In a world where more often than not up is down and silence sound, it is easy for one to lose their way in the maze we call life. The more I think about it the more I am convinced that we need more heroes.

We need more people to look up to, not because they're rich and famous but because they live their lives honestly, making the most of what they have. We need less people who surrender to hardship, less people who use “I am a product of my environment" as a crutch but rather someone who can say “the gutter is where I’m from, it is not who I am.” More people pushing technological, scientific and medical frontiers. More people mastering their crafts. More successful business owners. More Heroes.

We need more teachers. More fathers to teach their sons, through daily demonstration, how to one day become good men and fathers. More mothers to teach their daughters how to be strong enough to be self-sufficient yet tender enough to become loving mothers and wives. More tutors, coaches, mentors and instructors to spot, guide and cultivate talent.  More Heroes.

We need happier children, with happier childhoods. More children who believe in magic. Less children praying “Uncle Dick doesn’t come into my bedroom tonight” or worrying about where the next meal will come from…

We need more children who play and see the world through innocent eyes. We need more children who can fulfil their roles as children.  Before we can get that, we need more parents to play their roles. More heroes.

We need stronger family ties, support systems and assistance when times get hard and we are left cold and broken, alone with no way out.  If nothing else; more lessons learnt.

We need more love, dreams and ambitions. We need the courage to do something with our lives. We need to be proud of who we are, what we have achieved and how we have improved our family situations.  We need more room to be happy in our own skin, room to grow, room to make mistakes and to correct our ways. More reasons to wake up in the mornings. More reasons to celebrate life. More heroes in ourselves.

Photographers: Khumbelo and Kotn