O.A.D.U
OUR ACTIONS DEFINE US With the incessant stream of inconceivable bleakness that seems to churn out of the media every day, I felt the need to shine a light on some of the wonderful altruistic things the people around me are doing. I have contacted some of the people who have inspired me most and asked them to say a few words about what it is they do to make the world around them a better place. There are stories from those who have risked their lives and freedom for their cause, to those who have helped a lonely friend or entertained the elderly. Although their efforts differ in extremity, they all have a common passion for positive change. I hope you enjoy this as much as I’ve enjoyed putting it together, and perhaps you might feel inspired to take action in your communities. I don’t propose that the world’s problems can be resolved by small individual acts, but these actions can collectively make a big difference. I heard a proverb the other day which seemed relevant: “If you think being small is insignificant, then try being locked in a room with one small mosquito”
CONTENTS All the Birthdays
1
Shine a Light on Dementia
5
The Ultimate Chocolate Cake
7
Adventures off the Grid
9
Aid Delivery Mission
13
Beetroot and Mint ‘Houmous’
19
Spicy Grilled Sweet Corn
20
The Hunt Saboteurs
21
The OAPleasers
25
Slipping into Depression
33
Acknowledgments
35
All the Birthdays Bev and Amanda, Zimbabwe
A foreword from the editor: Amanda and I have an unusual relationship. We have come to know each other pretty well vicariously through our friend Kazz with whom we are both incredibly close. We’ve only actually met each other briefly once, but I have come to know her as this illusive angel who, along with her partner in crime, Bev, strives to do good wherever she can. Bev and Amanda have worked together on numerous social justice projects including Kubutana.net where they shared Zimbabwean civic rights information through publishing reports and newsletters, distributing DVDs and providing ICT support for NGOs. The mission behind their latest venture ‘All the Birthdays’ is to change the way we see our birthdays. Most people dedWell done guys for icate their special this new bold initiative. day to eating, You have my support. drinking and genexcessive Will register online. eral consumption. The May god bless all your majority of peoefforts at growing a pos- ple in the Western itive mind-set amidst world live in relative luxury every a sea of negativity. day, so perhaps
“
-Obert
”
1
we should consider swapping the day that is traditionally spent on hedonistic pursuits, either doing a random act of kindness, or deciding ourselves to something more permanent. More broadly, it is challenging peoples’ attachment to self-indulgence and materialistic fulfillment. It is asking people to forget themselves for a moment and embrace the idea that helping others could be a more worthwhile pursuit. They provide some action tips on their website. Here are just a few:
- Donate hot water bottles to homeless people in winter. -Get in touch with a children’s home, an orphanage or a senior care home and offer to show a movie, do a reading or a play an instrument or make some music. -Spontaneously bake a cake for your neighbour -Begin volunteering -Plant a tree or two -Sign up to be an organ donor -Give blood
w w w. a l l t h e b i r t h d a y s . c o m
my birthday, I asked my friends to buy a pack“et For or more of diapers to donate to Kukosha (an or-
ganisation that takes care of orphans and helps facilitate adoptions). It is run by an AMAZING lady called Sue Austen. We also went around the streets of Harare feeding the street kids especially the ones with a blind parent or guardian. It was a fantastic day and the response was overwhelming. -Chiedza Makwara
�
2
3
4
Shine a Light on Dementia Nicky, Newmarket
Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a set of symptoms that are caused by damage to the brain from diseases such as Alzheimer’s or a series of strokes. It is a progressive disease of the brain which means a person’s ability to remember, understand, communicate and reason gradually declines. This can be incredibly traumatic for both sufferers and for their carers. Nicky volunteers at a group for dementia patients in All Saints Church, Newmarket once a month to offer support and provide activities as well and giving carers a much needed break.
-What does the group do?
It’s an open café style group for people to come to who are caring for people with dementia or have dementia. We provide tea and cake, there’s games and music. It’s for the carers to have a break and also for the people with dementia. Sometimes we have a speaker, we’ve done a gardening session, last time somebody spoke about ‘school days’. It was very, very interesting.
-How has it been publicised?
The organiser Judy publicised it through contacting local press, Doctors surgeries, social services and other dementia organisations and cafes in the area.
5
-What inspired the idea for setting up the group?
Judy went to help at a similar group called Synergy that was run at a sheltered housing complex and she realised there was a huge need as there was talk of the group being cut. So she felt that with the church facilities being what they were and lots of people willing to help, we could set up one as well. So we’re starting once a month but as the need arises we might become once a fortnight or once a week.
-What is the most successful part of it?
There’s a lady who has a husband with dementia. She has to be aware of George all the time. But for the two hours she’s at the
group, she knows he’s safe and she can just switch off and she can talk to somebody... Perhaps have a cry, talk about some of the difficulties. It’s as much a group for the carers as for the people with Dementia. These people are not in homes they are being cared for at home by their partners, loved ones or carers.
I said to her the other day: “you’ve got a big Birthday coming up haven’t you mum” she said: “have I?” I said yes, How old do you think you are? She said “62 I said “god your good then mum cause you had to have me when you were 8 But in her head she;s doing all sorts of things and she’s quite happy there are all sorts of things going on.
-What is your connection to dementia?
-Is that something you’ve noticed in other people?
I’ve been a nurse and a health visitor. But now my mother has got dementia and is in a home. My uncle had severe dementia from his early sixties so had quite early onset dementia. Where my mum is, most of the people in the home have got dementia, in fact my mum is in is one of the less confused ones. Everybody is an individual so it effects people very differently.
-Dementia is commonly seen as one of the most frightening mental conditions for both sufferers and loved ones. Do you feel that anything positive can come from the illness?
If I take my mum as an example, all the years I have known my mum, she has been quite a manipulative lady, very controlling. She caused lots of difficulties in the family. She had a bit of an unkind streak. But now she has dementia and she is the sweetest kindest person. She hasn’t got a bad word to say about anybody. She has peace, somehow she has found peace. She is quite happy in her dementia. She doesn’t have any anxieties. Every time I have visited her, she has been calm and peaceful and smiling. So for her there is peace in her life and for me and my sister, we will have better memories of her. Our very difficult mother has become just lovely! The carers love her, she’s just lovely. I mean its sad but….
I don’t think that’s common. There are other people in the home who are quite disturbed and unhappy. There is one particular woman in the home who has been recently admitted and sometimes has lucid moments and then cries for her husband cries for her home. It must be terrifying. She can be distracted one moment and then the next she remembers and wants to go home. But…Yes it is frightening, but I think a lot of love can be shown and people with dementia can give a lot of love as well.
-Do you have any other activities planned for the future?
Yes. We are going to have a sing along next month. Somebody is going to talk about the history of Newmarket and talk about the old days. To stir some memories. We are evolving, we see what works and revamp it and do it again… It would be lovely for someone to do some dancing.
-How can others set up similar groups?
The first thing you need to think about are the facilities. You need easy access, somewhere you can get in and sort it out easily. Churches are perfect. Our Church is brilliant. See what’s on in your area. Talk to someone who’s already doing it as they have gone through the process. You need a team of people because it can be quite exhausting and it’s a big commitment.
6
7
The Ultimate Chocolate Cake A Recipe by Will and Malene
8
Adventures Off the Grid A Therapeutic Blog
I have been thinking a lot about isolation in old age after visiting some of Brighton’s care homes this year. My grandparents were very fortunate in that they were always surrounded by people to take care of them in their old age. However there are a great number of vulnerable elderly people who live in complete isolation; only ever seeing their carer once or twice a day. Perhaps they never had children and all their loved ones have passed away. I have chosen to remain childless, so perhaps I too will suffer this fate. Although, this is no reason to have children, and it doesn’t have to be this way. Social media can be a fantastic tool for emancipating people from loneliness. Online communities can bring people together from all over the globe, giving them a space to share stories and experiences, debate and offer support and companionship. The infamous Bev and Amanda have also been considering this after meeting Amy
who has been living ‘off the grid’ for over 30 years in Chimanimani, Zimbabwe. Amy has been feeling quite low recently, feeling rather isolated on her small farm as she gets older and also going through difficult times within the family. So Bev and Amanda suggested that she begin writing a whatsapp diary of her experiences on the farm. She writes a couple of hundred words every day along with some pictures which they then post on a tumblr blog for others to enjoy.
Amanda wonders whether “by writing about the farm for others, she is able to see it with fresh eyes and appreciate what she has”. This interaction is both cathartic for Amy and incredibly amusing and enjoyable for her audience. Amy is a very funny, charismatic author. Bev and Amanda are considering taking this idea further and are wondering whether these easy publishing and communication tools might help to break older people’s isolation. “Imagine using sms or whatsapp groups to bring together daily or even weekly diaries of experiences, life stories, observations, recipes, photographs, family memories etc...” -Amanda a d v e n t u r e s o ff t h e g r i d . t u m b l r. c o m
9
10
Lost and Found One of Amy’s blog posts
Yesterday afternoon I set off to fetch the goats accompanied by cats and dogs. The goats were not by the saddle as I had hoped, so up Bedale Mountain I trudged, Joey (the cat) at my heels. Halfway up she elected to go no further and melted into a patch of long grass. I scanned the countryside with ears and eyes but no goats! So up to the very top I laboured, careful not to fall. To my relief (and consternation), I heard a faint tinkle of a bell and sure enough there they were on Sawerombi Mountain. So I had to carefully make my way down this mountain into the valley and up the other mountain! Fortunately, it was a lovely clear afternoon so I could enjoy the beautiful surroundings. The slope covered in yellow everlasting and red euphorbia bushes. Two weeks ago I got lost in the national park looking for the goats in a thick wet mist. I had decided to look over one more hill hoping to hear a bell then head back. But on my return I was dismayed to find myself looking down into the gorge instead of up on to Bedale
Mt. Visibility was very limited and for a while I was disoriented. By this time my shoes and clothes were quite wet from the thick grass I had been wading through. Spending the night out would be certain death by hypothermia! Not a time to panic… So I forced myself to walk in the opposite direction (without familiar landmarks, I had gone east instead of west). Finally to my great relief, Bedale mountain loomed ahead through the thick mist! And eventually I found the cattle path and headed home, very cold and wet. But thankful! (The goats meanwhile were grazing very near home. I had failed to hear a bell.) So yesterday I was very grateful for the sun and clear skies as I trudged up another mountain. Fortunately, Sawerombi is not as steep or high as Bedale Mt. Soon I had the goats galloping down, bells ringing and udders swaying. Finding the goats is very important, hyenas and jackals patrol these mountains at night and enjoy nothing more than feasting on succulent goat meat! But as we grow older this daily chore becomes increasingly difficult. Anyway, we will cross that bridge when we come to it. For now we are still able and I am grateful… And of course the added worry of having left Joey alone up the mountain! But I was too tired to go looking for her, just had to trust in her good sense. But worry I did. I woke at midnight to find her curled up at the bottom of my bed. She bit me when I congratulated her on her cleverness. Situation normal… and I could go to sleep with no worries to weigh me down.
11
12
Aid Delivery Mission Zoe, Greece
I met Zoe in Brighton where we both went to University. Zoe was one of the most inspiring people I met there. Amidst the prolific hedonism of student life, she would spend nights working at a school for Autistic children, running the refugee society at Sussex University and volunteering at a homeless sanctuary. She once found £100 in a cash machine which she spent on distributing food to Brighton’s homeless population in winter. There is no end to this woman’s kindness and compassion. For the past couple of years, she has been back and forth from Greece where she worked with Aid Delivery Mission distributing essential supplies to the population of refugees in Idomeni, Greece. She has written a few words on her experiences volunteering:
The project started out of the acknowledgement that many thousands of people from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Morocco, Algeria, Bangladesh, Pakistan (to name some of the nationalities), who were making the treacherous journey into Europe from Turkey were not being supported. Thousands of people were arriving every day in Greece, many totally exhausted and destroyed by their experiences both on the journey and back home. And it was the lucky ones who made it this far. The project was a way to provide solidarity in the way of food aid to those arriving in Northern Greece.
13
The project set up in Idomeni, a camp on the border with Macedonia, where about 3000 people were passing each day and because large NGO´s like UNHCR (The United Nations High Commission for Refugees), the Red Cross and MSF (Marginal Standing Facility) were not providing to those in need. This changed when Fortress Europe closed the borders to refugees and suddenly instead of a transitional spot, Idomeni became a camp of 15,000 people. A camp with inhumane living conditions and a feel of desperations. I got involved because we were about solidarity. The main
aimwas to show those arriving that we were there because although we didn’t understand their struggle and suffering we supported them. Although we mostly supported them with food (as many as 15,000 meals per day) it became apparent that many of the basic needs of individuals were not being fulfilled. People slept outside on the ground so we provided tents and sleeping bags. People were cold so we provided clothes. People were confused so we tried to provide as much information as we could. We couldn’t provide everything and struggled to deal with watching people suffer unnecessarily at the hands of European policies. But we tried to reduce the suffering of people who have already suffered too much. Although we were there filling in a hole created by Europe and providing humanitarian support we experienced a lot of repression from the authorities. Police raided our house armed with machine guns, and stopped us frequently while driving. People were arrested for transporting refugees to hospital or the market or for having pocket knives or radios in their cars. Many hours of my life were wasted sitting in the police station waiting to see if they had a
14
15
16
reason for detaining us or waiting for someone to be released. The repression from the authorities grew to the point that we were no longer able to access camp to distribute food and we could no longer sleep peacefully without fear of a early morning raid. To be in this environment under such high stress for such a long period of time can be incredibly exhausting. Some of the situations you are required to deal with can affect you for a long time. I remember vividly sitting with a man and watching him die. Medical care was not available and the ambulance took over an hour to arrive. I remember seeing people sleeping night after night on the border gate in the mud and the rain in the hope that maybe suddenly it would open. I remember people fighting over a loaf of bread because there wasn’t enough food for everyone and parents were desperate to feed their families. I remember people limping into camp from the fields, a leg broken because they were beaten and pushed back for trying to cross the border North (see unreportedpeople.eu).
“[...] It made me angry. It made me determined to see change, but also aware that nothing is going to happen if I don’t do it myself.”
17
And I wouldn’t say this has affected me personally in a negative way. It made me stronger, and more importantly it made me angry. It made me determined to see change, but also aware that nothing is going to happen if I don’t do it myself. I now have to use this to create more projects, support more people and raise awareness in the rest of Europe about what border policies and nationalism has done to individuals. ADM is currently reorganizing itself. Idomeni was cleared and destroyed by bull-
dozers and the thousands of people that were living have been transported to military camps around the country. The once desperate camp became empty of people and we are now looking for a new way to support individuals stuck in Greece. We do not want to enter into a military camp and support this repressive structure so new projects are starting up to provide social centers in the cities, or squats for families and individuals to live in. If people want to support or get involved please email our Facebook page Aid Delivery Mission to ask about how you can help.
aiddeliverymission.org
18
tommys recipe
Beetroot and mint ‘Houmous’ 1 medium beetroot, grated 1 tin of butter beans drained. 4 tbsp tahini Juice of 1 lime 1 medium red chili pepper, chopped 1 small (or half a medium) red onion, diced 1 tbsp olive oil Handful fresh coriander, finely chopped Handful fresh mint 2 tsp cider vinegar 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped Salt and pepper to taste
19
A recipe by Ruth
1. In a large bowl mix together the beetroot, beans, onion, lime juice, chili, olive oil, and tahini. 2. Blend using a food processor until desired chunkiness is reached. 3. On a chopping board, pour the vinegar on the mint to bring out the flavour and finely chop. 4. Add to the mixture, along with the chopped coriander and garlic. Mix well. 5. To thicken the dip, add more tahini as required. 6. Add salt (about 1 tsp) and pepper to taste and serve.
Spicy Grilled Sweet Corn 6 ears of corn Rub Juice of 1 lime 1 tsp ground coriander 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp mustard powder 1/2 tsp sea salt
1. Preheat grill to medium-high. 2. Husk corn and place on tray. In small bowl, whisk together all rub ingredients. Brush ears of corn evenly with rub and place side-by-side on grates of grill. 3. Cook 2 minutes per side or until lightly charred all around. Remove corn from grill and serve.
20
The Hunt Saboteurs Nick, Cambridge
21
I had a chat with Nick who joined South Cambs Hunt Sabs a year ago. In July, they travelled to Dorset where they joined forces with other activists from across the country to intercept the brutal badger cull which is currently taking place. Since he joined he has become increasingly passionate about animal rights issues and has been involved in numerous other direct action groups. Here he discusses the courageous work he, and other sabs across the country do to protect some of the UKs last remaining mega fauna. As Nick answered my questions, he carefully considered his words. Pausing thoughtfully before he spoke.
-What are the aims and objectives of the hunt sabs?
I guess the primary objective of the hunt sabs is to prevent the unnecessary killing of animals. It’s not just foxes, its badgers, rabbits, deer; anything they can get their hands on. It’s also to raise awareness. To show that there are people who oppose this.
-How did you hear about the Sabs? Through a friend. He is very involved in animal rights.
-Is joining an animal rights group a good way to get involved?
Yeah definitely. It’s the best way, definitely. Learn a bit about it. Do some research before you join. You have to prepare yourself as it can get pretty grizzly. Once you step into this world, it becomes very immersive. People shouldn’t join half-heartedly
-Is fox hunt sabbing legal?
Yeah, it is. You are pursuing an illegal act. You are actually permitted by law to pursue people illegally engaging in fox hunting. You’re basically doing the police’s job for
them. They’re not even always on your side. It’s unbelievable…in fact they rarely are.
-Why is the badger cull happening?
So, as a group we are also involved in supporting the anti-badger cull activists. The cull is supposedly preventing the spread of bovine tuberculosis. Badgers are reservoirs for the disease. It’s a bacterial infection that spreads from badger to badger. They inhabit similar areas to the cows, their sets will be on the boundaries of fields. The badgers will forage quite far; two to three miles away from the setts. If they have an advanced form of TB they might have lesions and wounds that will weep as they scrub around in the grass which the cows eat and then catch the infection.
-Has it been proven to be affective?
No because they haven’t actually met their targets. And, according to the science, for it to be affective, they must basically eradicate the badgers. They’d more or less become locally extinct. If you don’t kill enough it actually worsens because they will disperse and make contact with other groups, thereby spreading the infection further.
22
Soon after becoming a sab, Nick got a fox tattoo inspired by the South Cambs Hunt Sab logo as an emblem for his passion for the cause.
23
-What would the future of the badger population look like if groups like the Hunt sabs didn’t exist? I think they’d probably be just wiped out. Which is actually a violation of the Bern convention, 1979. This states that you’re not allowed to affect populations to that degree. They are an iconic and protected species...They’re loved. It’s just a typical farming solution isn’t it? To kill... Regardless of whether there is any real proof as to the benefit of what they’re doing.
-What other badger protection groups are there?
There is the Badger Trust. They don’t really do direct action though. They’re more about education and conservation.
-Could you be arrested if they caught you doing it?
Yeah, if you’re caught smashing up cages. Unlike the fox hunt sabbing, preventing the culling of badgers is illegal. It’s actually ratified by the government. We have to remain stealthy.
What time of year does the badger cull happen and -What are your personal where is it most prevalent reasons for protecting the geographically? badgers? It is most prevalent in Southern counties where most dairy farms are located. Most recently we went to Dorset. The culling takes place in a six week period through July and August after the mating season. They try to meet their targets of up to 90% of the local population. What we were doing was set surveying. Trying to Map locations using up to 10 figure grid references. We needed to find where the setts were before the cull to know which ones to protect. The methods of killing seem to vary depending on where you are. In Somerset they apparently they shoot them. In Dorset and Gloucestershire, I believe they use cages. The objective with the cull sabbing is basically to make it more expensive than vaccinating. We want to disincentives them in any way we can. We are desperate now.
Conservation, supporting the science, acting on my principles.
How can others get involved?
Join the hunt sab Facebook group. Contact the Hunt Sab Association via private message. They’re always looking for more people to get involved. h t t p : / / w w w. h u n t s a b s . o r g . u k /
24
The OAPleasers Zimbabwe then Brighton
25
The OAPleasers began in Zimbabwe after my friend Kazz was asked to play a gig at a care home. Her friends Bev, Amanda and Jamie joined her for moral support and in recieving such positive feedback, they decided to create a group of nomadic entertainers who would travel to carehomes all over Harare to bring music and joy into the lives of OAPs. Jamie, a drama teacher, performed poetry and told stories, Kazz, a talented guitarist and vocalist brought sweet music to their ears. Amanda was the blogger, photographer and co-organiser and Bev was the story telling, organising taxi driver. It soon materialised into something really beautiful. Through reading their blog and talking to Kazz, it seems as if they gained as much from it as the OAP’s did. After the gig, they would conduct interviews with willing participants to gain an insight into some of their fears, dreams, hopes and passions. The questions they asked did not shy away from the darker sides of life and the interview-ees seemed very willing to open up. On their blog, where every event is recorded in detail, there are some wonderfully heart warming videos of nurses and residents dancing and clapping their hands as Kazz performs to some of the frail care units. There are also strunning photos of each event and insights into the organisation that went on behind the scenes. The OAPleasers captured my enthusiasm immediately. I felt like such a simple way of bringing joy into peoples lives. Once Kazz returned from Zimbabwe, we, alongside my boyfriend Dave, began planning to start our own version in Brighton. We had slight concerns that the ‘red tape’ in the UK might prevent us from being allowed to enter into carehomes without the appropriate documents, but thankfully, this was not a problem. We sent out emails to every care home in Brighton (there are a suprising amount, tucked away out of sight) and recieved a
few responses, mainly from dementia wards. Our first gig was at Lindridge care home in Hove. It was a difficult experience at first as none of us had ever spent much time around people with dementia and weren’t prepared for the severity of the disease. A few of the residents had become non verbal and imobile, many non sensical and confused. We were all profoundly moved by the incredible patience and love given by carers. They sat with the residents giggling and holding their hands, chatting with them and singing along. We sang the English translation of ‘La Vie En Rose’ at one of our performances. Midway through the song, a man who had previously been staring blankly at the television, stood up and began to sing it in French! He had been an opera singer in his youth. At another gig we performed to some of the residents who were too sick to leave their beds. We entered a womans room where she lay in her bed with contorted limbs, barely moving, eyes closed and mouth ajar. Her son, a musician, stood next to her beaming at us. As we played he began to beat out a rhythm on a biscuit tin. Previously lifeless, the womans exposed foot started tapping and muffled singing began to eminate from her open mouth. Her son told us she was once a concert pianist. We learned that music is a popular form of therapy for dementia patients. It can help trigger memories in even the most servere sufferers. I would encourage all poets, musicians, actors and storytellers with a free afternoon here and there to do something similar. Whether it be at care homes, schools, orphanages or prisons, it has proven relitavely simple, (and free) to summon a lot of joy from making a good idea into a reality. Thanks to Kazz, Amanda, Bev and Jamie for inventing such an incredible group. You have brought smiles to many a wrinkled face.
26
27
28
Inside/ Out
Joyce, Della and Lynn Malvern House, Mvurwi, Zimbabwe 3 Lovely Ladies sitting in the corner, mostly smoking. I could not choose only one.
Describe yourself in five words?
What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever done?
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
What’s your most treasured possession?
J - (counting on fingers) An old woman who…I’ve run out of words! D - I am a hairdresser, a Christian, I love country music and rock n roll L - I like to keep up with modern music trends
J - To be sociable, to talk to other people. D - Love one another. L - Be positive, always look on the bright side.
29
J - Oh! There are so many things people do in a lifetime. D - Talking without thinking. L - Riding on the back of my son’s motorbike with him! J - Maybe talking to a butterfly.
J - My children. D - My children. L - My children. D - I don’t actually have my own children, but I love kids. I’d actually say my sister. She is here with me, but she is very un-
well. She is 3 years older than me and suffers from an enlarged heart. She doesn’t sleep at night because she constantly has to go to the bathroom. She helps me so much.
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
J - Apart from sickness, being alone. D - Yes being alone. I am all alone in my flat. J - And I am all alone in my room at night when everyone else has gone to bed! L - Depression.
Do you have any strange hobbies?
J - No I think I’m normal. D - I love knitting J, L - She knits beautifully! L - I like painting. I paint all sorts from still life to abstract.
What do you dislike most about your appearance?
J - All of me. I don’t know! My face. It would be nice to be 6ft tall. D - My size. Too big. L - My nose. I would have changed it if I could have taken the pain.
What have you got in your fridge?
J - I don’t have a fridge, but I do have chocolate in my cupboard. But I can’t eat them til I’ve finished my toffees. D - Meat, vegetables, cheese, cold meats, cooked meats. L - Fruit, vegetables, yogurt, ice cream (I love ice cream), cheeses, biscuits…a bottle of wine. J - That’s why we hear her singing at night!
What is your greatest fear?
J - Hmm. I am not frightened of being dead, but I am frightened of the way I will get there. I don’t want to be a burden. D - No I don’t want to be a burden either. In a chair or after a stroke etc. L - Alzheimer’s - or something similar that you have no control over.
What have you got in your pockets right now?
J - (touches breasts, looks in bra) Tissues, a Programme, I was going to put my butterfly in there but I thought I might crush it! D - House keys L - Keys, tissues, hankies
What is your favourite jourWhat is your greatest extrav- ney? agance? J - When my family and I came overland J -My chihuahuas. I had two, but we cannot have pets here. They are now with my daughters. D - I don’t know…clothes. J - (referring to D) chocolate! D - No not chocolate! L - Chocolate.
from the UK to Zimbabwe. We lived in a trucker with 3 bunks. We took boats where we needed to. D - I have never been out of Zimbabwe. But Kariba with my family. (conversation about fishing and the difficulty of baiting a worm ensues)
30
L - Going to Italy with my brother. We started in Venice and travelled all over.
Who are your heroes in real life?
J - Good one. Probably the Battle of Britain Pilots. D - Nelson Mandela (and also Elvis). L - Women in women’s movements, who do so much for women’s rights. Like Emmeline Pankhurst.
When and where were you happiest?
J - When I was a child in England. I remember being on the rolling hills of my grandfather’s farm. I have never liked eating chicken because of the memory of the smell of them being killed.
D - When I was a child in Chivhu on the farms having braais with my family. L - When I was 18 in Harare. We had moved here from Mutare, but were in South Africa before that.
What is your biggest vice?
J - Used to be smoking. But now probably bad thoughts about other people. I don’t drink or smoke or go around with other men so that must be it! D - Smoking. L - Smoking.
What were you like at school?
J - I was always told I could do better. I didn’t get into trouble. Except once when my friend and I got in trouble for laughing at a teacher in the streets. We didn’t know she was going to be our teacher the next year. She made it hell! The best day of my life was when I left school and started work. D - I was well-behaved, I had friends, but mostly I kept to myself. L - I was fairly well-behaved, but underneath it all I was rebellious. I never wore my full school uniform.
What are you doing next?
J - God knows - I don’t! D - No idea. I’ve got no option. Remain here. L - Take every day as my last, enjoy each day as it comes.
31
32
Kazz artwork
33
In 2014 my best friend had her first panic attack on a bus in London. The panick attacks soon became increasingly frequent and began to consume her entire life. It soon became impossible for her to leave the house and she began to sink into a deep depression. She eventually made the decision to defer university and move to Brighton to recover 2 years on, and 100 valiums later she has a degree, and won an award for her incredible final project which raises awareness about mental health issues.
“That feeling you have if you’re walking and you slip or trip and the ground is rushing up at you, but instead of lasting half a second, the way that does, it lasted for six months.” -Andrew Solomon
When depression becomes your reality, it permeates every aspect of life. It becomes your shadow. Kazz illustrates the omnipotent darkness of depression with her intricate screen prints. If you would like one, contact her on kazzdouie.com
34
THANK YOU Amanda Atwood Amy Off the Grid Bev Clark David ‘Brucey’ Gould Jamie OAPleaser Joyce, Della and Lynn Kazz Douie Malene Fogsgaard Vedel Nick Anonymous Nicky Smith Ruth Clemens Will Fisher Zoe Gilchrist
YOU ARE ALL AMAZING 35
ARTWORK BY KAZZDOUIE.COM SHE CREATED FLASH CARDS TO HELP PEOPLE LEARN HOW TO SIGN AND READ BRAIL