When she was a bright-eyed youngster and sat down to start studying religion, she had no idea how different her life would turn out.
A while later, when Lamise Inglis stood in as a secretary at a TV studio, she still had no idea.
It’s been more than two decades since those moments and over the years Inglis has empowered countless others.
Inglis, managing director of iKasi Creative Media, spends much of her time at their offices in the Tyger Valley area.
The rest of the time is spent at their offices in George and out in the field where Ikasi facilitators lead different workshops.
It’s here where they aim to empower the rural youth with the skills needed to work in the media and film industry, or to “become storytellers and change-makers in their communities”, as the organisation says on its website.
Inglis’ road to that of mentor started when she took a chance. She had just decided to stop studying religion at the Islamic College of Southern Africa (Icosa) in Gatesville. She was standing in for a secretary at a TV production company. When the building was taken over by E.tv, she asked whether she could stay.
Here she was exposed to media and worked herself up. She started as a production assistant and then did editing.
It wasn’t long before she shot to the top, moving to other companies where she became studio manager and editor before owning her own film school, Century Film School.
“That’s where my love for training started.”
Inglis loved seeing how others developed their full potential and knowing she has a role to play in it.
One day, she was introduced to actress Lika Berning, who told her about a training facility for rural and unemployed youth being set up in the Garden Route. Inglis jumped at the idea.
The pair wanted to help train talented unemployed youth. At that point there were training courses for conventional practical jobs like engineering and carpentry but nothing that could help them get into the media industry.
Members from the film industry train the hopefuls.
That was five years ago and it’s been a non-stop journey since then.
Along the way Power 987 radio broadcaster Khanya Sosibo joined Berning and Inglis.
Teary moment
Ikasi focuses on all parts of the production process and over the past few years a strong element of social media has been added to the mix, especially because this is so accessible and current to the youth.
Ikasi is funded, to an extent, by the government and is an accredited Sector Education and Training Authority (Seta) in the Media, Information and Communication Technologies (MICT) profession.
This June the first cohort of 12 students who completed a year project received their certificates. “It was a teary moment,” Inglis smiles. “I can’t describe it.”
Inglis grew up in Kuils River where she attended Jan Bosman Primary School (now Kuils River Primary School) and Sarepta Secondary School.
She is married to KFM 94.5 radio presenter, EB. The two met “purely by chance” at a friend’s birthday party and have been together since. They have two children – Shaylin and Shudley. She still lives in Kuils River.
Challenging
The job doesn’t come without its challenges. Students, mostly from small towns or on the outskirts of cities, are often from crime-ridden areas where poverty is a given. There’s a sense of distrust and many students have low self-esteem. “Getting them to believe they can achieve something is big.”
They’re required to have a matric certificate to join the course.
Often, it’s a blend of life skills these youngsters (18 to 35) have to master first – becoming job ready, setting up your resume, showing up every day. “A lot of these youth haven’ been in class for a while and we start with (job readiness), otherwise it’s overwhelming.”
At the end of the courses, many become entrepreneurs.
“We inspire someone to begin to dream.”
Videos and other types of media are things they can sell readily. “They immediately have a sellable product.”
Next year, the team at Ikasi will be focusing, among other places, on Atlantis and Ocean View.
“Running an Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) is not easy,” Inglis admits. She used to work in corporate, with a great salary. Now they often worry about enough funding. “Funders only fund projects, not operations.” That’s her one message to people reading this: “please fund us.”
But time has taught them a lot and they’ve seen many curveballs.
Yet she wouldn’t trade it for the world.
“This sort of life is a drug,” she says. “The minute you get the feeling . . . it’s difficult to stop.”
