NEO MOCUMI (41)

On an ordinary weekday in May 2002 Neo’s life changed forever. She was sitting in the back seat of a car when the vehicle burst into flames. “I was in the back and the doors had locked automatically,” she recalls. “To escape from the car I had to go through the flames.”

The result was devastating: 70% of her face as well as parts of her lower body were badly burnt. Doctors feared she’d never be able to walk again and she was in hospital for nine months.

Thirteen years later, in August 2015, tragedy struck again. Neo lost her sister when the younger woman fell on a hotplate and died of her injuries.

“That’s when I decided to start Omolemo Omogolo Burn Survivors South Africa to support burn survivors and their families,” she says.

Omolemo Omogolo, which means He has mercy, He is great, was launched in May 2016. The organisation, of which Neo is executive director, educates communities on preventing fires and provides support in hospitals for burn survivors. It also promotes education around gender violence.

For now the women are using the media and social media to get exposure and raise awareness, but they’re planning a second photoshoot in May followed by an exhibition of their pictures in August for Women’s Month.

The #StopStaringItsOnlyScars awareness campaign is close to her heart.

“As burn survivors we face rejection and loss of opportunities daily because society stigmatises us,” she says. “Now we’re reaching out to say, ‘Look at us! We’re beautiful with our scars’.”

(Turn over)