WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR THIS MONTH

UPCOMING EVENTSBY CHARNDRÉ EMMA KIPPIE

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR THIS MONTH

Tourism Month

Each September South Africa celebrates Tourism Month which is geared towards raising awareness on the critical role of the tourism sector’s contribution to the South African economy. Tourism Month incorporates a variety of themed programmes and campaigns that are aligned with the values of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation’s (UNWTO) World Tourism Day initiatives which kick off, annually, on 27 September.

This year, the theme for all tourism celebrations is: “Tourism for inclusive growth”. In addition, the international official celebration will be held in Cote d’Ivoire, in Africa. With the impact that Covid-19 has had on SA’s tourism, this year it is vital that organisations use this period to uplift their business and focus on recovery and growth.

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

September marks ChildhoodCancer Awareness Month - atime to honour all the childrenand families who have beenand are affected by childhoodcancers. During this time, theimportance of supporting researchon these devastating conditionsis emphasised. Even thoughchildhood cancer is relatively rare,the incidence rate has been onan upward trajectory - statisticsshow that currently less than halfof children with cancer in thecountry are diagnosed, and manyof those who are diagnosed are inan advanced stage of illness. Thekey, here, is early detection. Thus,the Childhood Cancer FoundationSouth Africa (CHOC) initiated anAwareness Programme whichensures that the early warningsigns of childhood cancer arenoted at all levels of our healthsystem.

Public Service Month

Public Service Month is commemorated in South Africa as an integrated strategic national event in the calendar of the Department of Public Service and Administration. In September, Public Service Month is geared towards reminding citizens of the significance of serving communities. It is also a time to assess the influence that Government has, especially around issues of service delivery. This year, all South African public servants are encouraged to audit their service delivery strategies, visit hospitals, schools, police stations and courts, talk to citizens, mediate the delivery of services and getting things done, and eliminate the red-tape in the delivery of services. This month we also prioritise making sure that all systems and infrastructure are working and use public resources correctly to the benefit of all citizens.

Heritage, Tourism and Public Service take centre stage!

International Literacy Day

For more than 40 years, The UnitedNations Educational, Scientific andCultural Organisation (UNESCO)has celebrated InternationalLiteracy Day. As an importanthuman right, and the base for alllearning and development, literacyis a key component of everydayhuman life. Unfortunately, literacyfor all – children, youth and adults– is a goal that has still not beenachieved. Thus, governmentsand organisations are workingtirelessly across the globe toimprove the statistics, with onlyabout four billion people in theworld being literate at present.This year’s theme will be “Literacyfor a human-centred recovery:Narrowing the digital divide”, as thepandemic has had a disastrouseffect on teaching and learning asa whole.

Eye Care Awareness Month

Health awareness in generalis always important, but eachSeptember and October SouthAfricans are reminded to takespecial care of their sight.Eye Care Awareness Month isacknowledged to bring attentionto the necessity of eye health, andto all preventative measures andtreatment of avoidable blindness.According to our statistics, around75% of all cases of blindnessare actually avoidable, throughprevention or treatment. This iswhy it is so incredibly important tomake an appointment with yourlocal optometrist and get your eyestested at least once per year. Otherthan regular eye assessments, youcan maintain good eye health bygetting your family medical history,avoiding smoking and eating ahealthy, balanced diet.

Heritage Month - Heritage Day

Heritage Month falls in Septembereach year, with Heritage Daytaking place on 24 September.This period is acknowledgedannually to celebrate SouthAfrica’s diverse culture andheritage. The SA Governmentencourages all South Africans touse Heritage Month to positivelycontribute to social cohesion,our shared national identity, andnation building. The celebrationof Heritage Month has createda conducive environment for allpeople to embrace and celebratewhat was passed on to us by ourforefathers. More importantly,‘living heritage’ is the basis of allcommunities - a critical sourceof continuity and identity. Livingheritage plays an important role inpromoting cultural diversity, socialcohesion, reconciliation, peace andeconomic development.