OKAVANGO THROUGH THE LENS
Rufusiah Molefe shares the Okavango life
Rufusian Molefe uses her camera to share stories of livelihoods and conservation in the Okavango Delta, and her journey into photography is an interesting one.
As a photographer of note, Molefe finds herself actively participating in shaping and re-focusing the African narrative through the lens.
“Telling a story through my lens means re-focusing the narratives about the Okavango Delta and exploring narratives that have never been explored before,” she told Vibe.
She first decided that she wanted to explore her country and learn how the people living in the Okavango Delta live or survive. This is how her journey into photography started as she was amused by what she saw. “My journey into photography was unexpected. I used a canon pocket camera and cellphone to just capture moments. At the time, it was not my intention to be a photographer, I was only capturing my moments in the Okavango Delta on what I found interesting and new,” she shared.
Molefe highlighted that the reality of human-animal co-existence was unexpected. She witnessed it all. “It was unlike the fantasy I had about the Okavango Delta, the beautiful images of luxurious camps safari drives and wildlife. So I made a choice to share the story through my short film documentary ‘Whisperers of the Delta’,” she told Vibe. This amazing documentary captures the true story of how people live at the delta and Molefe is proud to have found herself telling a story on this level. Her focus is now on exploring as much as she can about livelihoods and conservation in the Okavango Delta. “What I do is just pick up a camera and take photos. I make a lot of mistakes along the way but I am also making great progress in terms of working on my craft, it’s a journey and I’m glad to be embarking on it,” she shared. Another interesting fact about Molefe is that she has never been to photography school nor have she gone through any training for photography. “I started learning on the job by watching camera operators and photographers back then when I used to manage video content projects for corporate clients,” she shared. This year, she found herself among experienced photographers and filmmakers at the renowned NEWF2024 Summit and Congress where she has learnt a lot as she was part of the team that mentored students at the event.
“NEWF2024 has given me much confidence in doubling down on photography efforts to tell the stories I want to tell about the Okavango Delta. I can vividly share that Photography is a powerful storytelling tool and now is the time to use it to tell the stories that matter and actively participate in shaping and re-focusing the African narrative,” she said, reiterating that she wants Botswana to be known beyond the borders through the images that she captures.