What motivates me?

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The fundamental motivating factor in life has been the poverty stricken conditions which I grow up under in Khayelitsha, a township just outside Cape Town.  The area has high crime rates, poor infrastructure, and little resources such as libraries to assist with school. There are no shopping malls with entertainment centres and these are just some of the few reasons to have resentment towards the place. All this unpleasantness helped me remain focused on my vision and worked hard in ensuring that I one day escape such deficiency.  

Another key motivation in my life is my siblings. My brothers and sisters are top performers in their respective schools and grades. They are hard workers and won’t go to bed at night without finishing their homework. As their eldest brother, they look up to me and for this reason I constantly strive to live an exemplary life. I am always careful in the manner I speak, behave and do things before them. This has shaped me into the humble, respectful, responsible person that I am today...ha ha ha.

As a teenager I befriended myself with matured and career focussed people. In their company I learned to be goal driven, hardworking and to live a purposeful life. I would absorb their knowledge and listen to their experiences in life, things of which I have successfully applied in my life.

We are what we do

Are you familiar with the say that goes, “thoughts become feelings which become our actions which become our behaviours which then becomes our habits”? This phrase explains exactly why we do certain things which depict who we are. Many of us do not realise this but it is true.

A negative thinker has a tendency of engaging in things considered wrong by others. They are people with suffering from a low self-esteem and will pick on others just so that they can feel good about themselves. Others find such people very unpleasant to be with and will do everything in their power to have little interactions with these people. Spreading rumours, picking fights, doing and saying hurtful things are some of the actions which they will find pleasure in.

Positive people on the other hand are more pleasant people to be with. They bring love, laughter and cheerfulness to their circles. These people love being surrounded by others and would find any excuse to host a get-together. They regarded as trustworthy and one can rely on them for good advice. Positive people are seen as a real blessing to ones live and friendships with these persons are usually longer lasting.

Good education should be for all.

The University of Cape Town (UCT) admission policy finally come under spot light early this week. The DA Student’s Organisation (Dasa) called for the race criteria to be scrapped from the policy whereas other youth organisations such as the SA Students congress wants the policy to remain as is.

UCT has a reputation for only accepting students from affluent backgrounds’ and the top performing schools in the country. Preference is also given to those belonging to the elite of the country such as politicians, celebrities and sports stars. To shy away from this prejudice practice, the institution has in recent years accepted students from disadvantaged backgrounds. I find this completely unacceptable as it deprives majority of hardworking school leavers from a good education.

Tertiary institutions should be better regulated by government. Admission requirements and the quality of education should be closely monitored to ensure all high prospective students get a fair chance to study at the institution of their choice. I in fact think that tertiary institutions should be a podium that balances the inequalities of primary and secondary education.

http://www.uctfund.org/impact.html

We are afraid of the wrong things.

We are afraid of doing things known as wrong in society. The reason for this is that we know that the consequences of doing wrong things are detrimental. Let’s say you are caught taking money from your best friend’s piggybank while visiting her house. She would feel betrayed and angry.

Stealing is perceived as wrong in society and when caught in action, you will be labelled as a thief. Being caught stealing will make you untrustworthy. People will distance themselves from you and your relationships with them will be in jeopardy.

The cost of defeating the ends of justice is even more severe. Imagine being pulled of the road by a traffic officer for reckless driving only to discover that you had one drink too many. You get arrested for drinking and driving and detained for the entire weekend. Firstly, you will have a criminal record in your name and secondly, two days of your life are wasted locked up in a smelly holding sell sleeping on concrete floors.

Yes, we are afraid to do wrong things because the consequences are usually hostile.




http://www.myobjectionis.com/2011/02/chad-holly-case-feds-may-be-stepping-in.html

Fish falling from the sky.

A drought settled just outside of the Western Sahara desert. Hopeless, tired and hungry a couple of families lay scattered in the blazing hot weather. Villagers and cattle were under extreme poverty. The situation was dreadful and the rain had not fallen in months.

Up the northwest to the Sahara, hurricane Hirania was causing destruction on a small island, the island remained empty with no animals or humans. Hirania made her way across the ocean wiping out helpless fish towards the Sahara.  Desperately the villagers ran for their lives, as they watched a massive dark cyclone coming towards them.

Strangely enough, it was as if Hirania came to a complete halt on the shore of the Sahara. There was a moment of silence, a moment when everything came to a standstill, when the unexpected happened. Fish started falling from the sky! Hirania flung all the fish it sucked from the ocean all over the village. The villagers were in jubilation.  

School yards, doomed yards!

School grounds on the Cape Flats have become warzones! A 16 year old boy was stabbed by a fellow school mate during an argument on school grounds in Valhalla Park Cape Flats a few days ago. This saddens me because it is a senseless killing of yet another learner.

The Department of Education and the provincial government departments have come up with various interventions to beef up security at schools. These interventions include, hiring security guards and social workers on school grounds. In addition, there will be installations of CCTV’s, metal detectors, and school grounds will be barricaded with electric wiring. This will cost provincial government millions of rand’s annually.

The solution to curb violence at schools is to instil good morals and strong principles amongst youngsters. A positive mental state in children will allow them to rise above any obstacle and easily turn away from crime. In order to achieve this, parents will have to play an active role in the lives of their children.

I’ll signoff in quoting my mother’s favourite say, “Charity begins at home”.

What is the colour of the wind?

The colour of the wind is green. The wind is a refreshing green breeze. Green is the colour of nature everything that is pure and natural. The wind reminds me of leaves gently blowing and trees swaying from side to side releasing organic aromas in the air. Aromas’ so refreshing it brings new ideas and joyfulness to human kind.

The colour of the wind is green. Green for it symbolises growth, the growing of trees and money. The wind brings trees to life with through movement and sound. Branches stretch long and wide in all directions playing along with wind.

The colour of the wind is green. Green that brings healing to the human physical wellbeing and comfort to the soul. Healing through natural remedies created from the tree roots and leaves nourished by wind.  

In my mind the colour of wind is green. Green because that is what I would like the world to look like.