Belmore wins challenge

Belmore wins challenge

• Beacon View Primary (Metro South):Shafiekah Booysen, Damion McLeod, Rasheeqa GaidienGrowsmart

There was excitement and nerves at the V&A Waterfront on Saturday as learners from three schools in the Western Cape went head to head in the final round of the Growsmart Literacy Challenge, which coincides with UNESCO International Literacy Day. More than 168 schools around the province participated since the start of the project and on Saturday, eight schools went through to the semi-finals, with three schools each walking away with magnificent prizes. Belmore primary school in Penlyn Estate took the top prize at the event.
Speaking to VOC News, Growsmart assistant manager Jewel Harris, said it was an emotional day for many of the parents as learners took the stage. “It was an absolutely exciting event and we were there till the end as no one knew who the winning school was going to be. The schools were unbelievable in the way they competed throughout the day,” she said. “When we finally announced the winning team, these learners just burst out into tears and in seconds we had parents and educators from Belmore Primary storming towards the stage."
More than 500 people showed up to support the event. “This place was packed and we had people from various communities supporting their schools. We had to escort a few of them off stage by the time we started handing out the prizes,” she said. Belmore Primary came in first place walking away with R200,000 worth of prizes, as well as R20,000 for each of the three learners who participated in the finals. The learner's prizes will go towards their future education. Talfallah Primary and Parkfield Primary also received R25, 000 each for the upliftment of their schools.
Harris said the winning teams who never made it to the finals have to keep trying until they succeed. “We don’t want them to feel sad because they did not make it to the finals. Just remember that there are many more competitions to come and who knows, they might be the next champions,” she said. “Keep working hard and we will continue the Growsmart competition next year. We have over 200 schools competing in the next competition. It is completely fun to be part of it and I am definitely looking forward to working with these learners again.”
Bonita August, an educator and mentor for the Belmore team, said winning the 2012 Growsmart competition brought tears to her eyes. “If we look at the environment and background that these learners come from as well as their hardships that they have to go through every day, it is very emotional and heartsore. When they took the stage to collect their titles, I instantly jumped up from my seat, screaming with joy and happiness flowing from my heart,” she said.
“These learners from the Parkwood community deserve it. They deserve to be rewarded with a better education when they grow up. Many of them are talented, bright and respectful young children.” August said the three learners who competed in the final round could not control their emotions.
“The tears started to roll non-stop. They could not believe that they have just won.
"They were quite nervous all morning due to last year’s winners being in the finals as well. Due to the great team work on the day, they did a pretty good job bringing home the title,” she said. “I have to commend my Grade 6 students - Jayden Williams, Michaela Jafta and Ruwayda Basson. Being their teacher for the past year, I am extremely honoured and proud."
The R200,000 will go a long way to benefitting all learners at the school, many of them without proper resources. The school needed fundraising to fix up their building, which was in a bad state. "Today I can thank the Almighty for granting us this great reward,” said August. “I would like to thank Growsmart for giving us this opportunity to compete in this amazing competition. There are many schools who need support and I am sure that many will benefit in their future competitions.”
If you would like to register a school in your community to compete in the upcoming Growsmart competition, you can contact the organisation on 073 221 2963 or visit their web page on www.growsmart.org.za. VOC (Aishah Cassiem)

Support for madaris urged

Support for madaris urged

The building of Islamic schools in various townships in the Western Cape has rapidly increased over the past few years, with many underprivileged people gaining more knowledge on Islam. However, many of these schools lack funding as well as Islamic material for children to make use of. Speaking to VOC News, Maulana Faizel Alexander from the Discover Islam Centre in Lansdowne said without the support of the broader Muslim community in Cape Town – children in various townships will suffer.
“There are many masajid being built in townships which are being sponsored by various organizations in Cape Town. The sad part of this good cause is that there are not enough material and teachers who can teach these kids what they need to know,” he said. “If we can get support and start doing fundraising to uplift these madaris, then I’m sure these children will gain tremendously."
Alexander said the matter has come to their attention and they are ready to take on the challenge to better the Islamic education in townships. “This is a big issue and everyone needs to look at it very seriously. We have reverts in these areas who need our assistance at all times,” said Alexander. “Our organization has been working with many townships over the past few years and to see the appreciation of these people and their desire to learn more is heart sore."

Going out to help

Alexander said the organization will be going on various outreach projects to townships for the next few months and have already started within the Delft community. DIC has been involved with a madrassa in the Delft community for the last seven years. "Working with these bright kids is great...many of them come from underprivileged backgrounds. We feed them every week and try to give them as much educational activities that they need to get,” said Alexander.
DIC also took these children on camps teaching them about Islam and showing them how to make salah and take wudu. "These children need to know these basic things in Islam and it is very important that the community support them on this. So we sent a few teachers to these madaris and provided them with a ‘teacher’s facilitators course’,” he said.
“We donated clothing and food to these areas as well and not only to our Muslim brothers and sisters but to non-Muslims as well," he added. The centre have been working with a revert in Delft for the past few months. Mama Suleigha who embraced Islam a few years ago just recently went on haj. She has also been caring for over 60 students in the area for a very long time, ensuring these kids get fed every week.
Alexander added that the organization has been working closely with madrassa’s in Du Noon and Mitchells Plain too. “These madrassa’s are need of surahs and Qurans. If we can get white boards and a few books for these kids to write on, it will be greatly appreciated. Islamic education is very important, we urge everyone to get on board."
The Discover Islam Centre will launch their upcoming initiative ‘Adopt a Madrassa’ early next year and plead to the community to come forward as soon as possible. If you would like to know more on the project or would like to contribute towards any of DIC’s current projects, you can contact Maulana Faizel Alexander on 021 6968375/6. VOC (Aishah Cassiem)

Daring try for balloon man

Daring try for balloon man      

It will be a daring attempt for enthusiastic Matt Silver Vallance, also known as the ‘balloon man’ as he takes on the challenge to fly across the open waters of Cape Town with only a few helium filled balloons in April next year. With the aim of raising R10 million for the proposed Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital in Johannesburg, Vallance said many people within the various sectors of South Africa have already come forward to support the initiative.
“My family and friends say that flying from Robben Island to the mainland of Cape Town with a bunch balloons is quite crazy. Yes it does sound risky, but with training and safety measures on the day we are hoping that everything goes as planned,’’ he said. “The balloon run has really inspired me to push harder and when we started this project we wanted to create an event that would capture the imagination of the broader nation and yes I am proud to say that it did and people are starting to take interest."
Vallance said choosing the destination for the flight was quite a hard decision. “We chose to do the flight from Robben Island because we want to grab the imagination of the global audience. There are lots of active media out there and we want to draw them to South Africa especially seeing that it is for a good cause,” he said. “Many ask us why we chose to donate money to a well known organisation, instead of smaller ones who needs the money. If we compare the Nelson Mandela Children’s hospital to other worldwide organisations, you’ll find that it is nowhere near their high funding."
“It is very interesting for me to see how people around the world fly balloons to raise money for organisations in their country. To think that when you are in mid air you could be going much higher in a matter of seconds and anything can happen,” he said. The only equipment that will be used to pop the balloons for landing will be blades, pallet guns and certain type of technical equipment that will make a difference to lowering. If anything should go wrong, it is best to cut loose and aim for the lower waters. There will be paramedics on standby on the day as well, Valance explained.
His journey from the Robben Island Museum to the mainland will consist of approximately 200 x 5 foot diameter helium-inflated latex balloons attached to him. The push up and landing will be controlled by either jettisoning weight or deflating a balloon, while the direction will be controlled by air currents. He said an experienced international team of experts will be on duty to ensure a successful flight.

Helping hands

Valance said that they are working with various organisations in the city and have recently met up with SA Rugby to help take the initial steps. “We are launching the programme in Cape Town and Robben Island for the next two weeks and are hoping to get as much people on board. However, we already have different partners that are working with us including City Varsity and a few other organisations in the Western Cape,’’ he said. “We are also planning to screen the event live with Google- South Africa for everyone around the world to see.”
“To see people help each other all the time is great and inspiring to many. But the sad part of asking for help from the public is that many people that you engage with say yes they are willing to help and they like the idea of the project, but when it is finally there they are nowhere to be found,” added Vallance. The adventurer admitted that he was quite stressed out because although there are organisations sponsoring the initiative, the team needed to get more funding to cover the complete project. He said the costing for the inflated latex balloons totals up to more than R1800 with the helium adding up to an enormous price.
“I am happy that there are people who came forward to sponsor the helium for the day, so right now, we are concentrating on funding mainly," he said. “I am very excited and at the same time nervous to be doing this great project. If I had to die doing this, I would know that it wasn’t done to show off but rather for a good cause that will be benefiting many little children at the hospital.”
If you would like to know more on the Robben Island Balloon Run or would like to donate towards the initiative, you can email Matt Silver-Vallance on matt@balloonrun.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit the webpage on www.balloonrun.com.   V OC (Aishah Cassiem)

2nd Cape Town Hijaab Photoshoot Competition

HEY HIJAABI-NISTA'S

GUESS WHAT!!!

Details on the second annual hijaabi photoshoot competition will be released soon. This time we going bigger and better with lots of sponsers on board and great shooting venues for our Muslimahs.

With a popular demand from youth in Cape Town - many said that the competition was inspiring to the  young Muslimahs -to wear the hijaab and to stay away from western lifestyle that many inocent girls are falling for...  

here are some words from the public:

Tasmiyah Ally Kotty I think u shud have more as it is agreat way 2 inspire our muslim women 2 wear Hijaab especially since we live in a western country which puts pressure on our muslim women as dey dnt want 2 wear hijaab bcoz dey feel it is only 4 oumas. But if we inform and educate our youth on the importance of hijaab and show dem dat Hijaab is not 4 oumas but actually shows real beauty !

Kashiefa Adams Kamaar Luv it. Def do more. I find it very inspiring. Would also be great if the top 3 finalists maybe provide a few guidelines as to how they pinned the scarf especially if we want to replicate the style. That would b awesome.
 

Fatgieyah Abrahams Mayman

Masha allah. Good for young muslims to show that wearing hijab can be fashionable and fun. May allah guide and protect us,ameen.

Imaan Richards Adams I just wanted to say, as long as your niyaat(intention) is good and of pure thoughts and in the will of Allah subghan wata'allah then go forth sister. This definetely inspires me to wear hijaab, as i felt ugly in hijaab. So shukraan for making a difference.

 

Curiosity over Mars mission

Curiosity over Mars mission

The University of Stellenbosch called on the Cape Town community to join them on Monday 3rd September as Japie van Zyl from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) gives insight into their latest mission to Mars. Speaking to VOC’s Afternoon Cruise, Prof Herman Steyn, the head of the Electrical and Electronic Engineering Department at Stellenbosch University, said many students are eager to know more about the mission.

“We have invited a lot of people to come and join us on the day and this is indeed something very interesting and exciting for the community and those interested in studying in the field. I am also very happy for Japie’s part and truly proud to say that he was one of the students who studied here at Stellenbosch University a few years back before he left for America,” said Steyn.
He said he was amazed by the great work and upgrades that NASA has done over the past few years. “NASA has built many rovers before, but I am quite excited for the latest one they have built for the Mars mission called the ‘Curiosity Rover’. Many of the students have an interest in things like this and I’m glad to say this is the opportunity for them to get a glimpse of what they can expect in future if they work in the field,” he said.
Steyn said there is limited space for the talk and that people should contact their offices if they would like to reserve special seats. “We have invited a lot of people to come to this talk and hope to see them on the day. However, we do have a limited space at the engineering faculty for the gathering, which will take place just after lunch time. The media is also more than welcome to attend and I’m sure we can make space if there are more people than what we expected. But they need to let us know before hand,” he advised.
“Due to the fact that Japie has to leave the country very soon, questions from the media will be limited. But we would really like to accommodate everyone’s questions on the day to get to know more about this mission,” Steyn said. If you would like to know more on the Curiosity Mission to Mars you can contact Prof Herman Steyn on 021-808-4926 or visit the universities website on www.sun.ac.za. VOC (Aishah Cassiem)

Looking at Islam for Life

Looking at Islam for Life      

With the aim to improve the lifestyle of thousands of Muslims in the Cape Town community, scholars at Masjidul Munowara are once again inviting the public to participate in their latest Islamic lifestyle course, ‘Islam for Life’. Maulana Irshaad Sedick, the imam at Retreat based masjid said many individuals have already come forward to register for the course. The speaker, Maulana Muaath Allie is an expert in the field of Islam, marriage and other topics.
“Most people don’t know that he is a professional and this course will be done in the entire field of application of the Quran and sunnah. It's done in a very practical way so that we can live a better life, insh Allah,” said Sedick. Many Muslims are resorting to ‘Western’ books for guidance. “The modern trend in the West is that people need motivation and inspiration at all times. Many Muslims are also buying these type of books to get guidance. Why not give our brothers and sister’s knowledge and guidance from Islam that lead them to others,” he said.
“When we look in some of these books we will see that many of these principles are rooted to Islam, so why not look at it from an Islamic point of view. Why do we have to resort to other books when the Quran gives the best guidance in life?” questioned Sedick. The first lecture for the course will take place at the masjid on Tuesday and will be proceeding for the next 10 weeks, said Sedick.
“This course is free of charge for both men and women and will be taking place after Eshaai every Tuesday night. Donations are accepted for this program as this is the only way for us to keep up with these courses in the community." He added that notes and DVD’s will be handed out to participants throughout the program and that many of the features are beneficial to the people.
“It is important for us to have something significant like Islam that we can call life and not just a ritual that we follow. I therefore urge you to join this course...it will be of great value to all Inshal Alla, Ameen.” If you would like to know more on the Islam for Life course or would like to register yourself, you can contact Maulana Irshaad Sedick on 082 780 5931 or 021 701 29 62. VOC (Aishah Cassiem)

Densitometry for elderly

Densitometry for elderly      

The National Osteoporosis Foundation of South Africa (Nofsa) is urging the elderly to avoid buying supplements for osteoporosis from businessmen in malls, but to rather see qualified people who specialise in the field, in order to avoid any risks. Speaking to VOC, Nofsa CEO Terresa Hough said many old age homes have been targeted over the past few months for densitometry and that non-medical individuals are using ordinary ultra sound machines to determine whether these innocent people suffer from osteoporosis.
“My greatest fear is that the innocent people out there are being bullied into having a test done and the important thing we need to bare in mind is that there are prospective rules and guidelines to having a burn density test done. These individuals either stand in shopping malls or go around door to door and the most recent one is that they are going into old age homes and targeting the vulnerable old people into having a sauna test done,” she said.
Hough said they use portable bone density machines for measurements or sell them a supplement to make their bones stronger. "What really is bugging me is that they use these people to get supplements from health shops and then sell these things to the old people if they have a low bone density,” said Hough. Many unqualified individuals are doing this to make quick a buck. “Those people have no experience with patients who have osteoporosis and many of them are ordinary business people who go into these old age homes and just want to make money, taking from the innocent," said Hough.
"It’s just very unethical, and that’s why better to call us, as we specify in the field." More than 25% of people who have osteoporosis pass away because they are not informed and treated properly. “Because of the age that plays a serious part in the risk of developing osteoporosis, we are very worried. The only criteria these people have when dealing with these patients is that one has to be over the age of 50 and they don’t speak about the risk of the disease at all. These salesmen don’t know the risk factors for developing osteoporosis and the seriousness that comes with it. Therefore we only recommend these tests done over the age of 65,” she advised.
She urged elderly to not buy from any individuals and to go to medical professions in future. “I am not sure what stories they do tell these people but they are really getting bullied and bamboozled into paying a cash fee in this process as well as buying the supplement from them. People are paying as much as R350 for simple test. Please I urge you to rather go to professions to avoid any risk as this is indeed a huge problem if you are suffering from the disease.”
If you would like to know more on the National Osteoporosis Foundation of South Africa or if you have relatives suffering from osteoporosis, you can contact the center on 021 931 7894 or Teresa Hough on 0832562299. VOC (Aishah Cassiem)

Faith must be balanced (Aishah Cassiem)

   

Growing up can be quite a challenging experience for youth, especially if there is no moral support in the household in which they are living. Many of them struggle to find a balance between their faith and living is this world. With all the challenges facing our youth today, some of which leads them to do things that are unlawful towards their beliefs, the question remains : how does one find balance between faith and living in this world? This was a question VOC put to local youths.
Many youth in Cape Town said that faith is always an issue when wanting to do things they desire. “There are so many things I do that are forbidden in my religion. I wish that I would stop clubbing at this age and that I would stop smoking things that I’m not supposed to. I can see this is leading me to a very evil lifestyle. But the sad part is – I don’t know where to start. How can I? As far as I know - my parents are not an example when it comes to things like this,” said 18 year old Dawood Roberts from Strandfontein.
Roberts said society was dragging him away from his faith and it was difficult making positive changes. “How do I find balance between my faith and living in this environment is quite a good question. I’ve been trying to figure that out for quite some time now...not that I’m looking for an excuse to avoid it every time the topic comes up, but because there is no one in my household who can guide me when it comes to things like this,” he said.
“I think that if my father and mother where good examples and enrolled me in at a madrassa then I would at least know what my duties as a Muslim is. The sad part is that they’ve always been on the go, traveling and leaving me with my eldest sister. There was no moral support and religious views raised in our household when I was younger and I think this is the reason that led me to doing things that I’m not supposed to do... indulging in societies wrong doing,”

Morals and beliefs

Speaking to VOC, Imam Shamiel Cassiem from Strandfontein said that it is important for parents to nurture their kids from an early age. “Like they always say, it all starts in the household. Children need to be encouraged from a young age in order for it to flow through them while growing up. It is important to do this because if we do not, then we will be sitting with a huge problem watching our children partake in immoral actions,” he said.
“If there is no moral support and religion practiced in one’s household then don’t expect any good, for there might be a possibility of no order and respect flowing from your kid’s hearts as they grow up." He advised parents to communicate with their children and to build strong morals in their household. You need to see that your family is on the right track at all times.
"Communication plays a great role and once you have that connection with your kids, I don’t see why you can’t implement religious and respectful practices to them,” he said. “This society is turning into an evil place and is extremely dangerous for our young ones. If you are not strong enough to tell them no and to avoid wrong doings, then they are more likely to fall in the devils trap."
Cassiem pointed out that parents also need to start implementing family rules within their household. It is important to communicate with children and get to know who they socialize with at school. He advised parents to teach them their religious duties and morals from an early age, and to nurture it in them. “Teach them to appreciate and respect others beliefs as well, for they will start taking their own seriously and if your kids are being affected by their friend’s wrong doings then I suggest you tell your children to start inviting them to do good as well,” he urged.

Company

According to Cassiem, being involved with the wrong crowd also plays a big role in one’s actions. He said that innocent children are being attracted to negative environments because they either feel that they need to fit in with ‘the in crowd’ or due to the fact that there is no guidance at home – leading them to experiment with new things.
“If no one is there to tell these kids what is right and what is wrong then they are going to go ahead and experiment. Many times, kids with experiment drugs, some do it to impress friends, but the dangerous part of all is that if parents don’t check out their kids daily activities, these type of things will continue. So I urge them to protect their kids from all sorts of wrong influences,” he said.
Roshaan Adams, a 25 year old female from Grassy Park, said that her life has changed ever since she made the decision to move away from her group of "negative" friends. “I could swear, there is so many things that I have done in my past that I am not happy with. I am glad that the Almighty has opened my eyes and made me realise that being involved with the wrong crowd to be part of the lime light...it is not beneficial for me,” she said.
“I would find myself doing things like, smoking weed with my boyfriend because everyone else in his crowd would. I would go to late night parties and get drunk, because everyone was doing it. I sit here today and realise how stupid I was. I look back on my pictures, dressed in the shortest skirts and tops. My parents always had a problem with me. I would watch my mother cry saying that she has not raised me up like this. My dad would just sit one side and say that he wants nothing to do with me until I start coming right. These years were hectic for me and I can still remember each and every moment of it,” said Adams.

Finding the right path

Five years has gone by and Adams said that she had found her path to her Creator. "I just woke up one day and told myself, if this is what I want to go through for the rest of my life then I must continue. But if I want to start connecting and getting that respect from my family again then I need to start putting those things aside.” Adams added that she stopped all her wrong actions and called it quits with her group of negative friends at the age of 20.
“I started to dress properly and wore my hijab when I’m in public. I socialized myself with people who were beneficial to me and who could help me become a better person. It was quite hard at first to try and convince my friends why I was breaking away. Many of my friends were Christians, and a few of them were Muslim - but they were not conscious about their beliefs at all.
"I know my parents are very respectful and religious and I have grown up with it myself, but somehow along my high school journey I started to back off when I "thought" I was a big girl. I am most grateful that I am who I am today and if my parents were not there to continuously scold at me then I don’t know where I would be today.”
Cassiem said that one should bare in mind that the actions we engage ourselves in will be questioned on the day of judgement. “Ask yourself what is good for you and will it benefit you. Your Creator and religion plays a good role in one’s life and without it there is nothing to live for. Society can be quite challenging for both teens and adults but remember that it’s up to you to make that decision in life as to what is wrong and what is right,” he said.
“If you ever find yourself in that situation and tend to find an excuse blaming society or any other on your actions because you desire to do wrong, then just remember, you will be facing your Creator one day and only you will be responsible to answer your wrongdoing.” VOC (Aishah Cassiem)