I was walking in the mall with my son who noticed all the Christmas trees when I realized that I do not know why we have Christmas trees.
On its travels through South Africa the Climate Train has been creating unique spaces for community members - notables and ordinary people alike- to engage in meaningful discussions around climate change and the lively Pretoria was certainly no exception.
Innovative recycled products including a world first were rewarded recently at the South African Plastics Recycling Organization's (SAPRO) second annual Best Recycled Product Competition award ceremony. The winners were announced at a gala dinner at the Midrand Conference Centre.
My reason for choosing the 'Coffee-Can Drum' craft is; when I observe a young child banging on different surfaces two things becomes very clear; tapping on things comes very natural to us and forms part of how we discover this world.
Music, art and waste formed a fusion of culture and new creativity in Cape Town during the 'Infecting the City' Spier Public Arts festival. There was the chanting of Sufi sacred texts, martial art based on the knife-fighting techniques of the Cape Flats, hip-hop 'B-Boy duels', and traditional riel dances of Khoisan farm workers.
Polystyrene got lumped with 'bad plastics' in the old days before it was recycled in our country.
In an attempt to get the youth more involved and interested in the field of waste management the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa (IWMSA) invited the learners from two schools to attend the WasteCon 2010 exhibition in Johannesburg and charged them 'an article made out of waste materials' each to enter.
The Halo and the Noose is a book about the power of story telling and story listening in business life. It is aimed at all leaders and motivators who would rather use a gentle approach to lead and guide. The book is also for any person who wants to grow and learn on a spiritual front.
There is a magical space in Klein Joostenberg outside Stellenbosch where you can get lost in the sacred marriage between nature and creativity.
For years I would walk into every nursery with my standard question: 'Where are your indigenous plants?' Blank look. One day things will change and people will understand. So I would wander and search and try to figure out what falls into my required waterwise bracket.
Omo boxes, romany cream boxes, Liqui fruit boxes and many more are being carefully hand crafted into stylish practical wallets at Mamelani Projects, a Cape Town based health NGO, as part of an income generating project. Its a community-based health programme that empowers women to access clinic services, gain knowledge regarding a range of illnesses affecting them and their families, and take action to improve their health and the health of their loved ones.
