“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.
“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 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.
For more information about Breath of Life visit http://www.restoretrust.co.za/projects/breath-of-life/ or https://www.facebook.com/breathoflifeSA/
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
MEDIA STATEMENT
15 January, 2019
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.
Life is a gift not a chore – that’s my message to the world.
Today is my Second Annual Alive Day – the second anniversary of my contracture surgery – I remember the pain on the day of the surgery and for 10 weeks to follow I learned from that experience how much I wanted to live. Happy Alive Day to me!
Accepting is inviting someone somewhere while inclusion is sitting next to them when you notice that the seat next to them is empty – that’s what I’ve realized
Today I was somewhere and I couldn’t help thinking this is a perfect microcosm of my life – life is happening all around me and I’m here but not really included as I thought that a young gentleman came to sit with me holding his one and half-year-old daughter and we sat together playing with daughter until my mom returned I was so moved by his gesture of kindness he did the same thing last year when we were at an event and he noticed I was alone…out of 400 people there today I felt most included by that kind gentleman, his wife (who also came to sit with me with their daughter 20 minutes earlier when she noticed I was alone) and their child…I could cry just thinking about it 400 hundred people there and three people reminded me I was worthy of being sat next to. Thank you Rejidas and your little Dua for sitting next to me when most people just walked past me like I was invisible I will NEVER EVER FORGET your kindnesses – NEVER
Don’t dwell on those who can’t or won’t help you focus on those who do – my new rule
Today, twenty-four days into 2020, I have resolved to no longer dwell on those who can’t or won’t help me and to instead focus on those who do – I have ideas and projects all I can do is present them well if people help me implement them I will be delighted and so grateful and if not I will move on and find more people to present to I won’t spend hours dissecting why the people I thought could help me chose not to because it’s really not productive.
Different is cool but different is also hard – that’s what I’ve realized
People make me so sad . Today my sister and i were waiting outside the mall for our brother to come pick us up after movies The woman sitting on the bench with us: My son is also wheelchair-bound – it’s so nice of your sister to take you out. My sister clearly understanding how the woman’s words made me feel didn’t accept the woman’s praise: it’s ok I could win the Nobel Prize and the person seen out with me would be nominated for sainthood for simply being out with me it makes me so sad that the public assumes everybody who’s with me is with me out of obligation and not choice. Regardless of what I achieve in life most people will always see me as an object of charity and pity #RealitiesOfDisability