Lets learn to listen

It is said that listening is a skill and a lot of people seemed to have lost this or just never had it to begin with. Disagreement is a natural thing that arises amongst a group of people as we are different which therefore means we have different views and opinions about certain things. When you have a disagreement with a person or group of people it opens your mind and also helps you to see things in a different light but as soon as you don't listen to each other, it starts to be a huge problem as you never get to a resolution for the disagreement. As a result things such as strikers come about as the employers and employees don't want to listen to each other in order to come to an agreement that will suit them. These strikers are not so harm less as we have seen over and over again people getting hurt and some even dying but if they would have rather sat down and talked about it none of that would have happened. Lets learn this skill of listening and see the good it will do to us.

Child headed families

Child headed families are on the increase as a result of HIV/AIDS. This is really horrible and sad because it takes away their childhood as he/she needs to become an adult and a parent to their siblings yet he/she still needs parent guidance. They have to go find jobs in order to put food on the table for their siblings and themselves. They have to make sure that their siblings have everything that they need and always put their own needs last. Their dreams of becoming professionals are shattered as they quit school at a young age and chances of them ever going back to school are slim. This is a real serious problem and something should be done as children are the future of the country but, how can they be the future if they are not educated. Each and everyone of us has a role to play  to make sure that every child gets education even if they no longer have parents.             

Our grandmothers being raped by men young old enough to be their great granchildren

On the 28 of August 2012, 3rd Degree told a very disturbing story about grandmothers being raped by young men who are in their late 20s. A 94 year old woman was raped by these young men, as she describes what happened and how this man violated her, tears roll down her cheeks and in all of that she is still grateful that he spared her live. Listening to this old woman tell her horrible story made me think what this world has come to, i mean i fail to understand what goes through these young men's mind when they get on top of these OLD women and sort of pleasure do  they get! Sleeping at night is a nightmare for these women cause they are scared that they will get raped again, this leads me to ask what our we doing to stop this madness and the answer is very simply too little or nothing at all. This is not just for the police or government to resolve but, every citizen of South Africa to take a step and say no to our grandmothers being raped!

YOU STRIKE A WOMAN, YOU STRIKE A ROCK!!

Yes you guessed right tomorrow is the 9 of August which only means one thing WOMENS DAY! Women certainly do deserve this day, when i think about the word women i tend to get very emotional because of all the things women do for the people they love. A woman is a person filled with love and care, they are very emotional and strong people at the same time. When there is a woman in the household you will feel her warmth and that household will never starve because she will make sure that there is always food on the table for her family. Women are so strong  because they carry so many burdens on their shoulders yet they keep a big and bright smile on their faces, they are faced with so many challenges such as being beaten by their husbands,their husbands sleeping around, their children getting into drugs and despite all of this they believe that things shall get better! Women are the most positive people i know, they don't let anything discourage them and they are always forgiving. My plea is that you appreciate the woman or women that are in your life because if you would think about all the things she has done for you and also how she has changed your life, you would begin to realise that you are the person that you are because of her!

67 MINUTES

On the 18 of July 2012 which was on a wednesday, people gave 67 minutes of their time in helping the less forunate and also their community! In East London most citizens gave 67 minutes of their time by cleaning up the street of Oxford, it was so wonderful to see people from all different aspects of life working together to achieve one goal. It got me thinking since we as the East London citizens have a huge problem of rubbish on our streets, why don't we do what we did on the 18 of July? Lets start small and give our time in helping our home to be a better place for all, waiting for the government to do everything will not help us!

DISCRIMINATION AGAINST GAYS AND LESBIANS

On the 29 of July 2012, a good friend of mine who is gay was nearly burnt to death! It is so scary how much we seem to hate each other that we even go to the extend of killing each other. In this day and age that we live in everybody has a right to make their own choices of what they want and NOBODY has the right to violent that right. Gays and lesbians have also hidden who they truely are because of being scared of discrimination, since they have also been given the rights that they do deserve like any other citizen they are coming out about their sexual orientation. The problem therefore begins in the communities that we live in, when we don't understanding something or its not in our values we assume that thing is wrong which is not right. People start calling them all sorts of names and telling them that what they are doing is sin and for me its as though that just because they not gay that means they don't sin which is far from the truth! If you want to involve the bible on the topic of gays please don't leave the parts that talk about loving one another and also not judging each other! We have different views and opinions on whats right and wrong so may we PLEASE just respect those different views and opinions.

All talk and no action!

We are always complaining about service delivery and yes truth is the government isn't doing a good job of it, but we as the citizens of the country also have a responsibility of taking care of our country. Instead of complaining of what the government is not doing,if we have the ability to do it lets just do it. Its not about the size of the thing you have but its about making your country a better one. Let us stop with the complaining and actually do something about all the issues we are facing, who knows maybe the government will also start doing their job. Remember change starts with you and i!

Teenage pregnancy

This is a topic that has always been spoken about and we have just accepted the fact that teenagers have sexual intercourse at a very young age! In the black community it is very rare for parents to speak openly to their children about sex,all they tell you is that you going to get pregnant and aids. This makes the teenagers to speak to their friends who are also inexperienced as them which in the long run puts them into serious risks of infections and pregnany,yes at school they do learn about sex but reality is that the 1 hour period of life orientation is just not enough. It may seem awakard and weird to talk to your children but it is necessary because it will make him/her to make a wise decision when it comes to sex. Remember change start with you and i so let us start with change in our households!

 

Presidency enters Cape school crisis

2012-03-27 08:40

Cape Town - The presidency is trying to help resolve racial conflict in Grabouw, the Cape Times reported on Tuesday.

Planning Commission Minister Trevor Manuel had sent his adviser, Cameron Dugmore, to meet a community task team set up in January.

Residents and parents formed the team to tackle overcrowding at the Umyezo Wama Apile combined school.

Black and coloured residents faced off last week in violent protests over schooling, which left the local school damaged and four people injured.

Elgin Grabouw Civic Association chairperson John Michels said they welcomed the government's intervention. They however found it frustrating that the national government had made the move, rather than provincial government, which he said had the power to address the problem.

Dugmore had met with the task team twice. According to the report, he invited them to a meeting to be attended by trade unions, pupil representatives from the Umyezo and Groenberg high schools, principals from both schools, community development workers and ward councillors.

- SAPA

 

Its been 18 years since we have moved past from the apartheid era and now we are in a new era of democracy, yet there are still racial issues amongst races. Democracy was implemented so that everyone could be treated fairly despite what race they are from. The colour of my skin nor my neighbours shouldnt matter,we as people need to move past all racial issues and also start learning to express our concerns with our mouths not our fists cause that doesnt solve anything instead it creates more problem and gets people injured/killed in the process because of something which could have been prevented by sitting down and trying to find a solution that everyone we be happy about.   

Are we really equal? This is a question we need to ask ourselves and try our best to be honest when we answer it! Lets look at the societies/communities we live in and ask ourselves why we live there and also is it afordable to everyone. The school's we take our children to is it because we want to give them a better education,shouldnt it be like that for all children regardless of where they come from. This makes me want to ask another question about teacher's who teach at the black school's why do they send their children to model C school's instead of the one's they teach at,are we really equal?

FAILURE!! This is one word which is very difficult to accept,once you have failed it seems as though you will never successed yet we seem to forget that it is failure that makes us to be successful. When you have hit rock bottom it seems as though there is no way of getting up and all hope is lost. Take a moment to look at the cause of your failure and try to understand why you have failed,once you have done that you will be able to know the way forward rather then being depressed and doing nothing about. This is certainly not easy but it can be done,let us stop looking at our present situations and how bad they seem instead let us see the bright future we have ahead and also work towards it!  

What does it take for an individual to be happy with what they have? Further more what does it take for an individual to be comfortable in their own skin and also about who they are? Seems so easy yet truth is its not,cause how can one learn to accept that they dont have money to put food on the table yet they have hungry stomaches to feed! How may one be comfortable in their skin and personality when there are things such as being cool or being a nerd. Who has the right to label any individual just because of the way they are,this brings me to differentiating between ugly and beautiful individuals. I dont believe in such things because we are all beautiful in our own way some might say that,thats being ugly and i say you just dont like certain features that i have! Happiness for me begins with love and all the wonderful material things follow simply because material things have a way of disappearing but LOVE is forever there! Ive learnt to be comfortable in my own skin and not to try to fit in even if it means i will be labeled because im not willing to loss myself in order for you to accept me. My name is Samantha Sonwabile Magwashu a beautiful young lady with an awesome long CHIN even if you might copy the way i speak but the important thing is that i wouldnt change myself because this is what sets me apart and also makes me ME! Dear brothers and sisters let us learn to be happy with what we have and also be comfortable with who we are no matter what others might say.

Do we still understand what the word HUMANITY means? As the years have gone by it seems as though we are losing touch of our humanity because now its all about a man for himself even if you have the means of helping another person! Back in the day everyone knew everyone in their communities and had some sort of relationship because of that i could never go to bed without food but,now we dont even the people who live next door to us. It makes me want to ask if the 21 century has harmed us as much as it has benefited us? Personally i believe its a choice we made ourselves because we could have moved on with the times but,kept our humanity! This is the challenge that i propose for you and me that we find a way of getting our humunity back.

hello,the time has come for us to have meaningful conversations

"I dont believe you have to be better than everybody else. I believe you have to be better than you ever thought you could be." Ken Venturi. This quote ponders with your thoughts since we are always trying to outshine each other instead of being the best we can be,as if we have forgotten that we are created differently for a purpose and it is up to you to discover your purpose!