image via http://live4capetown.tumblr.com/

There is a small group of boys who I often see sleeping the day away at the bottom of my road. I know some of them, and one or two of them I have known for many years. These are the street kids we see all over the city and across South Africa – some have no home to go to, while others have chosen the hard life on the streets over the hopelessness of life at home. We see them every day, at traffic intersections, on Long Street, on the side of our roads. Often, we try not to see them, hoping that if we ignore them, they may go away.

The reality of the situation is that these kids won’t be going anywhere. The brave, strong ones will seek shelter and help at organisations such as The Homestead or Ons Plek. These kids may have a hope of getting through school and changing the cycle of despair and poverty. For many others however, a life on the street is often easier – and the more that well-meaning tourists and locals give them food, money and other items that are usually sold for drugs or stolen from them by bigger boys or adults, the more these kids are likely to stay stuck in the cycle of life on the streets.

The good news is that there are a number of organisations that are actively making a difference here in Cape Town, and all over the country. Often with very little funding and support, these groups still continue to work with street kids, and in many cases, they have adapted a holistic approach that works with communities, families, social services, police and the kids themselves.

For Mandela Day this year, it wasn’t hard to decide how I wanted to spend my time. Street kids have always made the biggest impact on me – especially after getting to know two very special boys who I have seen face countless struggles. These kids are still on the street, and hard as it may be to accept it, as hardened street children, their chances are running out.

We shouldn’t only be thinking of helping people on Mandela Day, and it shouldn’t take wet winter days to make us aware of the plight that so many children and adults are living with on a daily basis. To quote Ghandi, we have to be the change that we want to see in the world today. Because if not us, then who?

I have put together a list of organisations who specifically deal with street children, along with a bit of information on what they do and a link or reference for how you can help each organisation.

Choose one, or find something that you feel passionately about, and make a difference in a way that will save or change a life. Don’t do it because it’s Mandela Day, don’t do it because it’s expected of you, do it because you care enough to do something for someone else.

Street Kids Initiatives – How to Help

There are a number of great iniatives, all of which are doing amazing things in our communities. For full details on each organisation, check out the links provided. Donations and other ways to help are also linked in each section.

1. The Homestead Projects for Street Children

Website: http://www.homestead.org.za/
Tel: (021) 419 9763
Email: info@homestead.org.za
Donations: click here
Volunteer: click here

The Homestead is based on developmental principles, offering a continuum of projects for boys of all ages, both on and off the streets, which address the needs of street children and their families. Through these projects, children can grow towards competence and self-confidence in their lives. From street work and intake shelters, through more settled residential and educational care, to family reconstruction services, The Homestead gets children off the streets and helps them rebuild their lives and their futures.

2. Ons Plek Projects for Girls

Website: http://www.onsplek.org.za/
Tel: (021) 465-4829
Email: onsplek@new.co.za
Donations: click here
Volunteer: click here

Each year almost 100 – 150 girls between 6 and 18 years leave home to fend for themselves on the streets of Cape Town. Ons Plek provides a safe, nurturing environment for girls living on the street, while also resettling them for a life off the streets and providing vocational training to enable these girls to strive towards a brighter future.

3. Western Cape Street Children’s Forum

Website: http://sites.google.com/site/wcscfsa/home
Tel: (021) 4199763
Email: wcstreetchild@gmail.com
Programmes: click here
Donations: contact Paul Hooper at wcstreetchild@gmail.com

The WCSCF represents most if, not all of the professional Street Children Organisations in the Western Cape. Through a number of projects, the WCSCF effectively engages government, business, the wider community, other sectors, as well as service providers towards the provision of practical solutions to the very challenging issue of Street-affected Children.

4. StreetSmart South Africa

Website: http://www.streetsmartsa.org.za
Tel: (021) 418 0621
Email: streetsmart@eqweb.co.za
Donations: click here
Get Involved: click here

StreetSmart raises money via participating restaurants, and distributes this money directly to established organisations with the experience and facilities to help children who are living on the streets. Participating restaurants display a StreetSmart card on the table informing patrons that a voluntary R5.00 donation will be added to their bill. They will have the option to give more than R5.00 (or not give at all). StreetSmart also educates diners about the dangers of giving handouts to street kids rather than assisting through an organisation that actively aims to address the issues of street children in South Africa.

5. LifeXchange – Youth Development

Website: http://www.lifexchange.co.za
Tel: (021) 785 2537
Email: info@lifexchange.co.za
Donations: click here
Get Involved: click here

Life Exchange is a registered specialized youth-at-risk intervention organization, comprised of full time staff, part time staff, volunteer mentors, members of the public and companies that want to make a change. Core projects include the Holistic Life Mentoring Process (HLMP) which is a combination of extreme sports, mentoring and support networking. Through this unique type of mentoring, troubled youth are able to have the opportunity for shared learning experiences and a chance at achieving their dreams.

So What Now?

Once you have had a look through this list of organisations dealing with troubled youth and street kids, you can either choose one organisation to support, or make a small donation of even R5-R20 to each organisation. If you have time to spare and want to make a difference in a more involved way, then consider volunteering – the rewards that can be enjoyed from working directly with children at risk are massive!

Another great resource for ways to help can be found over at Live 4 Cape Town. If you wish to learn more about the current state of street kids in Cape Town, make a visit to The Homestead or visit the Western Cape Street Children’s Forum online for facts and statistics.

While I occasionally manage to get myself into gear to make dinner, over the past few months I am finding it harder and harder to make time to prepare a proper, healthy meal. More often than not, it’s just easier to call Butlers, or make toast or waste money on pre-made meals that usually end up not even tasting all that great. So when I first heard about UrbanKhana, I was immediately won over by the idea of having home-cooked meals delivered to me every day. Being vegetarian, I was a bit worried that I wouldn’t have much in the way of options, but after scoping out the menu, I was happy to see some great options – and even desert!

Of course, with my ‘time warp’ and overall laziness and ability to lose track of weeks, it took me a while to actually sign up with them. I’m going to be giving them a try in the next week or so to see how it goes, and already I’m feeling rather stoked at the thought of not having to worry about dinner from Monday to Friday – that means I can focus my energy on the things that count, like getting my work done in time for Isidingo, and enjoying some couch-time, and wine and yummy food.

For those who’re keen to learn more about UrbanKhana, check out the website – it’s pretty simple to register, and menus run on a Mon-Fri basis. It costs just R225 for a full week, or R55 if you want to order for just a single day.

Not too bad for the luxury of having freshly made food brought to your doorstep hey? Rather impressive I reckon!

Go on, you know you want to

World Food Day is on 16 October, and the theme this year is United Against Hunger. While this is something that most of us are never able to really understand, millions of people all over the world are dying from hunger – over-population, urbanisation, war, pollution and poverty are slowly killing the world’s food supplies, and as a result, way too many people on this planet simply do not have access to food.

Woolworths has launched a brilliant online campaign that allows you to plant a virtual food plant (tomato, strawberry, basil or spinach) that they will match with a real life plant donation to a South Africa school that has a permaculture food garden. All you have to do is click on an empty bottle, choose your seedling and enter your details. Tres simple!

Click here to plant your tree and make a difference in our world.

My mom and I are doing the Santa Shoebox Project this year, something I’m rather excited about. It’s one of those simple yet amazing concepts that is organised all over the world, with local versions as well as international campaigns. The premise is pretty self-explanatory, using a shoebox, you get to play Santa to an underprivileged child who quite likely has never gotten a Christmas present before in their life.

Here’s how it works…

1. You go onto the site, and register.
2. From there, you can choose the child you wish to give the shoebox to – choosing gender, age and even a specific child from a specific home.
3. Once you’ve chosen the recipient of your shoebox, the fun part starts… putting together a box!
4. Following the guidelines given for box contents, you then compile your box and wrap it.
5. The box is then delivered to the drop off destination.

Sounds so easy, doesn’t it? If you’d like to do more, you can also volunteer or make a donation.

There’s a catch though – the deadline for shoebox delivery is 20 October 2010. Check it out right now while you still can, and see if you can make a child’s Christmas wishes come true this year!

Click here to see what you can do!

3 years on and I still get gob-smacked by this view

It’s hard to define exactly what gives us that feeling of being ‘home’. Maybe it’s the place, maybe it’s the people around us, or the neighbourhood – even the sense of finally being somewhere we feel safe and content. For me, moving to my little slice of awesomeness in the Bo Kaap is when I found that sense of peace.

another Bo Kaap morning...

There are so many reasons why I love this place, from the quiet and peaceful block (such a huge difference to the hell I endured in my Gardens flat!) to the panoramic view of the mountain, the constant stream of tourists, the police horses, the incredible old run down houses, beautiful Malay houses and urban decay, the farm next door (complete with occasional escaping animals and horses that paddock right near the road, not to mention the rooster and farm smells), the awesome community, great shops, bars, restaurants, coffee shops and other myriad places where I have become a ‘regular’. As more of my friends have moved this side, the circle has gotten bigger, with new stories and experiences, and more memories to be made.

an escapee from the signal hill farm

Sure there are the downsides – fire season is not the best time to be living right by Signal Hill, especially when you live on the service road that the fire engines use. It is darn near impossible to give directions too, and the Butlers’ boys usually get lost. The hills are sucky too sometimes, and living in the Bo Kaap means getting to know the local bergies. But during these past few years, I have gone through so much here, good times and bad. So many memories and moments… 3 years goes by so quickly that you can hardly believe how much time has gone by.

the infamous Bo Kaap ice-cream truck

It is this little ghetto that really cemented my love for the city, in all its chaotic, off the wall glory. Drive by stoner snoek sellers, the legendary Bo Kaap ice-cream truck and a farm in the middle of the city… my kinda neighbourhood indeed.

So this dude was basically walking around with a blindfold over his eyes, being led by what I can only assume to either be a level 1 bergie (or just a rather ‘under the weather’ fellow).

the blind drunk leading the blind crazy?

We still have no idea if this oke was really blind, just blind drunk, blind crazy or blind stupid – it’s hard to tell in this area. Nevertheless, it was still pretty entertaining watching them navigate the mid-morning Kloof Street chaos.

making their way up to Lifestyles on Kloof to cause more mayhem

It’s sightings like these that make the work day go quickly – awehness indeed.

The other day at lunchtime we spotted this little act of kindness on the Park and Kloof Street corner. A very very old lady was being assisted by one of the local car guards – who even helped carry her shopping. They were met by her gentleman friend, where the trio made their way slowly over Park Road and onto Kloof again.

Please enjoy this awesome moment as it unfolded…

car guard notices little old lady struggling, and comes to assist

her gentleman friend joins them and they steer her towards the road

getting to the half way mark

and we're almost there!

Precious!

fan guy bringing the gees

Being sick and having had one of the worst days ever, I was intent on going home to watch. Co-workers managed to persuade me otherwise luckily, and we headed across the road to Cactus where we had the best seats – outside, under the heater, directly by the window with the big screen in sight. There were some Frenchmen across from us (lord knows what they thought of the comments, but anyhoo!) and locals everywhere. Not quite as manic as Long Street, but it was perfect. One or two of us then headed down to Long, after a quick detour to feed cats. Jumped queues, packed balconies, fan guy and friends, and you get the general idea. It wasn’t a late one, and while today was rough and my poor throat was wrecked from cheering, I am glad I can say that I was there when Bafana beat France.

What a game, what an event… what a month. Eish!

Friday saw the kick off of the SWC, and with no work done all day (not to mention an hour long power cut on Kloof Street) we finally got out at 1pm. Holly met me outside my office, and after a quick carbo load at Nandos we headed down to Long Steet. The vibe was incredible, fans everywhere, vuvus going non stop, loads of happy people, bars and balconies overloaded… such a vibe. We got to Neighbourhood, where we had luckily gotten a private room at the back (thanks to my lovely bosses!). The rest of the gang from work rocked up with assorted buddies, then Blade rolled up, and while we did have some gate crashers, it only added to the vibe.

private room @ hood

After a drink or two, we watched the opening ceremony, which had me clapping in delight – really just blew me away, whatever the haters want to say. Every time Tutu came on, the entire building cheered, and much laughter was had when R Kelly came on too. The whole thing was so Ayoba and South African, I loved it!

the balcony party gets underway

Meanwhile on the balcony, a massive party was going down – there was impromptu drumming an a vuvuzela band blowing in time to the drums, much shoza loza and national anthem singing, a huge deal of foot stamping and jumping – so much that the balcony was shaking! The back bar was the perfect place to get in on the action outside and still see the TV. Once the game started for realz, we squeezed back inside to watch Bafana defend their asses off. I will admit sheepishly that we *may* have been outside drinking during the second half – but I watched bits through the door. Also, with huge queues for the ladies bathroom, we also got to watch on the big screen in the main dining area.

long street gees!

By the time the game had drawn 1:1, the balcony was where it was all going down. Tequila was had, vuvuzela’s were blown, and down on Long Street, the gees was off the charts. Fans flooded the street from the top to the bottom, with South Africans, French, Nigerian and many others joining the action on the street. At one point a little boy did an awesome little soccer presentation with his ball, with other fans joining in. The atmosphere was so amazing, with no bad vibes at all – just incredible happiness and GEES!

nigerian fan procession

One of my favourite bits was the procession of Nigerian fans, who had a traditional witch doctor type with them, plus drums and dancing and the whole shebang. Watching them coming down Long just took my breath away, it was incredible to see! They stopped outside for a while, and we got to watch from the balcony – not even the videos I took quite captured the moment!

From that point on, things started getting a little manic. Some friends joined us, more tequila was had, and eventually at some point I had decided I’d had enough, and I was determined to walk home. Holly wouldn’t let me walk alone luckily, but with so many people it was just like town on a typical lunch time, so was all good (even if my feet were killing me by the time we got to my hill). Walking up sans hangover was a bonus on Saturday morning!

It has only just begun really, and with some exciting games ahead, I’m amped for the next month. Besides, with so many hot tourists in the city, it’s like summer in Cape Town, but even more so… loving it!

I hope your World Cup moment was awesome wherever you were in the world, and I hope that this feVAH hits each of us big time!

It is HERE, feeeel it!

Lance Davids – #7

Lance Davids

Look at that gorgeous face – he is just adorable! Lance plays midfield, and wears the #7 top. At 25 he’s just a baby, but having been discovered by former Bafana Bafana coach Stuart Baxter in 2004 at the age of just 18, he’s had plenty of experience. Watch him because… that smile has dimples, I am sure of it!

MacBeth Sibaya – #6

MacBeth Sibaya

MacBeth is now my new favourite name, I wish I had thought of that when I got my kitten! Also, he has killer dreads and a cool attitude. MacBeth made his debut for for the national team nine years ago in a FIFA World Cup™ qualifier against Malawi. Watch him because… he looks like he would be fun to party with!

Teko Modise – #11

Teko Modise

Ok, maybe he’s not quite a Ronaldo or the French god… but our boy Teko is one of Bafana’s hottest players, and he is going to be one to watch throughout the World Cup. Despite falling out of grace during the Confed Cup, he is still a brilliant player, and hopefully the SWC will bring him back to glory once again! Watch him because… he is one of the top players on the squad.

Matthew Booth – #14

Mathew Booth

There’s no way you will miss this defender on the field – firstly, he’s the only white guy on the team, secondly he’s huge and thirdly, he plays defense. Much-loved by every South African, Booth is the boy wonder who is bringing the team much-needed energy and oomph. Watch him because… he’s going to stop the other guys from scoring!

Anele Ngongca – #5

Anele Ngcongca

Another defender, Anele is one of the team’s important players – keeping the other team from scoring and tackling to the death. At only 22, he is a bit of a ‘mystery man’ but has slowly shown his potential to be a national team gem with talent and composure. Watch him because… he’s going to kick ass and take names (and also, he looks like Simon Webb from Blue, kinda, hehe).

Well, I know who MY favourite favourite is… who is yours?

P.S. You can check out the full FIFA SWC squad list for the full team.