A global call that must echo in SA

ACROSS the world, some voices seem to rise above all others. In South Africa, names like Nelson Mandela, Elon Musk, and President Cyril Ramaphosa command global attention. In the US, figures such as Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Sam Altman dominate headlines and influence culture, policy, and technology.

- ERIC MOSELEY

Even when public perception shifts or controversies arise, their voices still echo - shared, debated, and amplified across platforms like X (formerly Twitter), in boardrooms, and at press podiums.

But in both nations, one group remains consistently unheard: the homeless and underprivileged. Their stories rarely trend. Their truths are rarely invited into the rooms where solutions are crafted. And their pain, too often, is seen but not heard.

From the pavement to the page

I write this not as an outsider looking in, but as someone who lived it.

For nearly two decades, I was a homeless single-parent father - sleeping in shelters, couch surfing, and on sidewalks across major American cities. I battled addiction while raising my daughter, Erica, alone and searching for stability. My lived experience is not a concept - it was survival.

One day, I was given access to a Chromebook, and that moment marked the turning point. It wasn’t just a device - it was a portal to possibility. Through it, I reconnected with my voice, started writing, and began documenting the stories of others like me. I transformed from someone society had overlooked into a documentary filmmaker, a published writer, and a global advocate for the unhoused.