The idea for this project came to me when I was driving past a kafana and I saw a group of teenagers inside. I asked myself, ‘How do teenagers actually live in the village? What does their day-to-day life look like?’ I took the first step towards them, and after a few days I felt that I had been allowed into their world.
Teenagers fascinate me. One moment they are children, the next, young adults, and then, just as quickly, children again. We communicated with the help of the whole group; some of them spoke English well enough to facilitate understanding. They showed me pictures of their everyday lives and special moments: how they spend their days, their parties and campfires, their boyfriends and the music they listen to.
I also showed them a few pictures from my life, like the city where I live.
Although I hadn't had much contact with teenagers before, I found myself drawn to the interplay between their vulnerability and strength, the safe spaces of family and friendship, and their emerging sense of identity. I was impressed by how quickly and easily they transitioned from childhood towards independence, and by their bravery in making that leap. Yet there was still a child in each of them. I was also touched by the way the village protects them, like one big, supportive and caring family. It makes me smile inside when I remember myself as a teenager and experience that feeling again, the feeling that everything is possible. It reminds me of the value of this period in a person's life, something we can only fully understand and cherish once it has ended. These are the years that create memories whose impact we may not yet understand, but that will stay with us for a lifetime.