Empowering young women through film and storytelling

Young women have stories that deserve to be heard

nayanaya trust is a South African non-profit company founded in 2013. Through a combination of training, mentoring and hands-on filmmaking, nayanaya trust supports young women from disadvantaged communities to find their voice in front of and behind the camera and to become agents of change in their communities.

About nayanaya trust

How we work

Young women drive nayanaya trust's programs. By creating non-profit films, nayanaya trust provides hands-on training and upskilling opportunities for emerging women filmmakers. nayanaya trust encourages participants to take the lead in creating their own stories, shaping and structuring how these will be told, developing and marketing their projects as they understand the communities in which they live.

Mentorship and skills training

nayanaya trust works directly with young women from previously disadvantaged backgrounds, pairing them with experienced filmmakers and running practical workshops. Participants develop skills both in front of and behind the camera, supported by a model of empowerment that includes confidence building to assist young women to pursue their passions. Many of the women mentored by Xoliswa go on to return as mentors themselves, guiding and inspiring the next generation of young women and continuing the cycle of empowerment and skills transfer.

Storytelling as activism

nayanaya trust believes in the power of stories to make visible things that would otherwise be rendered invisible — to move, heal and empower not only the receiver but the one telling the story. nayanaya trust works to mobilize the power of storytelling, through film, for the empowerment of young women whose voices and perspectives are still marginalized.

The yanaya gender film and dialogue festival

nayanaya trust's flagship program. The yanaya gender film and dialogue festival showcases films exploring gender, LGBTQI+ identities, culture and broader social issues, with a focus on rural and peri-urban communities. The festival takes place every two to three years, allowing for deeper engagement and impact within the communities it serves.

About nayanaya trust

nayanaya trust was founded in 2013 by filmmaker and activist Xoliswa Sithole. As the Executive Director of nayanaya trust, Xoliswa has curated film festivals and mentored young African women and children from disadvantaged and marginalized communities to tell their stories, both in front of and behind the camera, and in so doing become agents of change within their communities.

Through mentorship and hands-on skills development, nayanaya trust has supported the creation of over twenty short films. Each filmmaker retains ownership of their work, using it as a stepping stone to access opportunities and generate funding for their own creative projects.

nayanaya trust's approach is grounded in a philosophy of leadership and empowerment — that it takes a collective and a community to make lasting change.

  • Commitment to social change
  • Empowerment
  • Diversity and inclusion
  • Innovation
You have the power today to change tomorrow.
About nayanaya trust

Supported by