Today is the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action and in honour of that I would like to introduce you to the EXTRAORDINARY Aziz Haidar.
Aziz Haidar was a young man when he became a victim of landmines, which are scattered across Western Sahara by illegal occupying power Morocco. He lost both his legs & right arm. He founded Association for Victims of Landmines in the Saharawi Refugee Camps to help other landmine survivors and their families. The importance of Aziz’s work is impossible to overstate as there are still 5-10 MILLION ACTIVE LANDMINES scattered across the Sahara. Today and every day I salute Aziz Haidar for all that he is and all that he does every day.
Smile Train is an international children’s charity with a sustainable approach to a single, solvable problem: cleft lip and palate.
Many children with untreated clefts around the world live in isolation, but more importantly, have difficulty eating, breathing, hearing, and speaking. Cleft treatment is safe, and the impact on the child is immediate.
Seeing the flaws in mission-based models, Smile Train was the first cleft-focused organization with a model of true sustainability – providing training, funding, and resources to empower local medical professionals in 90+ countries to provide 100%-free cleft repair surgery and comprehensive cleft care in their own communities.
And through our sustainable “teach a man to fish” model, Smile Train is not only raising the standard of cleft care and safety – we’re setting it. The support we provide has elevated the standards of care for cleft patients at our partner hospitals around the world, ultimately elevating the standards of care for all patients.
As a result of our efficiency, and with the help of our donors and partners, Smile Train has supported safe and quality cleft care for 1.5+ million children and will continue to do so until every child in need with a cleft has access to the care they deserve.
“After Spain relinquished its colonial control of the territory [Western Sahara] to Morocco and Mauritania in 1975, the latter soon withdrew its claims to the territory while Morocco gained de facto control of the area (and with it, control over its rich mineral resources). The battle for Western Sahara ensued for 16 years before a ceasefire agreement was reached along with calls for a referendum on its national status that would ostensibly never come.” – Catherine Constantinides
When I heard about the Western Sahara and the fact that half the Saharawis (the people of Western Sahara) still live in the refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria (where they fled to during the war) surviving on nothing but foreign aid in inhospitable climatic conditions while the other half of the Saharawis live in occupied-Western Sahara subjected to violence at the hands of the Moroccan authorities I knew I had to do something particularly after I heard that the Saharawis in the refugee camp and the Saharawis in the occupied territory are separated by a 2720 kilometre wall, called The Berm, built by Morocco to maintain control of the Western Sahara and separate Saharawi families . The Berm is extraordinarily dangerous to attempt to jump over because on either side of it Morocco placed 7-10 MILLION ACTIVE LANDMINES additionally, The Berm is manned by 120 000 Morocco soldiers daily.
In 2017 I paraglided off Signal Hill to raise awareness about Western Sahara and the plight of the Saharawi People because I believe none of us can be truly free if some of us are oppressed.
Yesterday I dedicated my 29th birthday to the Saharawi People of Western Sahara. For Little Mohammed, Ahmed and every child in that camp who doesn’t know a life outside of itThis illegal occupation began before i was born but IT WILL END BEFORE I DIE.
Playing with her friend Carmella, Catherine Constantinides (image captured by Heinrich Knoetze Photography) 3-year-old Wadadi making a scrapyard in the refugee camp his playgym (image captured by Heinrich Knoetze Photography)Saharawi Refugee Camps (image captured by Heinrich Knoetze Photography)
“To me – old age is always ten years older than I am.” -Bernard Baruch
Today is my
29th birthday and my first one since the passing of Gerda and to
pour salt of my wound we are currently in the midst of a pandemic so yeah today
isn’t the happiest birthday I’ve ever had but I’m grateful that my family and I
are alive and relatively healthy (PLEASE GOD LONG MAY IT STAY THAT WAY)
The only
thing that’s constant is change – that’s what I keep realizing
Last night
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that with effect from 23: 59 on Thursday,
March 26th South Africa would placed on a 21-day lockdown to stop
the spread of the Corona Virus which means only essential services personnel
can work, only essential business will remain open and that during the 21-day
lockdown the general public can only go out to seek healthcare, buy groceries,
perform banking activities or collect social grants. The next few weeks will be
hard for everyone in this country and the world but I plan to live kindly, lovingly and generously as I always strive to do.
Thank you to President Cyril Ramaphosa and the government of the Republic of South Africa for the bold and decisive leadership exhibited this was a painful but necessary step in the fight against the Corona Virus.
SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR | HUMANITARIAN | EARTH WARRIOR | GLOBAL ACTIVIST I LEADER OF CHANGE | NISHA’S SUPERHERO
Proudly rooted in her home country of South Africa, Catherine is an international climate activist, human rights defender, trailblazer and agent of change.
A 2013 Archbishop Tutu African Oxford Fellow and 2016 Mandela Washington Fellow, Catherine’s commitment and passion for social change takes her to the smallest of communities in South Africa, as well as global platforms including the UN, where she currently works as a human rights defender actively engaging in Geneva at the UN Human Rights Council for the world’s most marginalised and vulnerable .
Catherine’s recent work on the issue of the self-determination for the people of Western Sahara has seen her engaged on the ground in the refugee camps in North Africa as well as with political leadership across the continent and around the world to highlight the conflict and lack of political will to address, one of the longest outstanding issues on the UN Security Council agenda.
She travels extensively across the continent, and to all corners of the world to speak about citizenship, social justice, active citizens, people & planet and the role of leadership, with a special focus on the empowerment of women and children. In November 2017 she was an invited panelist at the inaugural Obama Summit hosted by former President Barack Obama, in Chicago. Just a few months ago she was the guest of President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, when she was invited to give the closing keynote address to the World Youth Forum to a convention centre of more than 5000 young people and a nationwide broadcast to more than 100Million people across Egypt.
While she is relentless in pursuing justice for forgotten and downtrodden people, Catherine has always used inspiration and positive motivation as a means to create change. Her own social media platforms as well as her speaking appointments and media work always reflect a proactive approach and a desire to spark others to change or to become drivers of change by embedding ‘hope’ as a golden thread of action.
She understands the power of media – both traditional and new platforms to spread important messages, and is regularly featured on TV, radio and in print, in South Africa and across the continent
She has been the resident judge and mentor on the highly acclaimed reality TV series; ‘One Day Leader’, a show aimed at empowering South African youth, challenging their critical thinking skills and harnessing their ability as leaders in their communities. She has been featured in numerous publications and on TV and radio shows as a thought leader, and also contributes to Huffington Post, Daily Maverick and other platforms.
In 2015 she was named one of South Africa’s 21 Icons for a campaign highlighting remarkable young South Africans who will move the country forward. In 2016 the South African Government and Department of International Relations (DIRCO) honoured her with an UBUNTU Award, celebrating South Africans who play a part in portraying a positive image of South Africa, internationally and who are committed to building the continent through diplomacy. She has been celebrated for excellence in the fields of entrepreneurship and business, and in 2018 was ranked as one of the top 100 Most Influential Young Africans, and placed Top 10 in her category of Social Entrepreneur and Philanthropy. In 2018 as the world celebrates the iconic former Statesman, Nelson Mandela, Catherine has been dubbed as one of the 100 Young Mandela’s of the Future.
Amid all of her commitments, Catherine remains active in Generation Earth, a UN Environment endorsed platform that she co-founded at the beginning of her career. Generation Earth targets the youth of Southern Africa and uses issues of environmental impact, climate change, water and waste as key focus areas to drive sustainable change. Under her leadership this initiative has thrived and evolved into a multifaceted development network that empowers the youth to become drivers for change in their own lives and spheres of influence. She remains a dynamic environmental warrior and the theme of sustainable development and her commitment to the SDG’s comes through in her advocacy work around the world.
Catherine’s passion and drive has touched hundreds of thousands of individuals, whether through inspiration, practical interventions, workshops, advice or through the impact of her advocacy work on the ground at a grass roots level.
Catherine at the Saharawi Refugee Camp in Tindouf, Algeria [Photographer: Heinrich Knoetze of Heinrich Knoetze Photography
The above post was shared as part of my new weekly Difference Makers series featuring individuals, businesses or NPOs making a difference in their communities.
“The “nervous system environment” a girl absorbs during her first two years becomes a view of reality that will affect her for the rest of her life.”― Dr. Louann Brizendine, The Female Brain
Recently I finished reading The Female Brain by Dr. Louann Brizendine I found it absolutely fascinating how a woman’s brain chemistry changes to accommodate for each new phase of her life. I recommend this book to every woman particularly if you have a daughter of your own.
The Breath of Life initiative was setup in 2009, in response to the lack of support for women dealing with crisis pregnancies, and the high rate of abandonment of newborn babies. Mothers that were unable to bring up children had to choose between termination or abandonment. The situation demanded a response, and led by a passionate team the Restore Trust launched a two-pronged initiative to meet this need.
Babies having a supervised afternoon nap in the Breath of Life garden
Place of Safety
Babies are abandoned in dumpsters, dustbins and drains in East London, South Africa. A safe place to care for abandoned babies was a priority. The Place of Safety is at 2 Dawson Road, Selborne and currently has capacity for 6 babies. These children are either delivered by the SAPS or by members of the public. It is truly a sad state of affairs, a daily reminder of the horrific societal problems at play in our community. The house is staffed by a team of carers and house parents. The babies are given 24/7 care before being placed into forever-families.
The above was shared as part of my new weekly Difference Makers series featuring businesses, organizations or individuals making a difference in their communities.
“Use
filmmaking for a greater purpose, than to just entertain some drowsy minds.
Wake the whole world up with your movies. It has been sleeping for long. Its
eternal sleep has become its darkest nemesis. Now is the time to wake it up.”―
Abhijit Naskar
Yesterday I watched 3 Stolen Cameras – a documentary, made by Equipe Media in conjunction with RåFILM, about breaking an absolute censorship with unique footage from Western Sahara, a country that has been illegally occupied by Morocco since 1975. This documentary is painful to watch because of the scenes of violence but I urge everybody to watch till the end because if we don’t know what’s happening we can’t do anything to change it
GREEN TEAM – ANOTHER VISION TACTICAL INITIATIVE TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY
Cleaning up in more ways than one!
Vision Tactical has been at the forefront of private security and protection services around Johannesburg since its launch in 2014. With the dawn of a new year, filled with renewed opportunities, Vision Tactical is proud to launch its latest operation – the Green Team!
The Green Team is a vision in execution. Vision Tactical’s way of further enhancing the suburbs it serves. Bringing in a team of passionate individuals to clean up and strive towards litter free surroundings. The operation creates job opportunities for the unemployed and provides these individuals with a sustainable source of income.
“It’s not just about cleaning our public spaces every Mandela Day… we need to make every day a Mandela Day and continuously strive to keep our suburbs clean’, said Yaseen Theba, Director of Vision Tactical. The aim of the Green Team is to build an unpolluted and safe environment, while driving sustainable social change, Theba added.
Look out for the members of the Green Team who are truly dedicated to the preservation of our environment – you will recognise them by their green overalls and friendly smiles! The team is equipped with sufficient tools and gear to effectively clean up the area.
The Green Team initiative has been put into motion as a result of an incredible collaboration with Freeway Toyota, the Nelson Mandela Foundation, ER24, AL’s Hardware among others and is associated with the Lower Houghton Residents Association and the Killarney Residents Association.
Eleanor Huggett, Councillor for Ward 73 has pledged her support for the Green Team, and will engage with the members & partners of the initiative so that the Green Team can benefit the community at large. Liziwe Ntshinga-Makoro, the director of Region E has also commended the initiative.
“The Nelson Mandela Foundation, is pleased that the Houghton Community is building awareness and making good efforts to keeping a clean and safe community that is caring’, said Yase Godlo, the Manager of Mandela Day and Outreach for The Nelson Mandela Foundation.
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much”, said Ridwaan Laher, the CEO of the Freeway Group” We are proud to contribute to the Green Team and challenge other corporates to also pledge their support, he added.
The Green Team – Keeping it clean…
Call the dedicated line on : 065 1 333 333
Web : www.greenteam.co.za
On twitter: @VTacGreenTeam
ENDS
The above was shared as part of my new weekly Difference Makers series featuring businesses or individuals making a difference in their communities.
