In 1996, a war broke out in the Congo (DRC), forcing the family and community of Masoka to escape to a neighbouring country, Tanzania, where they were welcomed into a refugee camp. This camp was their home for the next eight years. To keep alive the children’s imagination and sense of “play”, stories were told around campfires at night—stories of where they came from, where they currently were, and where they were possibly headed. Stories were a means of protecting especially the children’s innocence, while also educating and preparing children and the youth for the realities of “life” ahead. Through stories, important information was conveyed, and a sense of identity and place was preserved, from one generation to the next, from one land to another.

Eight years after settlement in the refugee camp, Masoka and her family were granted protection by the Australian government and, in October 2005, they migrated to their third home in Australia, marking an end to their journey of homelessness—their journey as refugees. Then began a journey of cultural confusion and a terrible sense of displacement. Fifteen years later, Masoka Productions was born.

Trips back and forth between Australia and Africa—visiting family and friends in Africa, while also appreciating the richness of the multicultural Australian society—gave Masoka two lands to genuinely love and call home. Masoka Village is our celebration of this journey, taking you on an African "safari", and bringing Africa to your very doorsteps!

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Africa is coming to Adelaide!