural hillsides where young people can find their footing and see a path forward.
Siwaphiwe
Siwaphiwe’s story hits me differently than Unathi’s. Where his was about finding quiet within the chaos of a university student's life, hers is about the battle to even get to the starting line. Meeting her at RMR, I’m immediately struck by her quiet determination. Her high school world, a place of inconsistent teaching and COVID’s long shadow feels a universe away from the lecture halls Unathi navigates. As she tells me about upgrading her matric for the second time, I realise her diary isn't just about personal struggle; it's a map of the systemic cracks so many young people fall through. Her resilience isn't a single moment of triumph, but a slow, persistent grind.
Working with her, even the technical stuff tells a story. The struggle with her phone and the awkwardness of the new mic mirror the extra hurdles she always faces. But she adapts, just like she does with her studies. And in her latest recording, her voice is clear and firm: “I will not give up on my marks.” That line stays with me. It’s her truth. Her journey forces me to look beyond the individual and see the whole ecosystem, the second-chance programs and youth clubs that become lifelines. Siwaphiwe’s voice, for me, has become the sound of a system being challenged by sheer, unwavering will.
Research Findings
The Makhanda Diaries revealed that authentic storytelling creates a profound bridge of empathy. Listeners did not passively consume the diaries; they became active witnesses, seeing their own struggles and resilience reflected in the intimate audio. This connection was forged by the raw, sonic truth of the diarists' environments, the noise of a township street, the quiet of a study corner. As one listener expressed, "I appreciated the use of natural sound that he had in his diary. It made it more intimate and also made me connect with him more."
For many, this empathy was transformative, moving beyond emotion to actionable knowledge. A participant from rural KwaZulu-Natal shared, "Where I come from, if you fail matric, that’s it. Society writes you off as a failure. No one knows you can upgrade. Hearing Siwaphiwe’s story, I learned for the first time that there is another way." The diaries thus functioned not merely as mirrors, but as maps, offering practical routes through shared challenges.
Beyond individual impact, the findings underscore that sustainable participatory media must be rooted in partnership and meet audiences where they are. The project’s ethical and practical foundation was its embeddedness within Makhanda’s own support ecosystems, like the Assumption Development Centre and Ikamva Youth. As Nwabisa Nkani of the ADC explained, the role of such partners is to ensure continuity: "We become the living, ongoing extension of that radio dialogue." However, a critical tension emerged between the community-building purpose of the stories and the media habits of the youth they aim to serve. One focus group participant stated bluntly, "I don't listen to radio... if it's on the radio, I don't think I'd listen." This stark insight points to the central paradox for future projects: to sustain the conversation, intimate community stories must travel on the digital and social platforms where community life increasingly unfolds.
A way forward
For stations inspired to start their own audio diary project, the path forward is clear. First, embed your project within a trusted local organisation, like a youth hub or NGO, to build authentic partnerships and lasting impact. Second, practice ethical co-creation by sharing editorial decisions with your diarists, ensuring their voice remains true. Finally, meet your audience digitally by actively sharing stories on social media, transforming radio content into a wider community conversation. Lasting connection relies less on expensive equipment and more on this commitment to partnership, shared power, and digital engagement.
