Small Victories is a collection of snippets from people’s daily lives. I chose to focus on soon-forgotten victories, as these are often neglected in our communication. In my experience, a chain of small achievements may act as motivation during a difficult day, or at least give cause to a smile. As such, these events deserve merit.

The text and illustrations were collected from three locations: Thibault Square, Cape Town station and Observatory. The fourth source was me: I asked for contributions from people that I came in contact with. The process itself was not without challenges as I was reliant on strangers for their participation. Most – to my surprise – complied. Their narratives have changed my perception of this city and revealed more about the character of Cape Town than the sum of my personal experiences.

A series of trophies, in the form of drinking mugs, were produced along with the Small Victories booklet. These will be distributed into the city’s networks as rewards to the contributors. The trophies will add to the eclectic mix often found in office kitchenettes or homes and may serve well as reminders to polish and preserve those small achievements.