Love From Manenberg
The long-term and ongoing series, "Love from Manenberg," looks at life in Manenberg, South Africa, in particular the experiences of women and their children. The work makes room for complex narratives pushed aside by the media and shows the ways families look to the future and carry the joy, grief, and everyday realities of life in a community plagued by gang violence. A total of only 1.29 square miles, statistics reveal that people living in Manenberg are three times as likely to get murdered than anywhere else in South Africa. Through fortitude and faith, they persevere and prosper. Sarah Stacke first photographed this neighborhood of Cape Town in June 2011. For over a decade, the women of the Lottering, Pietersen, and Adams families have shared their lives, showing the texture, unity, and comfort of their home. The title of the series reflects the love these women embody, but also describes the relationships the photographer has formed with them. They have become a part of the fabric of each other’s lives.