About GRStories

Grassroots Resilient Stories (GRStories) began with a simple act of empathy and a powerful question: What are the real stories behind those living on the margins of our society?

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In 2017 lifelong community activist Mzamani Nyalungu from Chavani Village in Limpopo went to Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape to study Journalism and Media Studies at Rhodes University. While there, he visited a municipal dumpsite. He met waste pickers whose lives and labour were hidden from the public eye. Deeply moved by their stories, Mzamani began documenting their experiences as part of a data journalism project — sparking what would become a growing movement.

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Soon after, Mzamani teamed up with Laurence Stewart and Duncan Seoke. Together, they formed an informal collective of student activists committed to challenging social injustice through grassroots action.

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The collective has grown its reach to Johannesburg and Cape Town, collaborating with grassroots movements and community-based organisations to amplify their stories of resistance, hope, and resilience.

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In 2023, this work took on a formal identity as Grassroots Resilient Stories — or GRStories for short. Today, GRStories remains rooted in its founding purpose: to stand alongside communities, amplify their voices, and challenge injustice through storytelling and solidarity.

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Since formalising, we have established a theory of change, strategic and operational vision and projected financial sustainability documents. We are also continuing to engage n community-based networks for change.