Like Water is for Fish

The Soul City and Soul Buddyz series are memorable for the way in which they integrated health topics into compelling storylines on TV, radio and in print, creating stories so popular that they entertained and informed millions of people. And the Heartlines’ ‘What’s Your Story?’ programme and films such as Beyond the River, continue to provide witness to the transformative power of story. As a young boy, Garth Japhet found his life radically shaped by the Jungle Doctor series of books. The stories so enthralled him that, against all advice, he set his heart on medicine. He could see his future – with a backdrop of savannas, golden sunsets, adventure and accolades – as a romantic figure, a healer, a hero. This fantasy sustained Garth through the challenges of medical training, but finally he arrived. He was Dr Japhet, living the dream. Except the dream was a nightmare. The reality of medicine was not the life he had hoped for. There were times when he cursed the power of the story that had so completely messed up his life. Having struggled with anxiety most of his life, he was catapulted into a deep depression. And then it happened. Garth stumbled upon the healing power of story – fictional, factual and his own. What magic was at work here? If stories had changed him, could he use story to change others? This question set him on the journey described in Like Water is to Fish; a journey that led to Garth cofounding Soul City and Heartlines, and to an understanding that story, in its multiple forms, is as essential for our lives as water is for fish. When you share your story with others and they share theirs with you, barriers break down, hardened attitudes shift, and healing begins.

GARTH JAPHET is a medical doctor who co-founded Soul City, an internationally acclaimed multimedia edutainment project that addresses health issues and, since 1992, has reached over 50 million people in ten southern African countries. He is also the founding CEO of Heartlines, an NGO that initiates research-based campaigns that use story to tackle society's big issues. His most recent project is www.forgood.co.za, which connects volunteers to opportunities. Garth is a Schwab fellow of the World Economic Forum (WEF), a fellow of the African Leadership Initiative and a senior Ashoka fellow. He has received the global Everett Rogers Award for his contribution to Entertainment Education. Like Water is for Fish is his first book.

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