KINDNESS STORIES TO INSPIRE AUGUST 2020
kindness
/ lkIn(d)nes/
THE QUALITY OF BEING FRIENDLY, GENEROUS, HELPFUL AND CONSIDERATE; CARING ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE A KIND ACT
CONTENTS HOW KINDNESS CAN IMPACT YOU MAKING A DIFFERENCE AIN’T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH TO HELPING BE LIKE TATA – TAKE THE TIME TO BE KIND
DRIVING MADIBA’S SERVICE MESSAGE SPREADING KINDNESS TO THOSE IN NEED COMMUNITY CHEST GOES VIRTUAL FOR CHARITY 180 HOMELESS PEOPLE SPEND NIGHT AT COMMUNITY CHEST OFFICES THE WORLD’S DUTY TO KEEP HOPE ALIVE COMMUNITY HERO: HELPING OTHERS IS IN THE FAMILY COMMUNITY HERO: DEFENDING RIGHTS WHILE FEEDING SOCIETY LIFE-CHANGING MOMENT: DISHING UP MEALS FOR THE NEEDY LIFE-CHANGING MOMENT: GIVING HOPE TO YOUNG LEARNERS
STUDIO INDEPENDENT Co-ordinator
KINDNESS DIGIMAG Designer
Terry van der Walt
Tanya Rondganger
HOW DID this massive ship called South Africa go drifting onto the rocks of unkindness? Why does it feel like we are marooned in a sea of angry, violent sewage? How is it possible that in 1994 we stood side by side in awe to birth a great country, and in 2020 we stand on opposite sides, close to destroying the country we birthed? My wife and I take regular walks across various parts of Cape Town and the country whenever we have spare time. We are regular greeters of fellow walkers. We often notice how some walkers choose not to greet. The kindness of a greeting is the entry level to what builds a great country. Kindness is the pathway that takes us to the country we always imagined we would live in one day. The pathway consists of cobblestones called generosity, forgiveness, trust and the joy of believing the best of one another. I have been shown kindness by so many people in my life: the teacher at school who took me aside and gave me a horribly straight talk about my putrid performance, and ended it with “I believe in you – and always know I won’t give up on you”. No one had ever said that to me. I made sure he never regretted believing in me. Kindness is seeing yourself in the other and being who the other would want you to be. It is paying for an extra cup of coffee and telling the barista to give it to the next person who might need it but can’t afford it. It is standing in line in a supermarket and paying for the bread and tin of fish that the person in front of you is buying. It is taking every grain of soil of this country and making a pledge that it will never experience our anger, our violence or our abuse. The power of kindness moves us away from the rotten sewage of abuse and violence. We must all be courageous enough to resist caving in to fear and anger. One step of kindness heals far more wounds than many marathons of anger. It is how we set the kindness free in others – by being to them who we expect them to be to us. I want to live in a country filled with generous greeters practising brave kindness. That’s my kind of country.
A message from the CEO of Community Chest
Set the kindness free in others
LORENZO DAVIDS
ON JULY 18, South Africans celebrated Nelson Mandela’s birthday with acts of charity and selflessness. Mandela Day is held annually on July 18 and is known as 67 Minutes for Mandela Day. It’s not just South Africans who mark the occasion; people across the world partake in this day by doing something good, kind and thoughtful for at least 67 minutes. This year, these acts of kindness were even more important than ever during the Covid-19 pandemic. Communities across the world are affected by the spread of Covid-19, which has hit every economy, causing new social and economic challenges and exacerbating old ones. During this time, in which we focus on solidarity and inclusion, the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic makes this an appropriate chance also to honour our selfless and dedicated heroes and heroines. Mother Teresa once said: “We cannot do great things on this Earth; only small things with great love.” Kindness is the willingness and capacity to have a positive impact on others through extending yourself in a way that elevates another human being. Ibrahim Abdullahi Muhammad, in The Role of Kindness in Making Your Life and the World a Better Place, says the tiniest act of kindness makes the greatest benefit on individuals, groups and nations. “However, practising kindness becomes very scarce in contemporary times. People tend to focus more on themselves, family and children. Many fail to comprehend that kindness to others also means kindness to themselves, family, and children. “Specifically, our findings have confirmed that kindness to others is the greatest technique that can be applied towards solving contemporary challenges. Concurrently, we found that kindness assists in extending a person’s positive actions to improve others’ lives unconditionally. It benefits both the giver and the receiver to become a happier, healthier and optimistic society, and these types of people tend to perform and achieve higher.” Why do random acts of kindness increase a person’s sense of happiness? Because kindness can promote gratitude. You are kind to others in need; having that awareness then heightens the sense of your own good fortune. Kindness promotes empathy and compassion; which in turn leads to a sense of interconnectedness with others. Researcher Barbara Fredrickson had an interesting viewpoint – that kindness, specifically loving kindness, moved one out of the selfish realm. Stated differently, it takes you off the hedonic treadmill. Compassion and kindness also reduce stress, boost our immune systems and help reduce negative emotions such as anger, anxiety and depression. A study titled Do Unto Others or Treat Yourself? The Effects of Prosocial and Self-Focused Behavior on Psychological Flourishing, looked into the feeling of acts of kindness. Researchers asked people to either perform acts of kindness for other people for four
How kindness can impact you Viwe Ndongeni-Ntlebi weeks, such as allowing a stranger to share their umbrella in the rain, or to perform kind acts for themselves for four weeks, such as going shopping and buying themselves a little gift. At the start and end of the study, the researchers measured the participants’ level of psychological flourishing, made up of emotional, psychological and social well-being. By the end of the study, those who had performed kind acts for others had higher levels of psychological flourishing compared to those who acted kindly towards themselves. Benevolent acts also led to higher levels of positive emotions. In
short, demonstrating altruism not only benefits others but makes us feel better ourselves. Clinical psychologist Jo Lamble explains how carrying out random acts of kindness will make you happy. “Research tells us that having a strong sense of meaning and giving to others is the best way to find happiness. Being kind lowers our stress levels, which means less cortisol running through our system, lower blood pressure, better sleep and stronger immune systems” Forget fame or fortune , Lamble says: “If you truly want health and happiness, try being altruistic. It’s a win-win situation. Helping out a friend or being kind to a stranger makes them feel good and you feel even better.” If you still need a reason to participate in the 67 minutes of Mandela Day, do it because of your well-being and how it could impact you positively. When kindness is authentically given and received, it lifts the well-being and mood of everyone involved. There’s no downside or side effect of positive feelings. Kindness is good.
Making a difference Terry van der Walt
WISE leaders, religious and cultural scholars and most individuals understand that giving and being kind are foundations on which our communities are built. The internet is full of quotes and memes on kindness, and the importance of giving, without any expectation of reward or glory. People who have first-hand exposure to the difficulties experienced by poor or marginalised communities know that it sometimes seems too great a challenge to make a difference in the lives of those in need. Covid-19 has exposed the fault lines that exist in our country and added to the misery of those without jobs, shelter, safety or decent education. But it has also given us a chance to confront these challenges, and be inspired to find creative solutions to them. One step at a time. This is what the late Princess Diana said about kindness: “Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.” The late Nelson Mandela said: “A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.” Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu said: “Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” Former US First Lady Michelle Obama summed it up in this quote: “No matter what, you give everybody a fair shake, and when somebody needs a hand, you offer yours.” Over the past few months South Africans have rallied together to help those less fortunate than themselves, whether through giving cash or donations of food, clothing or blankets, or simply by being more kind or considerate in their interactions with fellow South Africans who are trying to navigate their way through the pandemic. Mahatma Gandhi was a religious man, but he had this to say about kindness: “The simplest acts of kindness are by far more powerful than a thousand heads bowing in prayer.” There is much to do, so many organisations that are working against the clock to provide help to those in financial stress who worry how they will survive and where their next meal will come from. You CAN make a difference As Madiba once said: “It always seems impossible, until it is done.” And those who are already playing their part to help others, take a bow, and remember these words from American poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou: “My wish for you is that you continue. Continue to be who and how you are, to astonish a mean world with your acts of kindness.”
<<
PRINCESS DIANA Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.
<<
MAYA ANGELOU My wish for you is that you continue. Continue to be who and how you are, to astonish a mean world with your acts of kindness.
FOR almost eight years, humanitarian activist and the brains behind one of the fastest growing campaigns, Richard Mabaso, has barely spent time with his family during Mandela month. For Mabaso, July had meant extra time on the road or the mountain, doing what his foundation purported to do – raise awareness and funds in support of menstrual hygiene, through the Trek4Mandela Expedition. But Mabaso is not resting on his laurels. The campaign to provide every girl with sanitary towels goes on. Caring4Girls in 2012 was initiated when Mabuso overheard a conversation between his mother and niece about menstruation. He realised the fear and lack of understanding was real, and existed in his rural village, Luphisi, in Mpumalanga, too. In South Africa, it is estimated that about 3.7 million women and girls are unable to afford sanitary pads. Some of them use rags, socks or paper, and often lack access to clean water and private toilet facilities. Research by the UN shows that 1 in 10 girls in Africa miss school during menstruation. As Mandela Day was nearing at the time, Mabaso approached his close friend, mountaineer Sibusiso Vilane to join him to climb Mount Kilimanjaro for Mandela Day and raise funds to provide menstrual hygiene support to young girls. Thus, Trek4Mandela was born. In the past nine years, Caring4Girls has had support from celebrity Lesego, sports and media personality Letshego Zulu, actor Clement Mabosa, and former public protector Thuli Madonsela, among others. “The Imbumba Foundation, through our Caring4Girls Programme, has been able to provide over 1 million girls with sanitary protection since 2012, bridging the gap of the ‘period poverty”, Mabaso said. This year the Kilimanjaro expedition launched “67 Pledges for Mandela Day” and wanted to address menstrual hygiene, education and food security. The aim was to reach more than 67 000 girls who have not benefited from the #caring4Girls programme. With a R10 contribution, through purchasing a pack of sanitary towels at Dischem Pharmacies, a donation can be made to #caring4girls through the #MillionComforts campaign. “Our people have continuously demonstrated the spirit of togetherness and so we call upon them, to once again, help us to inspire hope as we live through these trying times and try to shape a positive narrative that will see us through this period and beyond,” he said.
Ain’t no mountain high enough to helping Viwe Ndongeni-Ntlebi
‘‘
RICHARD MABASO Our people have continuously demonstrated the spirit of togetherness and so we call upon them, to once again, help us to inspire hope as we live through these trying times and try to shape a positive narrative that will see us through this period and beyond.
Over the years, Mandela Day has come to mean different things to different people and we asked children what the day and kindness means to them
Be like Tata – take time to be kind
‘‘
MATTHEW MURPHY, 4 Mandela Day: Tata Madiba’s Birthday! Kindness is being caring and giving your toys and clothes that you don’t need or use to someone who doesn’t have any.
ASONELE MSINDWANA, 13 Mandela Day means spending your day helping your community by donating food and helping homeless people, poor children with clothes and toys for them to play with. Kindness means showing love to others by doing something wonderful or good for them Kindness is not limited to donating things to others, it also means supporting and caring for others.
<<
‘‘
MIHLE SICAM, 12 Mandela Day to me is remembering uTata Madiba and how he fought for 67 years for democracy. It’s celebrating that we all have the ability to make a change in our world. Kindness is being polite to someone, showing them love and generosity.
‘‘
JOSHUA JARA, 7 Mandela Day: Mandela Day is Tata Mandela. Helping Mama and Daddy with cleaning and helping my school friends.
‘‘
UMINATHI TSHAKA, 7 Mandela Day means collecting all the nice toys I don’t use and donating them to charity. Plus, I’m turning 8 on Mandela Day. Kindness means being nice to people and respecting everyone.
<<
‘‘
REBEKAH ADAMS, 9 Mandela Day means a lot to me, it shows that we must care that Nelson Mandela never stopped fighting for us. Kindness means that being rude is not an answer, people shouldn’t bully others and we should always be kind as much as we can.
ISA ABRAHAMS, 11 Mandela Day means keeping Mandela’s memory alive and to do things in the community. Kindness means sharing.
‘‘
MIA-MAE VAN VREDE, 14 Mandela Day to me is the celebration of the amazing things Nelson Mandela has done for all of us and what he went through to keep his country thriving. Mandela was a very brave, honourable, kind-hearted man. More of us should strive to have at least two of those things. Kindness means doing something or giving someone something with a joyful heart. It can also be offering your service to help out at an old-aged home or a soup kitchen in your community. Being kind is also like being polite. Even just smiling to someone who is looking down is an act of kindness. A phrase I use often says before you do or say something you need to ask yourself will this be honest, kind and true.
Driving
Madiba’s service message THE Community Chest’s Mandela Day launch of its Donations Drive-Thru Campaign was a wonderful success. Generous Capetonians made the most of lockdown restrictions by driving up and donating much needed warm clothing, blankets, non-perishable foods, furniture, books, games and cash to the organisation at the Retreat depot. “We received everything but the proverbial kitchen sink,” joked satisfied spokesperson Desiré Goliath. “It was mind-blowing. We nervously awaited noon last Saturday but we needn’t have worried. Capetonians gave of their time and opened their hearts, embodying Tata Madiba’s spirit of service.” Community Chest has been at the forefront of Covid-19 relief in communities across the country that have been rendered even more vulnerable since lockdown. As needs increase, the organisation is maintaining the momentum with the launch being the start of an ongoing Donations Drive-Thru Campaign that serves as a bespoke
HOW YOU CAN DONATE Name of Account: Covid-19 Fund Account Number: 628 48 73 6099 Bank Name: First Natio nal Bank Branch Code: 201 409 Global Number: 250 65 5 Reference: Name and Surname
fund-raising initiative in any geographical area. We invite partners to collaborate with us and we will co-ordinate your event. This way we are stronger together in assisting our fellow South Africans as we help to change their story. “In this time of crisis, every citizen who is more fortunate is looking for ways to help make a change”, says Goliath, “and we provide an easy way to help. You don’t even have to leave your vehicle to help feed or clothe a fellow human being. Just roll up, honk your horn, drive to the relevant windows to drop off your gift or make a cash donation, stop for a selfie, and be on your way, knowing that you have done your bit to provide a different narrative for someone in need.” The campaign runs throughout the lockdown period and beyond. Read more about the campaign at www.comchest.org.za
Spreading kindness
to those in need MaryAnne Isaac
‘‘
CAROLYN STEYN
The concept is to leave scarves in parks, around trees, parking metres, tied around lamp posts on the same day. Scarves left for anyone who needs them all around our beautiful country.
THE triumphant spirit of ubuntu permeated the air as noble hearts, donning colourful masks, gathered to bring a smile to the faces of the less fortunate, whether by helping paint a children’s home or putting a smile on a car guard’s face. There’s no doubt Mandela Day was different this year compared to previous years. However, the essence of the day – to take action, inspire change and make every day a Mandela Day – proved more important than ever because of the the coronavirus pandemic. Many South Africans heeded the call to spread kindness and warmth despite the pandemic. A mask might have hidden the smiles but not people’s spirit of ubuntu. The Ikemeleng Foundation in Diepsloot, Gauteng, saw the urgent need to feed children in the community, as schools were closed and many children were going to bed on an empty stomach. Founded by two children, Zama Kunene and Relebohile Pebane, the foundation provides hot meals from their soup kitchen in Diepsloot every Monday to Friday. Play Your Part ambassador Cindy Ross said the two children from her NGO, Diepsloot Mountain Bike Academy, and the NGO raised the funds to feed the children. “For Mandela Day, we prepared meals for 300 children and got more than 600 children and adults. Fortunately, we had enough food for everyone. “I am extremely proud of Zama and Relebohile for seeing a need in their community. Despite their own personal challenges, they are operating their community soup kitchen that feeds between 200 and 500 children a day.” The Mandela Day initiative garnered support from Brand SA and Miss SA. Another kind act was from philanthropist and “Arts Angel” Carolyn Steyn, who once again inspired South Africans to knit scarves and leave them in public places for the less fortunate to use. “The concept is to leave scarves in parks, around trees, parking meters, tied around lamp posts on the same day. Scarves left for anyone who needs them all around our beautiful country,” said Steyn on Facebook. Steyn is known for her 67 blankets for Mandela Day. Along with the scarves, there was also a note of kindness attached to each: “I am not lost; if you’re cold and you need me, please take.” Another kind initiative was Girls4Girls South Africa’s gender-based violence webinar. The organisation educated women about abuse and helped them with information on what to do should they be in a violent situation. Being kind towards someone less fortunate than you will be etched in the heart of the recipient forever. Kindness is spreading sunshine, regardless of the weather. It doesn’t take much to be kind.
Community Chest goes virtual for charity
COMMUNITY Chest has come up with a novel way of keeping people healthy during lockdown while collecting money for charity – it’s holding its first Virtual Charity Event, in partnership with Top Events, until December 10. Under the banner of the #CoalitionoftheCommitted, participants across the world were invited since June 10 to get moving in aid of a great cause. “It’s an all-inclusive health fest where nobody is left out,” Community Chest said. “The event is open to walkers, runners, cyclists and mountain bikers. “It could not be more convenient to get a health boost while making a difference. The venue is your own home, or a starting point of your choice, to the finish line for your chosen distance. “Distances offered are 5km, 10km, 20km, 30km, 50km, 56km, 90.1km, 100km and a bonus route to mark the reason for the event, a (Covid) 19km. “You can split your participation over one week, one month or throughout the six-month period. It is not a race. The objective is to complete your distance.” Distances from 5 to 19km are R69. Others are R119. Commemorative T-shirts are available at R120. All entry fees will be used to support schools with their post-lockdown back-toschool reintegration. Spokesperson Desiré Goliath said: “Proceeds raised will be managed to distribute hygiene products and muchneeded resources for schools.” Adding to the thrill, Community Chest has included an Ambassador’s Challenge. Well-known personalities from across the world in health, fitness, business, music and social media will join forces to give the event a competitive edge. Prizes worth more than R100 000 are up for grabs including luxury accommodation from the Mantis Collection, Founders Lodge, Lawhill @ the V&A and the Cullinan Hotel, as well as prizes from Banks R&L Hiring, Build It, Carrol Boyes, Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages, Hi-Tec, Pepper Tree, Spar, Sportsman’s Warehouse and Tsogo Sun. There will be weekly lucky draws and every person who finishes will receive a Virtual Charity Event 2020 certificate on receipt of proof of completion. Please note: terms and conditions apply to all prizes. Accommodation is subject to lockdown regulations. The event is supported by a host of sponsors, and in turn supports South African music talent. Enter at www.comchest.org.za. For further information contact info@topevents.co.za.
180 homeless people spend night at
Community Chest offices AS WINTER hit Cape Town with a bang one night in May, Community Chest CEO Lorenzo Davids, left, reached out to some of the city’s most vulnerable residents to offer them shelter from the elements. Capetonians were battered by strong winds, heavy rainfall and freezing temperatures and with the national lockdown in place, many of the places homeless people would ordinarily have turned to for a meal or a few hours of shelter, were simply not available to them. So Davids, a vocal advocate for the city’s homeless, took matters into his own hands and invited them to spend the night at the Community Chest’s offices. In a video posted to Facebook by Gino Mzansi Solomon, Davids said his team was “honoured” to invite the group to spend the night in their offices. “We’re very honoured as the Community Chest tonight, to take in as our special guests, our very honoured guests, 180 homeless people who will sleep in our boardrooms, on our floors, in our building, wherever they can find a space to protect them from this howling wind, this darn cold weather. You have the rain that’s belting down and I’m going to have some wonderful guests tonight.” The video ends with a message to all South Africans. “That’s the kind of country we should be building. That’s the kind of space we should all be living in. That’s the new consciousness the president was talking about. That’s the new society we want.That’s the human being we should all become,” Davids said. | IOL
keep hope alive
The world’s duty to
THE Human Innovation Project (HIP) launched a song called Kindness Contagion as a call to action from Africa to spread kindness around the world during the coronavirus pandemic. “The rampant spread of the Covid-19 pandemic across the globe cuts across borders, gender, race and class lines. “Amid the fear and uncertainty, it has also given us an opportunity to reflect and come together as a global community, united in our fight against the pandemic,” HIP said in a statement. Covid-19 has affected millions of people across the globe. There are currently more than 18.9 million cases of infection worldwide, with about 12.1 million recoveries and some 711 250 deaths, according to real-time data portal Worldometer. HIP’s project is being run in partnership with the UN Development Programme (UNDP). According to HIP, African collaborators and partners are keen to be part of the project, which has brought together top artists from South Africa, Ghana, Cape Verde, Uganda, Cameroon, Mozambique, Senegal, Nigeria and Kenya, among others. The pan-African anthem and video was launched globally on Africa Day, May 25. HIP said the song is rooted in the African values of friendship, generosity, sharing and togetherness, and aims to encourage and inspire acts of kindness and the notion of
paying it forward. It is available for download on various platforms, at no cost, and artists will not claim any proceeds from the song, thereby making it the project’s first act of kindness. All funds raised from the song go towards supporting African artists who have suffered losses due to the Covid-19 pandemic and will be distributed in South Africa by several entities, who are already running a fund for this purpose. The distribution of funds in the rest of Africa will be managed by the Music in Africa Foundation (MIAF), a non-profit pan-African organisation, with operations across Africa. Artists recorded their content independently from their locations, with the support of MusicDay2.org and Molotov Content Creators. The song was composed by South African music producer RJ Benjamin, arranged and produced by Gabi le Roux and Camillo Lombard, with lyrics by Michael Lee and Tu Nokwe. The UNDP will use the song in its campaigns to encourage the spread of kindness, and will contribute images from the UN Covid-19 call to creatives. Additionally, the UNDP will support publicity and distribution of the work around the world, with Business and Arts South Africa (Basa) and MIAF sharing it with their local, regional and global networks. HIP has called on the world to share this message of hope, support and solidarity. | African News Agency (ANA)
Community assistance
SINCE the start of were at a loss about how lockdown, Community to care for our residents Chest has distributed during this lockdown. emergency aid and With Community Chest hygiene products and other donors we to more than can now take care of our 120 communities residents’ hygiene and throughout the country, food needs. Whatever we but it needs help to do more. receive we share with shelters within Community Chest, with longHOW YOU and outside The Haven group.” standing donor partner Johnson & CAN DONATE Senior social worker of TB HIV Johnson, said it had so far donated Account: The Community Care, Mavis Nonkusi, assured seven truckloads of more than 200 Chest National Emergency Community Chest that all pallets of consumer goods. These COVID-19 Health Fund donations in kind would go directly were distributed among grassroots Account Number: 628 4873 6099 to children in the Western Cape NGOs to serve the most vulnerable Bank: First National Bank with TB who were being cared for communities. Branch: Adderley Street away from home. Distributing NGO agencies Branch Code: 201-409 “There is always a great need for supported by Community Chest Global Number: products and this donation comes at a include: Community Action Networks, 250 655 critical time. Our 16 distributing NGO Community Chest Eastern Cape, agencies in the Western Cape received Community Development Foundation, Connect donations in kind, while further donations Christian Network, Culemborg Safe Spaces, Douglas went to other provinces, including the Salvation Murray Home, FoodForwardSA, Ikamva Labantu, In Army Southern Africa Territory in Johannesburg and The Hood Ministries, Learning In Reach, On The Edge, the Community Chest based in Port Elizabeth to serve Siyakhula, St Cyprian’s Church, TB HIV Care, Team Rise the Eastern Cape,” she said. Ocean View, The Haven Night Shelters, The Salvation Community Chest said its staff on the front line Army Southern Africa Territory, and The Warehouse of community service were issued with essential Trust. Collectively, these agencies serve more than 200 personnel permits by the government, and strict grassroots community organisations. health protocol was observed throughout distribution Products include sanitary towels, hand wipes, processes. sanitising oil, baby powder, moisturiser, soap, cotton UPDATE: Community Chest has subsequently wool, baby wash and aqueous cream. been at the forefront of a nationwide food relief Community Development Foundation’s Sue-Ann programme. Together with our generous donor Zerf said: “There is such a great need and this donation communities, we have been able to feed over 58 000 is most welcome. Within our organisation we work households across six provinces with nutritionally with the Ithemba Network consisting of over 20 wholesome food boxes. Community Chest continues organisations, reaching communities as far afield as to make food security, hygiene products, health Westlake in the south up to Atlantis on the West Coast.” and educational resources a priority during these The Haven Night Shelter’s Ivan Johnson said: “We uncertain times.
Community
hero
Helping others
is in the family Terry van der Walt THIS piece is about Latifah Jacobs, a recipient of a Community Chest bursary, but it has to make mention of her late father Abdul Latif Jacobs, to appreciate where she got her drive from to help others. “When my father used to get his salary, he would always buy extra bread, fresh fish or snoek for the oldies in our neighbourhood. He always used to say, ‘How can you sleep well, when you know your neighbour is hungry?’. That was how he was,” said Jacobs. Jacobs has been doing volunteer work in communities for a number of years, after leaving her job at a bank in 2015. In between studying for her matric, and later being awarded a Community Chest bursary for a higher certificate in community development, Jacobs has involved herself in outreach programmes in different areas. These include Sofia Town informal settlement, Lavender Hill, Kuilsriver and surrounding areas. Her three daughters also dedicate their birthdays to outreach campaigns. Jacobs is involved in One Thousand Women One Voice, and has organised training sessions on domestic violence, drug awareness and trauma. She planned to make 2020 a year dedicated to empowerment of unemployed women, but the coronavirus outbreak channelled her efforts towards ensuring people do not go to bed hungry. Each day the Kuilsriver Community Action Network, which she managed, feeds 400 children, and the 12 kitchens that operate in neighbouring areas provide about 5 700 meals each day. Jacobs will soon be hosting the first Community Chest Food Hub in the northern suburbs. She is also a member of the global network to end violence against women, One Billion Rising (South Africa). To keep motivated, Jacobs spends time in the morning aligning herself, doing breathing exercises and praying. “So when I get that one person who doesn’t greet me, or looks at me funny, I smile and let it go, because I don’t know what is happening at home for them,” she said. Jacobs is among a group of 30 people who were awarded bursaries to study for a higher certificate in community development, and she hopes to graduate at the end of the year. She wants to study for her Honours in 2021. “Some people say Covid-19 is devastating, but I see things differently. Have you ever seen so many organisations working together, ordinary people doing amazing work, where they have been taken from their comfort zones and become heroes? “It has brought people together, and humanity back into people, and made them realise the life they are living today can end in a second,” she said. If you want to get involved in helping the Kuilsriver CAN, check out its Facebook group, or email Jacobs at latifahjacobsm@gmail.com or WhatsApp her at 071 589 3409.
<<
LATIFAH JACOBS Some people say Covid-19 is devastating, but I see things differently. Have you ever seen so many organisations working together, ordinary people doing amazing work, where they have been taken from their comfort zones and become heroes?
Terry van der Walt
<<
LUCINDA EVANS I have always seen myself as a servant leader. I grew up with my grandmother, who believed that your neighbour is your family, and that is part of my narrative, you cannot lead if you have not served.
LUCINDA Evans has been involved in the fight against gender-based violence and championing the rights of children for many years, and manages a support centre, Philisa Abafazi Bethu, in Lavender Hill. Just before lockdown on March 27, Evans convinced her board to release funds to buy food, and with Breadline Africa and Newlands Rotary Club coming on board, they were immediately able to provide 3 000 meals a day. Since all community centres were in lockdown, they had to improvise to ensure people got a hot meal. “When we had that big storm, we had children standing and waiting for food. No Wellies on their feet, just flip flops. We were in tears. “After the first week we realised it can’t be just for our own people who are supported by Philisa Abafazi Bethu, so that anyone can access meals. We don’t turn anyone away,” she said. For the past four months Philisa Abafazi Bethu has been providing donated meals to the Southern Hills Community Action Network, which has 10 kitchens, situated in Hillview, Rondevlei, and Southern Hills, with five in Retreat alone. There are 66 volunteers and 10 cooks involved in the operation. Evans, who has won a number of local and international awards, including the BBC 100 Women of the World 2019, believes she has gained a lot of respect over the years because she has been prepared to go into gang-infested areas, squatter camps and the homes of armed gangsters. “The other day we had problems where the adults were pushing kids out of the food line, so we closed the pots, and we said we will not serve anyone if people did not respect the children,” she said. “I am a no nonsense kind of person, and I have always seen myself as a servant leader. I grew up with my grandmother, who believed that your neighbour is your family, and that is part of my narrative, you cannot lead if you have not served,” she said. If you want to get involved or would like to find out more about Philisa Abafazi Bethu check out their facebook group or you can contact Lucinda on 073 424 4665.
Community
hero
Defending rights while
feeding society
Life-changing
moment
Terry van der Walt
Dishing up meals
for the needy
COMMUNITY Chest has recently started supporting the Community Action Network (CAN) in Tafelsig, a food hub which provides up to 10 000 meals a day at 25 different locations. Joanie Fredericks, who started the Tafelsig CAN group just weeks ago, jumped in on the eve of lockdown, and commandeered food stock that was now unable to be moved, and distributed dozens of hampers before the stroke of midnight. “It was a race against time, but I did what I do best, I spoke to people, called on community leaders to give us details of the most vulnerable, the sick and infirm. Anyone I knew who had a bakkie was commandeered to deliver hampers to feed thousands of people,” she said. Fredericks and her champions who prepare and serve the meals pride themselves on dishing up nourishing meals that are almost “gourmet”. “If you’re not willing to eat it yourselves, then it is not good enough for our community. I believe hunger is more urgent than in the beginning, with a lot of our supporters having lost their jobs so resources are scarce, and donations are down. It is worrying. “But what I can say is that this coronavirus has brought out the worst, but also the very best in others. “It has completely opened the hearts of people who were already doing acts of kindness.
People who have formed solid friendships across race, class, culture, and even language,” she said. “Everyone pitches in, they open conversations across these divides and speak from the heart to reframe their perception of the other,” she said. “We are not going to let Covid-19 win, we will continue to create new ways to do old things, because we are all in this together, and we will step out together on the other side of Covid-19,” she said. If you want to get involved, or set up your own CAN in your neighbourhood, go to SA CAN facebook group. To help Joanie’s team, email her on Joanie.Fredericks@gmail.com or Whatsapp her on 076 621 0245. You can also see their facebook group Mitchell’s Plain CAN.
<<
JOANIE FREDERICKS The coronavirus has opened the hearts of people who were already doing acts of kindness. People who have formed solid friendships across race, class, culture, and even language.
Giving hope to
young learners Terry van der Walt
Life-changing
moment
ONE OF Community Chest’s beneficiary organisations is Learning in Reach, which supports quality Early Childhood Development education to children in Lavender Hill, an area plagued by gang warfare and drugs where children are at risk and live in fear every day. Its founder, Leanne Reid, said international research shows that quality ECD, providing a safe space, the right kind of stimulation, supported by a caring adult, can change a child’s future. It can help them to learn better, change attitudes and behaviour, and open opportunities for a better future. “I firmly believe my children cannot thrive in South Africa while other children are suffering in poverty. It is our job, not only out of kindness, not only out of generosity or a good heart, but out of the necessity to level the playing fields, to break down the systems that keep people in poverty. “Because for as long as the current systems prevail, we will have hate, crime, racism, substance abuse and chaos, and none of our children will be living the life they deserve,” she said. Working with 30 ECD centres, Learning in Reach provides teacher training, supports infrastructure improvements to meet health and safety requirements and drives access to learning resources. The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in half the centres closing, some permanently, due to the new Covid-19 requirements and protocols, which means only a third of the children will be able to return to one of the centres still operating. If you want to help an ECD centre get back on its feet by being compliant, visit https:// learninginreach.org.za/ what-we-do/ecd-centres/, select a centre to support and donate via their individual backa-buddy campaigns. You can also donate R67 a month to Learning in Reach’s bursary fund or by buying their new children’s story book, There’s a Lion in my Tummy, which helps children deal with big emotions. Go to https://learninginreach.org.za/mandeladay-book-launch/
Inspiring a nation
of active citizens THE Community Chest is one of the oldest and most trusted philanthropic organisations in South Africa. Founded to support destitute communities in 1928 by business, the Anglican Church and Rotary International, the Chest, as it is fondly known, has evolved through generational transition and transformation into a leading centre of philanthropy in the country. Its core objective is to â&#x20AC;&#x153;Inspire a nation of active citizensâ&#x20AC;? and espouses eight values, which are crucial to achieve transformation. These are its fundamental development solutions that will create a collective impact: l A focus on strategic initiatives in order to shift from a culture of poverty to a culture of prosperity. l A clear intention of strategy and areas of engagement. l Drive a focused strategy for intervention. l Purposefully design strategies to address the power versus influence challenge that strangles development. l Employ new intelligence to address the issues we want to solve or shift. l Be innovative in our approach and not merely repeat what others are doing.
l Measure the impact of all interventions. l Speak with integrity to the donors and the community about what we are doing. Transformation became an operational imperative as the civil society and social development landscape radically changed with the advent of democracy in South Africa in 1994. Community Chest leadership fully embraced the mandate to transform to address changing societal needs. Today, the Community Chest stands at the forefront of philanthropy as the leading donor management agency in South Africa. With its mission, vision and operations firmly based in support of national governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Vision 2030 via the National Development Plan, and focused on the global Sustainable Development Goals, Community Chest aims to make an impactful difference in the areas of education, health, income generation and community development. This year Community Chest is honoured to serve at the front lines of Covid-19 relief activities to vulnerable communities via our coalition of the committed and we thank all our generous donors for their support.
