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21ICONS - Grace Masuku
Grace Masuku: “In my culture we've got a saying: every parent is your parent, every grandmother is your grandmother.”
21 ICONS is a showcase for the South African spirit; a tribute to the men and women who have helped to shape our country and, indeed, our world. The series is part of an annual project which features unique narrative portraits and short films by Adrian Steirn, one of the continent’s pre-eminent photographers and filmmakers.
As a descendant of the Bakgatla ba Kgafela people Masuku has worked tirelessly to preserve the tradition and culture of the Batswana people. She has established numerous community outreach projects aimed at improving the lives of her community and restoring their traditional respect for the environment. In an intimate conversation with Steirn, Masuku talks about her life as a community leader whose role as a healer and environmentalist has seen her not only working with key international bodies (including the IUCN), but also becoming a custodian of her culture. She has established museums to preserve the heritage of the Bastwana tribe. Her desire to keep old customs alive is driven by her belief that losing touch with the moon, the stars and the land is equal to letting go of the hand that guides all of life’s most important processes.