This manuscript focuses on six children of Somali, Congolese and South
African nationality who ranged between the ages of 11 and 14, over a
one-year period from October 2010 to October 2011. The stories reflect
their experiences of living in temporary relocation areas in Cape Town,
South Africa. Exploring pathways and patterns of identity, the research
explores how children embody their surroundings, mapping out how the
past sustains itself on their ideas of safety, home and belonging. The
research presented in this book is rooted within sites of transition
because of the author's particular interest in understanding the
experiences of children living in temporary relocation camps. These
interests were founded on the assumption that the combination of
violence and frequent forced removals resulted in a compelling life
experience of children in contemporary South Africa.
What is presented in the book adds to an already vibrant discussion
about childhood agency and meaning-making in the everyday. Data reveals
a battlefield within which children navigate safety and survival. This
book calls to attention the need for a more considered and participatory
response to the housing crisis in South Africa. Taking into account the
consequences of forced removals that continue to mar South Africa's
social and economic landscape, this book makes an essential contribution
to future housing policy design and implementation. For children living
in Symphony Way Temporary Relocation Area, these meanings are suffused
with violent experiences that follow them across the changing landscapes
generated by frequent mobility.
