It’s time to nominate your 2021 Local Hero


With the 2020 Local Hero Awards now behind us, the search for this year’s
extraordinary do-gooders is on. Entries for the Daily Dispatch and Johnson &
Johnson Local Heroes campaign have officially opened, and the Dispatch is looking
forward to the many inspirational stories that 2021 will bring. Daily Dispatch initiated
a campaign in 2015 where a panel of judges selects 12 Local Hero finalists from a
pool of nominees sent in by readers throughout the year. The finalists are honoured
at a gala dinner.

In 2020 a new category, the Front-line Hero Award, was introduced to honour frontline workers’ incredible efforts during the pandemic. This year and in the future, the
Dispatch and Johnson & Johnson will continue to search for 12 local heroes and one
front-line hero.

The nominees must run their projects in the Eastern Cape, and preferably, their
outreach should be as local as possible.

All necessary details of the nominee, including name, cell number, and e-mail
address, must be provided in the nomination. Readers can renominate unsuccessful
Local Hero nominees from past years for the 2021 awards.

To nominate your local hero, e-mail a 500-word motivation about the nominee to
localheroes@dispatch.co.za. Nominations close on July 31.

Ends


About Last Night…thanks so much Aubrey Masango, 702 and CapeTalk

“Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” – Exodus 4: 12

I’m deeply honoured to have spoken to Aubrey Masango on 702 and CapeTalk last night about my life and my work. Thanks to Lee Woolf  and her team for their exceptional professionalism. During the interview I mentioned, in part, my work supporting Breath of Life. If anybody would like to contribute to my #Nisha30 Campaign benefitting Breath of Life they can do so at https://backabuddy.co.za/nisha-30

#Nisha30 – Fundraising for Breath of Life in Honour of my 30th

“I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.”- Edward Everett Hale

On February 25th 2021 I started actively fundraising again for Breath of Life – a place of safety here in East London, South Africa, that homes abandoned and vulnerable babies – but this time I’m aiming to raise R30 000 in honour of my upcoming 30th birthday and 30th year of life. If you wish to donate you can do so at https://www.backabuddy.co.za/nisha-30 (R2024 raised so far – thank you to all who’ve donated so far – only R27 976 more to raise)

Honoured to be a Daily Dispatch and Johnson&Johnson Local Hero 2020

Me and mom with Alan Stapleton and Laura Dorothy (both representing SPAR)

Work for a cause not applause – that’s my message to the world

I’m deeply honoured to share that I am one of the Daily Dispatch and Johnson & Johnson Local Heroes 2020. Thank you to all who have been part of my journey so far – thank you  in particular to God, my parents, my siblings, my extended family, my friends and all those who’ve supported my work for the past ten years  without whom none of this would have been possible I thank you all very much. Thank you also to SPAR for this award your support is appreciated. I dedicate this award to My Superhero Catherine Constantinides who teaches me that leadership is learning and leading from where you are every single day in small and big ways – it is a lesson I carry with me always.

https://www.facebook.com/localheroesawards/videos/783695495593970

 

About Yesterday… HUGE THANKS to eNCA

“It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent.” – Madeleine Albright

Thanks Tanya Nefdt and eNCA for this feature on me and my book Different Is COOL yesterday

To buy my Kindle book please visit  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08LLFNHL2/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&qid=1603353427&refinements=p_27%3ANisha+Varghese&s=digital-text&sr=1-1&text=Nisha+Varghese

“Take Pain Meds” – a poem by Nisha Varghese [dedicated to all those who live with #chronicpain]

Take Pain Meds” – a poem by Nisha Varghese [I wrote this for people to understand what it’s like for people who live with chronic pain]

“Take Pain Meds” – a poem by Nisha Varghese

“Take pain meds,” they say as I lay in bed my body aching and my heart hurting    

“Take laxatives,” they say as I clutch my stomach in discomfort

Keep quiet and take anything so we don’t have to listen to your pain for which we have no permanent cure

“Maybe I should take pain meds but if I start will I ever stop? It’s not like I’m ever not in pain,” she says to herself silently

Do I really want my bloodstream to be a pharmacy?

This body may be my enemy sometimes but it is the only home I will have in this life

Still, they say take pain meds

Is there a pain med for the hurt you feel when you’re treated like a condition instead of a whole human being?

  “Take pain meds,” they will always say because unless they live in a body like mine they will never understand the pain of being dismissed and unheard

Knowledge speaks but wisdom listens

PLEASE LISTEN TO ME EVEN WHEN YOU CANNOT FIX ME!

My 2020 Life Purposes and Goals in Review

“Make measurable progress in reasonable time.” – Jim Rohn

As we near the end of 2020 it is again time to review the goals I set at the beginning of the year

My 2020 Life Purposes and Goals in Review

My Life’s Purposes

  1. Fill the world with kindness and love [did my best]
  2. Make a difference – level the playing field for people who were born with the cards stacked against them [did my best]
  3. Change perceptions about differently-abled people [did my best]

2020 Goals

  1. Continue to be kind, honest, generous, grateful, loyal and filled with wonderment [did my best – give myself an A]
  2. Every day be the best SuperSidekick to Superhero Catherine Constantinides (she’s the best, most hardworking real-life Superhero I’ve ever met she totally deserves me forever  and no matter what else I’m doing in life I will always be here for her) [did my best – give myself an A++++]
  3. Do more for Breath of Life perhaps raise R29 000 in honour of my 29th year of life (Breath of Life is a place of safety for vulnerable babies here in my city I JUST LOVE THEIR WORK)
  4. Take one classroom of kids who’ve never been to the movies to the movies [postponed due to COVID ]
  5. Eat healthily [failed]
  6. Practice Patience [failed]
  7. Publish my children’s book Different is Cool
  8. Make a steady income [not yet achieved]
  9. Teach kids and adults worldwide that Different Is COOL [did my best]
  10. Continue to raise awareness about the Western Sahara conflict – the Western Sahara has been illegally occupied by Morocco since 1975 due to the fact that it’s rich in natural and though the UN promised a referendum in 1991 it has yet to come to pass meanwhile half of the Saharawi People have been living in the refugee camps in Algeria since 1975 [did my best]
  11. Choose people who choose me [did my best]
  12. Read 12+ books [read 4/12 so that’s an epic fail]
  13. Plant 52 trees in honour of how old Gerda would have turned this year [I delegated it to other other people to help me but sadly it never happened]
  14. Do 29+ good deeds – for my 29th year of life [did my best – i wasn’t counting the amount of good i did but i must have done at least 29 good deeds]
  15. Visit London, Paris and Rome [postponed due to COVID]

[Note: The items that have a strikethrough have been fully achieved]

Quite Christmas

“May you have the gladness of Christmas which is hope; The spirit of Christmas which is peace; The heart of Christmas which is love.” – Ada V. Hendricks

Christmas is finally here we are having a braai (barbeque) at our house by ourselves (like everyone else, I hope) in adherence to our government’s COVID19 prevention recommendations. Merry Christmas everyone – stay home, stay safe

Chasing Coral

93% of heat in the Earth’s atmosphere is absorbed by the ocean

Yesterday I watched Chasing Coral-a Netflix documentary that captures the bleaching of the world’s coral reefs and the reasons why – I’m not exaggerating when i say THE DOCUMENTARY HAS CHANGED MY LIFE I shall redouble my efforts  to plant trees thus  keeping oceans and cool saving corals.

Watch Chasing Coral below:

R51 009 Raised for Breath of Life. THANK YOU ALL. #ForGerda

“If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy and inspires your hopes.” —Andrew Carnegie

As of today we surpassed  the R51 000 goal for my campaign benefitting  Breath of Life(a place of safety for babies here in East London, South Africa) in memory of Gerda Bence.  . Goal is R51 000 and raised so far R32 759.  THANK YOU SO SO SO MUCH to Terence Naidoo (Founder of Truzo Pty Ltd), David Boutin, Beverly Bernhardt, Meg, Suntosh Pillay, Penny Tarr, Bianca, Melissa, Maqsuda, Mr. Khan, Betty Roy, BG,  Nihara Paul, Michelle Parks, VK, Caelyn Barter, Jessy Jones, Alex, Carolyn Steyn, Inayet Ismail, Susannah, Elizabeth, Nokuthula, B Royce, Vishaal, Caryn Gootkin, Taz    everybody who donate anonymously  and everybody who spread the word on social media – truly appreciate all your support.

The page will remain open forever as my forever tribute to Gerda and to ensure the public will always have an easy way to donate to Breath of Life https://www.backabuddy.co.za/in-loving-memory-of-gerda