Lanseria and Cradle Area
Friday 18 July 2014
The Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site is one of eight South
African World Heritage Sites. It is the world's richest hominin site, home
to around 40% of the world's human ancestor fossils. The 53 000ha area is also home to a
diversity of birds, animals and plants, some of which are rare or endangered.
In light of JoziKid’s
author Kerry Haggard’s sentiments below, it was a real pleasure today to meet
dedicated and dynamic people who give of their time freely as volunteers and
intend to do so on a weekly basis throughout the year!
Hats off to Zenon
van Deventer, IT Specialist and Candice Argall of ‘Bugbox Animation’ who have
come on board to assist where they can with two schools. Also kudos to the founder of Ripple Reading –
Riana Robinson who has assisted in improving student literacy levels through
remedial teaching and has inspired many students to become rising stars!
Kerry Haggard of Jozikids is a working mom who tries to make a
difference in the world around her, in between juggling all the balls that readers
are familiar with! Kerry shares her
views on Mandela Day!
“Each year, we’re encouraged to spend 67 minutes doing something
significant for our fellow South Africans in honour of Nelson Mandela, to show
our commitment to our country, and to building it into the nation that we
believe he dreamed of while he was imprisoned on Robben Island. It’s a great idea, and one that deserves our
commitment and support.
What I would love to see is South Africans making a
365-day-a-year commitment to making this fantastic country an even better
place.
Instead of arriving at a school to paint the classroom, and then
leaving, how about actually talking to the principal to find out what the
school needs – and then commit to visiting it every so often to see how you can
help, constructively.
Instead of planting a tree where trees they are clearly not
going to survive, how about talking to local communities and finding out where
a vegetable garden would work. Then
don’t just plant it, keep on visiting, to make sure that the plants are doing
well, and to restock with seedlings as plants mature.
I guess what I’m asking is that we don’t rush in, wave a magic
wand of goodness, and then leave, for one day each year. What I would love to
see is people working on relationships all year round. Its strong relationships with people that we
care for that are going to change the negative tides in our country, in my
opinion. If you care for someone, you’re
going to do everything that you can to make the world a better place for them. If you care for your fellow South Africans, whether
it’s with something as simple as a smile when you pass them in the street, or
as committed as an ongoing partnership, this country will truly become the
place that Madiba dreamed of.”
Ripple Reading Are Celebrating
Mandela Day with Two Projects
Nooitgedacht Nr 88 School Project
There will be 6 teams:
Team Mandela
Leadership/
Blue – Edge Consulting - Painting of Lapa and garden wall
Team Mandela
Forgiveness
/ Red – ManMade Group - Installing Woven Latte Fence
Team Mandela
Hope
/ White – Friends of Ripple - Reading with the kids 11h30 – 12h30
Team Mandela
Integrity
/ Yellow – Management of the day event
Team Mandela
Wisdom
/ Green – Shannon Stronach, Anglo American and Najla Richardson and Carey
Christie, Cradlestone Mall Centre Management – Make Over and landscaping
Reading Garden
Team Mandela
Respect
/ Orange – Garden Assistance (High School leaders)
“Team
Wisdom” will be responsible for the creation of the reading garden. There
is an existing garden that needs to be shaped, changed, aerated, fertilized and
re-planted. Grow Wild, Belgro, Garden World and Siyakula Nursery have donated
plants. Grow Wild gave a large donation with Siyakula very short on
their heels. Ryan Hermanson, Director of Garden Goods cc kindly gave of his time and that of his staff donating plants, bark chips and fertilizer and landscaped the garden area on Saturday 19 July. Flora Haven have promised to donate the grass early in September.
Ripple Reading still seek a sponsor for three carpets (3 x 4
meters); two additional reading garden benches and 8 units of pre-cast wall.
Sculptor
Kurt Lossgott very kindly donated / ‘sold’ one uniquely crafted bench for the reading
garden for an exchange of R1-00, on the premise that the R1-00 be re-invested
back into Ripple Reading. The thinking
behind this is as Kurt says:
“I
will donate one bench for this school for one lucky rand. I am re investing this lucky rand back into
the funds of the school to form a circle of consistent good will of noble
achievers and friendship.”
SCULPTOR KURT LOSSGOTT'S "THE ELDER'' PORTRAIT WILL BE ON DISPLAY FROM 15H30
NOOITGEDACHT NR 88 SCHOOL PROJECT - PROGRAM FOR THE DAY 
8am -
Coffee and rusks - Work and have fun.
16h30 –
Edge Consulting
“End of 2014 Mandela Day” braai on premises
BLAIR ATHOLL PRIMARY RURAL SCHOOL PROJECT - PROGRAM FOR THE DAY THUTO KE LESEDI - "EDUCATION IS LIGHT"
8am -
Coffee and rusks – (Hard) work and have fun.
Clearing excess and relocation of computer equipment from one
classroom to another.
Storeroom
clearing; removal of boxes for recycling; painting of **ablution facilities
(**Paint
kindly donated by DIY Depot, Hertford Junction, Lanseria Branch)
12h30 Hotdog
Lunch and cool drinks - Second shift
16h30 –
Edge Consulting
“End of 2014 Mandela Day” braai at Nooitgedacht Nr 88 School
Entrance
for both events was: A Positive Attitude, hat, water bottle, equipment that you
might need as advised by Riana and to wear old clothes. Ripple Reading appreciated celebrating
the spirit of Mandela Day with positive volunteers! THANK YOU!
going forward – atkv handevat (taking hands)
“Neem my hand – saam maak ons ‘n
verskil”
From Saturday 19 July 2014 and most other Saturdays
the Team will take what was started on Mandela Day and go on with it. The project is called the ATKV Handevat (Taking
Hands). The goal of the “ATKV
Handevat Projek” is for affluent communities to take hands with the poor
communities in schools.
Blair Atholl will have a grader going in to start
work on clearing land for a similar garden area as Noooitgedacht School, and
longterm eventually will have a similar reading garden. At Nooitgedacht, a group of children will be
spending an hour with the reading group, and all will go on with the garden and
hang curtains in the Lapa Room.
If you are energetic, positive and passionate and want to make a difference at
these two schools who are attended by children from the surrounding informal
settlement areas of Lanseria and the rural Cradle Area. Contact Riana at riana@ripplereading.co.za
“It is about
service. It is about purpose.
It's about making the most of today for the next
generation of rising stars”
~ Ripple Reading
#RippleReading #MandelaDay
Ripple Reading is a registered black
owned Non-profit company, PBO number 930043571, welcomes your support.
