In 2013 Keiskamma Canada Foundation purchased a motor bike for the use of Cebo Mvubu at Keiskamma Trust. Cebo is the Trust’s primary ceramic artist as well as a wonderful fabric art designer. Cebo lives with his wife and young daughter in Bodiam, more than six kilometres from the studios in Hamburg. Each day he would walk back and forth to work. Transportation in the area is in very short supply. The bike gave him more time to design and allowed him to carry a passenger sometimes, as well bring various supplies to the small Keiskamma fabric art studio in Bodiam.
On March 8, 2014, Neil and I came out of Studio 2 in Hamburg and saw Cebo looking mournfully at his mud-spattered bike. The roads had been very muddy during the week due to rain. On closer inspection we could see he had a flat tire. He told us it was the third flat tire since getting the bike. He was on his way to fill the gas tank and get an extra can of gas at Peddie, 41 kilometres away – the nearest gas station. Now he would have to take the wheel off and try to find the puncture since he did not have a spare. We were heading for East London and offered to pick up gas for him there, which we did and he was very grateful. The bike can`t always avoid the sharp rocks sticking out of the road, especially after rain, and we agreed with Cebo that the Hamburg road is excellent at providing flat tires for vehicles.
There is nothing like conquering adversity with humour and good friends.