The First Step

 Hey friends, As we go through the final weeks and get ready to bid a final farewell to another year gone by, I hope that each and everyone of you has been able to keep your compassion intact and your hope at the forefront of what has been a nightmare of a year. We have been through so much in the past few months but one thing is for sure, the love that this year has brought out will not go unnoticed. The year 2020 will go down in history as the year we remembered who we were and what we were put on this earth to do. As we gently place our loss and grief of this year in a glass box with the shattered pieces of our hearts sprinkled over it, as we look forward with hope of a better year ahead I pray that the lessons we were taught this year are remembered and that we never lose sight of what is truly important. We don't need much. We've never needed much. This was such an inspirational year for me. You have all inspired me in some way, shape or form. The resilience and determinat...

Hey friends, I was going through some pictures recently on Instagram by a photographer, Adrian Steirn. He got up close and personal with some guys that were shooting up heroin. It was a scary, thought provoking picture and it made me think long and hard about one of the silent killers of our generation - addiction.  I've been thinking about how desensitised we've become to the issue and the fact that many people don't understand what it takes for people living with an addiction problem to try and give it up or to live as a recovering substance abuser. The relapses, the shame they face from society, the frustration, the mental health issues and everything in-between. It's become so easy for us to play God and judge harshly on what we think is not okay or is a moral dilemma in our books. This is a very sensitive topic to many people out there, so I urge you to have an open heart when reading. There are many types of substance abuse, as we are all very well aware of but al...

Hey friends, I'm so, so sorry that I've been MIA for a while but I am back now. I've missed you! I hope you guys are keeping well and hanging in there. I can't believe we're already in September. This year has been moving way too fast. We've been downgraded to level 2 lockdown here in South Africa and while we're all transitioning back into our office life the cases of violence against women and children are still at a record high. The Daily Maverick reported that there was a massive increase in reported cases of gender-based violence during the hard lockdown, 87 000 to be precise. This created an opportunity for me to ask our women, via social media, about some of the self-defense items they carry with them when travelling or just going about their days. The results concluded that pepper spray is a very popular item. If you don't already have one or have no idea where to get one from have a look at Defcon Tactical  or Takealot . You can order online wi...

Hey friends, You guys doing okay? I've been finding myself in and out of a state of anxiousness the past couple of days. I think it's quite normal to be feeling that way during a time like this. I have always had anxiety and as a child it was MUCH worse. It would stop me from going on school excursions. It was that bad. Somehow, I have learnt to deal with it and take a hold of it in a more understanding way. It's never been easy but I got there. What's helped me a lot was my spiritual journey. Learning to trust God with everything in your life is a very difficult thing to do when you've always tried to control everything around you. I'm going to be bold and talk a little about my life growing up. I never grew up in a happy home. For me it was always trying to prepare myself for the next thing going wrong. That was a major part of my anxiety as a child . I was always walking on eggshells and never had anyone to speak to. It wasn't something I co...

Hey friends, I've been a bit quiet lately. It's been quite an emotionally draining 3 weeks for the women in SA and throughout the world. How did we get back here? I am just so exhausted. I am so greatly affected by  Gender Based Violence in my country and around the world. Joanne Chukwueke called it the "shadow pandemic" in her article. I can't tell you the kind of anxiety this pandemic gives me. I'm thankful that I am able to work from home. Covid-19 has helped with my safety in terms of not traveling so often but for the many other women that still need to get out there and put food on the table for their families this world is not a safe space to walk through. Even living at home in times like this can be a very dangerous thing when you have an abusive partner. How do you stop a rape culture that has gone on for centuries? How do we create an environment where men and women can come out and seek help? An environment where they do the work ...