I am the founder of Voice of the People Movement. Voice of the People Movement was launched this year in April and our goal is to build stronger communities.
The VOTP team out in Tembisa doing their FIRST community programme! Go team!
We recently launched our first community programme called the Community Enhancement Program (CEP). It was borne out of the belief in order for us to create a better world, we need to create a stronger community and we do that by enhancing the way we connect and relate with each other in the truest sense of Ubuntu.
Strong communities talk to each other and for the past 7 days, we went door to door in Tembisa. We listened and learned from community members on the challenges they face so that we can co-create solutions together. Through that experience I wanted to share THREE things I have learned from the program.
1) The pandemic has shown us we are all intrinsically linked with one another.
All of us share common aspirations- we all want to live in peace and security; to be educated, to work with dignity, to love our families and our communities. we should not be distracted by our differences, rather celebrate our commonalities. That should be the driving force behind our collective vision.
2) The future we want to create requires us to use our imaginations and be open to learn, unlearn and relearn.
The one thing which is constant is change, but when you are open to growth, you see every challenge in front of you as a way to grow and develop as a person, rather than a hinderance. Through this program, we saw positive behaviour change in our team leading and creating change around themselves and their environment independently. When you choose to grow as a person, we grow as a community.
3) Change is always possible when people feel they are involved and listened to.
Feedback and knowledge sharing is part of our culture. We involve community members to co-create solutions and provide feedback on how we can improve as a movement. The goal of every organization is not to solve problems but to make the organization better, we make the organization better but creating a culture of inclusivity. We must be mindful that every voice is involved in the conversation, that every person feels comfortable to join in and offer his or her own perspective. Therefore creating a feeling of belonging and inclusion for everyone in the community.
4) Innovation is not the search for one big idea but the ability to implement small ideas which have a powerful cumulative impact.
As simple and small as starting a WhatsApp group. If you want to learn more about how grassroots organization work, if you want to become a community organiser, a change maker in your community, being part of a grassroots organiser is an opportunity to network, upscale and create change. Let’s help make South Africa better, let’s grow our community together.
Join us and let’s continue to commit ourselves to the future that we want to see.
About the Author
Faeeza Lok is a social entrepreneur, a bunny chow lover and the founder of Voice of the People Movement. Her ambition is to seek partnerships with more organisations to bring equality for all under represented persons.
Follow VOTP on social media:
Join their WhatsApp Group: +27 73 411 0046 | Instagram: @voice_za Facebook: @votp.za Twitter: @votp_za Tik Tok: @votp_za
Mental health conditions are common worldwide, the World Health Organization says one in four people in the world will be affected by mental or neurological disorders at some point in their lives. It is therefore important that we take care of our mental wellbeing as it affects every aspect of our life, from emotional wellbeing to even physical wellbeing. It is important to understand that mental wellness affects your physical body.
Mindfulness and Mental Health
The uses of mindfulness meditation are to prevent a relapse in major depression and for managing mental health conditions like stress, anxiety, sleeping disorders and even eating disorders.
Mindfulness meditation is a practice that teaches us to experience the current moment and how to integrate that awareness into our everyday life. Through mindfulness meditation we are aware of our thoughts, we learn to capture racing thoughts and analyze them thoroughly, let go of negativity and calm our mind and body.
“There is no doubt, that there is a stigma attached to both these two. Mental health and mindfulness. People with mental health are often deemed as weak while mindfulness is shunned upon because let’s be honest confronting our thoughts and emotions can sometimes be scary… but it shouldn’t. We can either be a prisoner to our thoughts or we can hold them captive and control them.”
Mindfulness and meditation are normally not associated with kids or teenagers but if we think about it stressful times come at us from the day we are born; infants get hungry, toddlers want expensive toys, teenagers get bullied. These are only a few examples but the point is from the moment we are born, life can get more stressful.
“Mindfulness is a learned practice. We get better at it in time.”
My belief is that if children and the youth learn this practice from as early as possible, the next generation will see a major drop in the rate of mental health conditions, which will actually lead to a drop in a lot of social issues affecting both children and adults today.
Here is a video below on the importance of teaching children Mindfulness.
Racing thoughts and overwhelming situations oftentimes feel like a fast train that seems impossible to stop.
Here’s a common technique to help us be present and stop racing thoughts and be more calm in our day to day lives, it’s ironically called the STOP technique.
S – Stop everything that you are doing, pause for a minute
T – Take a few deep breaths, focus on breathing, follow your breath coming in and out of your nose
O – Observe your posture, mentally, emotionally and physically without judgment, this meaning just as it is, accept them. Then reflect on what is on your mind, notice your emotions for what they are and their effect on your body, also notice that thoughts are not facts and not permanent
P – Proceed with something that will cement this moment, ie, talk to someone who calms you or someone you love a friend or family, shake it off, rub your shoulders, rotate and relax them.
There is a lot of opportunities in the day to STOP, and you will definitely get better at it in time just give it a try and let’s be a more mindful, mentally aware and well generation QRATERs.
Blessing Nemakanga aka Bleh is Qrate’s Public Relations intern doing her final year towards a Public Relations degree. She prides herself in Bringing Love Everywhere However (BLEH) today it’s through raising mindfulness-awareness.
When this all blows over you will have picked up a host of new habits if you have been following QRATE on Social Media and the recent #TogetherAtHome campaign, you’ll definitely gain some new skills.
Today let’s talk a bit about equality. What is equality? Equality is the state of being equal, especially in status, rights or opportunities. Qrate, for example, aims to promote equality through various programmes with a focus, particularly on gender.
If you believe in gender equality then believe it or not: YOU are a feminist.
Photo by Jen Theodore on Unsplash
I am Mangaliso Ngomane. And I am a Feminist. Forget what you’ve heard, men can also be feminists because all that Feminism is simply is a belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. This theory extends to the political, economic and social equality of the sexes.
Gender equality means that the different behaviours, aspirations, and needs of women and men are considered, valued and favoured equally. It respects the differences of the two and does not mean that women and men have to become the same, but that their rights, responsibilities, and opportunities will not depend on whether they are born male or female.
Gender equality is the concept that all human beings are free to develop their personal abilities and make choices without the limitations set by stereotypes, rigid gender roles and prejudices. That’s my favorite definition of it. Gender equality is freedom and freedom that is only for some is not freedom at all.
“Gender equality is not just about equal opportunity but it is also about shedding some light on discrimination.“
For example, a boy is not entitled to a better education than a girl, but all children have the right to quality education. A woman will become pregnant and a man will not, this is not grounds for unfair advantage with regards to payment and promotion in the workplace.
So serious is the issue of gender equality that it is number three on the list of Millenium Development Goals (MDGs). This is the world’s big to-do list of urgent issues to attend to by the year 2015. The world has met considerable progress with regard to meeting that goal.
Suggested Reading: My First Book of Feminism (for boys) by Julie Merberg
However even though society has made great strides from where we were only 100 years ago, there is still so much to be done. Even in 2020, women around the world still have to fight daily, at home and at work, to overcome gender inequality.
“Men are an important voice because these women do not live alone and discriminate against each other in isolation. Often it is men reinforcing these stereotypes and discriminatory behaviors by choosing to look away or not say anything.”
In her article, This is What a (Male) Feminist Looks Like, Heather K Adams rounded up five traits of a man who does not just use the feminist tag as a shield. Remember we’re all in this together and neither gender is “better” than the other.
So gentlemen, here is the list:
1. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. A man that is truly interested in being informed about an issue will show it by asking questions, don’t assume you already have the answers.
2. Listen closely. Do not roll your eyes when you get an explanation of why something is important.
3. Learn. Show your commitment by paying attention.
4. Change. Being a Feminist is a process that involves learning and growth.
5. Try. The Feminist man isn’t perfect, no one is, but he does all of the above all the time because the work of a Feminist is never over. Never stop trying.
You don’t have to start out by saying how much of a man you are or by asserting your masculinity before announcing your alliance with femininity. The idea isn’t about your gender at all. But your genuine belief in social justice and equality.
Gentlemen, if you run a race and win do you still feel like a real winner if your opponent ran and lost with an injury?
We’ll talk again about this very broad topic but until then check your privilege Qraters! And Stay Home. Stay Safe.
Mangaliso Ngomane is Qrates Public Relations Intern. Mangaliso is a 27-year-old traditional man with a modern mindset. He is creative, but in today’s world who isn’t? His quest to make a change has to lead him here.
The single resource that is aiding your life is being brutally damaged. Your dreams, aspiration, and ambitions are at stake. Your future is being deeply compromised. Why? The climate is changing- dramatically.
Humans are filling the earth with a MASSIVE amount of Greenhouse Gases. These are released from the burning of fossil fuels such as coal. As insignificant as it seems, this is destroying water and food sources, drying up the rivers but also making the levels of the sea rise, resulting in extremely hot and cold weather with sometimes less rain or very heavy rain. Essentially, our Earth is behaving in a strange and unprecedented manner. Scariest of all, our world leaders aren’t taking this seriously and doing anything to stop this. In 10 years, the effects of climate change could be completely irreversible.
Industries and businesses that release large amounts of greenhouse gases such as coal-generated electricity are making their profits from literally destroying the earth and people’s lives. In South Africa’s case, we’ve experienced the drought in the Cape, the flooding in Kwa-Zulu Natal and most recently Covid-19. We’re also seeing a sharp rise in the cost of living and economic decline. Life is becoming more difficult.
Climate change is THE defining threat of our time thus we need to take radical, drastic and urgent measure to protect humanity- you, I, your mother, partner, and their dog. But the youth will be most severely affected. Thus, it becomes a great responsibility of ours to repair the Earth.
The youth should seek to galvanize itself into concerted Climate Action. Guess what? By reading this, you’ve participated in some climate action- you’ve gained some knowledge about the climate crisis. The next step could be to share this knowledge or research any questions that might have come up for you. This Youtube Video is a good start to introducing people to Climate Change.
Once you find yourself taking these basic steps, you can encourage more people to become aware of the implications of climate crisis who can then also take action! It will take all 7 billion people of the world collectively adapting their lifestyles to fully combat climate change. These lifestyle changes could be eating less meat and using fewer plastic bags.
Here are some guidelines on how to speak to kids about climate change are perhaps the most helpful. These include:
Kids aged 4-6: Be a good role model
– Talk about the environmentally-friendly things you do every day, like recycling, riding your bike, choosing public transport or having a more plant-based diet. – By taking green action together now, you will have great answers as to how you fight climate change when your child is old enough to ask. – Children rely on their parents. Don’t lie to them about the problems but always reassure your child that there are grown-ups handling the issues and keep your own concerns to yourself.
Kids aged 7-8: Instill hope and stay positive
– When asked a climate-related question, make sure you understand which answer your child is searching for to avoid letting your own concerns affect your answer. – If you want to start a conversation about climate change yourself, start by asking ‘What do you know about climate change?’ – Don’t lie to them about the problems.
This kind of collective action will present a brilliant opportunity for us to connect with our peers, families, communities and the larger world by essentially recycling and minimizing wastage of stuff such as food and water.
More than this — WE COULD SAVE THE PLANET AND ALL LIVE BETTER LIVES!!
There is no experience that can be equated to standing in a crowd, screaming at the top of your lungs and collectively marching for a cause. United in anger at the injustice you are facing. Calling for a change.
Womxn have faced oppression from men for hundreds of years. We have been shut down and silenced for so long. But we have had enough. Womxn all over South Africa have taken a stand against Gender-Based Violence (GBV). Womxn have organized protests and shutdowns. Womxn are fighting against the system of oppression. Womxn are revolutionary.
“We have a voice. And we are going to use it.“
I am a 17-year-old female. The world is a scary place for women and marginalized groups and South Africa’s GBV rate is four times more than the global rate. We, as the youth of South Africa, have decided that we are not going to sit down and watch our sisters get killed. We decided to take a stand.
The morning after Uyinene’s body was discovered my history class had a discussion. We all voiced our anger at the way womxn have been treated and the extreme sorrow we felt over the loss of life. We could all feel the much heavier weight behind this case. Because we have lost so many womxn because of men. And we are tired.
“So, girls, we know this has been happening for too long,” my history teacher said, “but the question is: are we going to sit back and watch this happen? Or are we going to protest?”
Word of the protest got around fast. The next day almost the whole school was on our school’s entrance at break for the protest. We sat with tape over our mouths and listened to girls poetry and speeches and heard their heartbreak. The choir sang. And we all sang along.
GBV School Protest
“The tears wouldn’t stop flowing.”
The protest lasted for three days. For three days girls held each other and cried. Strangers held strangers. Girls shared their stories and anger at the injustice we have faced. It was like a mass funeral and we grieved for every single womxn that we’ve lost. We supported each other. We were unified. And we were so powerful. I have never felt anything like that amount of power and unity in my life.
GBV Protest in Sandton | Photo Credit: Ammaarah Cachalia
And young womxn all over the country did this. They used their voices and shared their anger. And we listened. We took a stand. We led a revolution. It is so important to speak up against injustice, especially in youth spaces. We were born into a world of chaos and we are the ones that are changing it. Listening to the youth take a stand against GBV and being part of the movement is so empowering.
As a young person, it is so frustrating to watch as “people in charge” do nothing to solve the problem. It is so frustrating to see them ignore the issues that are in plain sight. The youth are frustrated and tired and we have decided that if the adults won’t spark a change, we will take matters into our own hands.
GBV Protest | Photo Credit: Mara Mbele (@mvrv_m)
It is important to have these discussions amongst the youth because we are fighting for our future and our world. We have to talk to each other and support each other and unite to spark a change. I have felt the power the youth hold as I marched with them and called for a change in one big mass of unity.
I have felt the strength we have as a collective.
And it felt good.
Raeesah Noor-Mahomed
(QRATE Social Media Intern & Gender & Climate Change Activist)
