The youth who participated were either associated with Youth Academy (a youth-run, nonprofit organisation that implements projects and advocacy activities in health and the environment in Mdantsane) or were members of the National Association of People Living with AIDS. Eight of the women and one of the men were HIV positive. Six participants and leaders had completed 10th grade, eight had graduated from high school, and two had continued their studies (one has a BA). All participants and leaders were unemployed. Most participants had never done any community work before and had never worked in teams or groups. These youth developed 80 photographs and narratives of problems and resources in their community from their point of view.

Main activities included:

• team building
• taking photographs
• reflecting on experiences of photo missions and with consent forms
• developing strategies for dealing with challenges
• discussing the photographs using the the SHOWeD methodology, which involves the following questions:
  
  1) What do we See here?
  
  2) What is really Happening here?
  
  3) How does this relate to Our Lives?
  
  4) Why does this situation exist?
  
  5) What can we do about it?

The methodology of the programme included the following:

• filing the photographs in binders
• developing categories for the exhibit
• selecting photographs for exhibit
• discussing photographs with each other and with policymaker guests
• assigning selected photos to a relevant category
• writing narratives
• asking photographic subjects to sign consent forms giving permission to use their image in exhibits and for future educational purposes
• brainstorming on problems and resources
• self-selecting into committees to discuss possible future actions
• mounting exhibits
• reaching policymakers.

Policymakers in the Mdantsane context include the participants, their families, teachers and school administrators, public health staff, elected officials, and local NGOs. The project reached policymakers through dissemination activities that included a newspaper article about the project, four exhibits, and an invitation distributed to about 300 people including the Deputy Mayor, the Mayor, City Councilors, hospital staff and board members, Department of Health officials, and others. The project also reached policymakers on a personal level by inviting them to participate in "mini-exhibits" and discussions of the photographs and narratives during project implementation. Policymaker attendees included health care workers, hospital administrators, a school principal, community volunteers, a lawyer, a social worker, EQUITY Project staff, the Youth Academy Managing Director, and unemployed youth. In addition, the participants shared their project binders (including handouts and their photographs) with families, friends, neighbors, and policymakers.

Youth, Health, HIV/AIDS.

This project was implemented in Mdantsane, the second largest township rs to be effective at developing leadership skills, civic commitment, and improved health behaviors among youth, while increasing awareness at all levels of local conditions from the perspective of youth. Photovoice aims to increase community dialogue around project themes and to help break down barriers between people who are HIV-positive and those who are not. Instead of seeking outside assistance or waiting for outside assistance to come, the participants are enabled to become proactive in developing their own ideas of possible solutions and taking action to realise them.