The Polystyrene Packaging Council’s (PSPC) hugely successful 'Bread Tags for Wheelchairs' project has already touched hundreds of lives around the country. Currently in its fifth year, the project encourages people around the country to collect their breadtags which are then used to “purchase” wheelchairs for people who are unable to afford them. The plastic bread closures … [Read more...]
The complexities of funding SA water projects
South Africa is a water scarce country and subject to both droughts and periodic floods. Over the last few months there have been a number of news reports advising that various municipalities in South Africa have been without water. Increasing investments into water resource infrastructure is becoming increasingly important for the country. Coincidentally, on Tuesday, 19 … [Read more...]
100 disadvantaged kids get a ‘smile for life’
Imagine not being able to smile, or even eat, drink or speak normally. One in about every 1000 babies are born with either a cleft lip or palate - which can easily be repaired by a one hour operation that will help these children lead normal and happy lives. Last year, Woolworths and MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet joined forces to raise funds for Operation Smile, a MyVillage … [Read more...]
Young girl’s wish provides hope
Samantha Paul was supposed to be planning her daughter Rachel Beckwith's birthday party. Instead, she was in Tigray, Ethiopia, pumping water from the wells built in Rachel’s memory. It was the dream her little girl never got the chance to see come true. "She wouldn't believe it, she'd be like awestruck," Paul told NBC News via Skype from Tigray. The Seattle mom herself was … [Read more...]
Malherbe takes on another epic journey
Extreme adventurer Braam Malherbe has set his sights on circumnavigating the Tropic of Capricorn in a bid to raise awareness for I-Saw, a charity that focuses on children with cleft palates and burn scars. To date he has risen over R2.5-million. Speaking at a recent Alexander Forbes business breakfast at the East London Golf Club, Malherbe, 55, said his upcoming adventure … [Read more...]
Brave Elvis reaches America
Twenty-five-year-old Tanzanian conservationist Elvis Munis recently cycled from Mexico to the United States, raising funds to set up a scholarship for Tanzanian students to study conservation and resource management. His fundraising goal is 100 000 US dollars. The Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI) will administer the scholarship. Elvis began his trip in Chile and … [Read more...]
40 learners share only 1 pencil
The new year heralds the start of the school year, with many learners having to go to school without stationery. The Miss Earth South Africa (MESA) team is doing their best to help, and they need your support. For the forthcoming year, MESA have set new boundaries for their stationery drive. Their goal is to touch 10 000 young lives by giving them all the stationery that … [Read more...]
Save the African Painted Dog
“If a man aspires towards a righteous life, his first act of abstinence is from injury to animals,” said Albert Einstein. If you, like us, love our threatened wild dogs, here is a great way you can help conserve these beautiful animals. Following the success of the Woolworths Rhino Bag in raising much needed funds for protecting our rhinos from extinction, they have now … [Read more...]
Bird lovers cycle for conservation
During the recent JoBerg2C mountain bike race, BirdLife South Africa's 'Fast and Featherless' team and their famous patron raised much needed funds and awareness for bird conservation in South Africa. The team's patron, Phil Liggett - internationally regarded as the 'voice of cycling' is a legend in cycling circles, having been the commentator of over 20 Tour de France cycle … [Read more...]
Spin for the Zandvlei Estuary
On Saturday and Sunday, 25-6 September Spin 4 Charity, a non-profit organisation, will be hosting an environmental Spinning Challenge in Muizenberg in collaboration with Earthwave and 350.org. This is a forerunner to the International Workday organised by 350.org on 10/10/2010 across the world. Head down to the Muizenberg Waterfront to cycle a stationary bicycle to music, … [Read more...]
Turning bread tags into wheelchairs
Some think it's an urban legend that all bread tags collected in boxes across the Cape Peninsula and further afield go to a granny in Noordhoek, who provides wheelchairs to the needy. Think again. I went to visit Mary Honeybun to experience her incredible Breadtags for Wheelchairs project. And if you're still wondering what you can do to help this world, here is something … [Read more...]
Equipment donations for conservation work
Amanda Bourne (of the Climate Action Partnership) attended a presentation by IDEA WILD, a US NPO that supports biodiversity conservation efforts by raising funds and donating equipment to conservation researchers and projects. This includes office equipment and software, lab equipment, field equipment, and some costs such as for a field assistant or for fuel or transport … [Read more...]
