Weaving in and out of driving lanes, whizzing past stray cows, and trucks full of barrels, Noel checks his driver’s mirror and switches to the left, passing a car that’s driving obnoxiously slow. It’s eleven in the morning, and he is driving us to Durban’s airport. As the co-founder and executive director of NEWF (Nature, Environment, and Wildlife Filmmakers), his time could be well spent doing anything but driving us four hours to the airport, yet he insists there is nothing more valuable than time spent in fellowship and connection. These long drives to and from eKhaya, NEWF’s storytelling and diving facility in South Africa’s Sodwana Bay, to the nearest airport is the perfect setting for honest conversation and ideas to flow.
I am part of a group of five representatives from Diving With A Purpose (DWP) who have just spent the week at eKhaya. We are midway through our drive back to Durban and DWP Dive Instructor Anumi Sassaroli is interviewing Noel for DWP’s blog.
The van is packed with DWP and NEWF fellows, but it’s quiet. Some are in deep thought reflecting on one of the most memorable weeks of our lives. Some are nodding in and out of sleep, tired from last night’s farewell celebrations. Others are asleep, bellies full from Dumi’s delicious prawn and fish stew. We are all delirious with gratitude having experienced the power of Africa Refocused, an initiative in collaboration between NEWF and National Geographic.
Anumi is all ears, leaning forward with one arm propped up on her knee, steadily aiming her iPhone’s microphone towards Noel’s voice. She is asking him about how he and his wife Pragna came to be the co-founders of NEWF. In the interview Noel explains:
“The world utilizes so much of Africa’s nature and wildlife, yet there was no platform in Africa for conservationists, scientists, filmmakers, storytellers, and broadcasters to come together and discuss solutions. We (Noel and his wife and co-founder Pragna) decided we couldn’t just walk away defeated (after they went bankrupt from producing their own African wildlife TV show ‘Code Green’); we needed to address this issue. By January of 2017, we conceived the idea of hosting a film festival. However, we questioned which films to showcase. Thus, we decided to create a congress where people could gather to discuss and find ways to overcome the challenges we faced in producing our first TV series. In March, we pitched this idea to the head of parks and recreation in Durban, who loved it and offered us ZAR 500,000. Though we never received the funds, his belief in our idea was crucial and motivated us to move forward. And so, the annual NEWF Congress began in 2017.” -To read the full interview, click here.
How did they keep going even after the money promised to them for the congress never came through? In retrospect, I believe it boils down to the strength of their partnership. So much of the process of being a visionary lies in the ability to keep your faith up when the dream seems impossible. Having a partner that is with you in the work makes all the difference in getting through the rough patches.
Noel is the kind of man whose laugh fills a room and whose larger-than-life dreams precede him. As a master storyteller, his stories will have you hanging on to his every word, always singing high praises of the people he admires. By his side is Pragna, a warm eyed woman with an infectious smile. She is the small but mighty anchor that grounds NEWF’s vision with strategy. At any moment you can find her editing, texting collaborators, booking and rebooking flights, putting out fires, passing out french fries, and saving lives.
Together, Noel the dreamer, and Pragna the dream maker have made NEWF’s vision a reality. After bankruptcy and what could have been the end of their journey, they dared to look beyond beyond their own limitations to build the opportunities and access they wish they had when they began telling wildlife stories.
Seeing their commitment up close has shown me how important it is to build an expansive vision that extends far beyond you, one that makes room for others to dream and reach new levels of success. Theirs is a true story of build it and they will come. They maintained the integrity of their vision even when others could not see it.
In the interview Noel explains how eKhaya came to be:
“By 2020, some of our community members became NatGeo explorers and spoke at their summit. In 2021, I spoke at their virtual storyteller summit. National Geographic then asked us how we would scale our work, which led to the creation of the ‘Africa Refocused’ program. We envisioned scaling up our initiatives—more dive labs, cinematography labs, and regional growth—anchored in a center that provided a safe space for storytellers, scientists, and conservationists. This community-focused approach ensured dignity and safety while fostering collaboration and skill development. Thus, the idea and dream of eKhaya emerged as a facility supporting our vision for Africa Refocused.”
The story of how this collaboration with National Geographic came to be is nothing short of amazing. And seeing the vision materialized is such an honor.
eKhaya: “Home”
eKhaya, is a compound of sorts made up of several rooms, a scuba diving training pool, a kitchen and communal area. This is where DWP spent our time in South Africa diving, communing, learning and exchanging with NEWF fellows.
After spending a week at eKhaya and witnessing how NEWF’s dive operations and workshops function, it’s clear that the story of NEWF begins with Pragna and Noel, but continues with their team, fellows and community - the true engine behind this movement.
The purpose of our trip was to set the foundation for what a partnership with DWP (Diving With a Purpose) and NEWF could look like. DWP’s dedication to ocean-centric conservation and cultural preservation is a perfect match for NEWF’s mission of removing the barriers to entry and building capacity to enable access, support inclusion, expand local audiences and foster a culture of equity for African nature, environment and wildlife visual storytellers.
We shared presentations on how to survey slave ship wrecks, how coral restoration is developing in Zanzibar, and learned about how storytelling is integral to the environmental and cultural conservation work each organization is engaged in.
A generative space
As soon as we arrived at eKhaya, I noticed a thick plume of smoke rising from it’s backyard. The aroma of burnt wood filled the open air, an unmistakeable scent that immediately comforted me. It was my first time on the grounds, and though I was thousands of miles away from home, this smell brought me right back to the familiar aroma’s of Honduras and Puerto Rico.
There is always something brewing at eKhaya, be it fish grilling, meat stewing, or inspiration percolating in conversation, there is a palpable passion that resides here, a quiet buzz of productivity and communion that warms the place. eKhaya is uplifted by a constellation of hands committed to training the next generation of Black African conservation storytellers. From the accountant, to cleaning staff, cooks, fellows, friends, and grounds keepers, it’s all hands on deck.
The dining area is the heart of eKhaya in design and function, it is a generative space that transforms everyone who walks through it doors. It is where we ate and where we were fed professionally and creatively. From presentations to meals served, there was always room for every one at each table.
In an era of disconnection, having a central hub like eKhaya is a rarity. Look around and you will see people working, conversing, huddled over a computer, experimenting, exchanging ideas, reviewing their film and photographic work, sharing it, speaking through it, “ooing” and “ahhing” at the beauty of footage they’d captured that day. I hadn’t experienced a generative work space like this since college, and it helped me realize how integral creating and growing alongside peers is when engaged in pioneering work. I love the intentionality of naming their fellowships “labs”, this is exactly the right word for the development that goes on here.
Laboratory:
: a place equipped for experimental study in a science or for testing and analysisa research laboratory
broadly : a place providing opportunity for experimentation, observation, or practice in a field of study
At the heart of eKhaya’s kitchen is Dumi, the chef behind our most memorable meals. I was an immediate fan of her huge smile and shy laugh. By day four, our DWP crew was greeting Dumi with hugs and profusely thanking her for feeding us so well.
This is kind of connection is the essence of eKhaya, the foundation that makes the work sustainable is found in the small details, the care and intentionality put into relationships. I am so grateful I had the opportunity to contribute to start of the partnership between DWP and NEWF, two incredible organizations with conservation and community at their center.
More life-changing exchange to come.
3 Awe ‘Tings
a short list of awe-inspiring content to get you through the week.
🎧 God Is My Creative Director - excellent pod about sustaining creativity via faith
📹 Jeremy Snell - this conservation story and the quality of his photography is 💯
📖 The Preserve Journal - gorgeous printed mag about sustainability and slow living
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