Sakhisizwe -Building the Nation - Bou Die Nasie

Today we spoke to Charmaine French. Charmaine is from an organisation called Pets as Therapy or PAT. What they do is they take dogs to visit people in places such as hospitals, hospices, retirement homes and special needs schools to bring comfort, pleasure, stress relief and stimulation. For more information you can contact Charmaine at (021) 938 0351. And we also spoke Nazrina Teladia from The Friends of the Childrens Hospital Association. The association runs a home care program that trains primary caregivers in the tracheotomy and ventilation home care programme. If you want more information about the programme or you want to make donations you can contact Nazrina at 658 5243.

Today we spoke to Mark Ogilvie from the Zeekoeivlei Environmental Education Programme. The Zeekoeivlei Environmental Education Programme aims to develop community upliftment projects based on environmental and conservation principles, where biodiversity conservation can be seen to generate jobs and drive social development. And they are running a certificated training course for field rangers from January the 8th to the 19th. If you want more information you can contact Mark at 072 183 3772 or email him at moglivie@iafrica.com We also spoke to Keith Mackintosh - Ballet Master and head of Audience Development & Outreach Programmes from Cape Town City Ballet Company and Mlindi Kulashe - a young ballet dancer from Nyanga. Mlindi has been chosen to play in the CTCB production of the Nutcracker which is currently showing at the Artscape Theatre. For more information about the outreach programmes you can contact Keith at 650 2400 or email him at keith@capetowncityballet.org.za Our last i...

Today we spoke to Thozamile Ngcozela from the Department of Transport and Public works. We were talking about the Zenzele Road Maintenance Programme. The Zenzele Road Maintenance Programme aims to improve the existing roads infrastructure by employing community members to conduct routine and periodic road maintenance. If you want more information you can contact department at (021) 483 8773. We also spoke to Sonja Lawson. Sonja is a Talent Development Manager from Calling the Cape. Calling the Cape was founded to promote and develop the IT-enabled services industry in Cape Town, with a strong initial focus on contact centres. The mandate of Calling the Cape is to create jobs. And they will be running a CADET programme for free in January. The programme consists of 12 weeks formal training and 6months work experience in leading call centers. For more information about the CADET programme you can contact their offices at (021) 715 3256 or visit www.callingthecape.org.za Our last intervi...

Today we spoke to Faiza Moosa - Director of Public Relations and Communications from Women in Film & Television South Africa. Women in Film and Television South Africa is a national network of women dedicated to advancing professional development and achievement for women of all backgrounds working in all areas of film, television and other screen-based media. If you want more information you can contact their offices at 794-2286. We also spoke to Laura Van der Pohl. Laura is from the Community Resource Organisation and they help women in different communities by running a range of empowerment programmes. For more information you can contact the Community Resource Organisation at (021) 447 6757. Our last interview was with Nazma Hendricks – Rape Crisis Counseling Coordinator. Rape Crisis is one of the oldest and most experienced organisations working within the sphere of violence against women. We were talking about rape incidents over the Festive Season. One of the safety tips tha...

Today we spoke to Yumna Van der Skyf – from Ons Plek. Ons Plek is the only intake shelter for girls in Cape Town. The girls’ basic needs of food, clothing, shelter, education and love are provided. The children who go to Ons plek are not looking for an identity as former street children but want to be seen as ordinary children. If you want more information about Ons plek you can contact their offices at 465 4829. We also spoke to Patrick Kulati – Managing Director of the Paraffin Safety Association. The Paraffin Safety Association has recently developed a number of safety education resources directed at the primary, secondary and tertiary prevention of harmful paraffin related domestic incidents. For more information you can contact the Paraffin Safety Association at (021) 424 3473. Our last interview was with Naseegh Jaffer – Director of the Masifundise Development Trust. Masifundise Promotes the right of fishing communities to gain access to marine resources for food security and liv...

On Monday we spoke to Khangelani Rawuza– National Manager of the Community Health & Intervention Programmes at the Sports Science Institute of SA. The Community Health Intervention Programmes was introduced to communities in August 1997 in response to the growing prevalence and burden of chronic, non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and diabetes. For more information about the CHIPS you can contact Khangelani at (021) 659 5629. We also spoke to Dr Donald Pupuma from OCSACare. OCSACare is a joint venture between Occupational Care South Africa and the CareCross Health Group and they are offering healthcare solutions to employees previously excluded from any private healthcare in order to deliver affordable, private healthcare to the South African workforce. For more information you can contact them at (021) 673 1800. Our last interview was with Marta Darder from the Doctors without Boarders or Médecins Sans Frontières. MSF is an international humanitarian aid organisation ...

Today we spoke to Bongani Magutyana – Founding Member of the Siyaya Music Group. Bongani is an accomplished musician and composer. Bongani decided to do something to uplift the young people of his community and he formed a band called Siyaya in 2004 and within a year the group recorded their first CD. For more information about the group you can contact Bongani at (021) 633 5033. We also spoke to Sylvia Mdunyelwa better known as Mama Kaap, one of Cape Town’s famous Jazz Artist. Mama Kaap will be performing at the Vodacom Jazz on the Rocks concert at Oudekraal in Camps Bay. Jazz on the Rocks, is starting tomorrow the 9th of December. PIC:www.music.org.za Our last interview was with Alison Davidson from the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development planning. The department is running the cleanest town competition aiming at improving the physical conditions of towns all over South Africa. If you want to know more about the competition you can email Alison at adavidson@pgwc.gov.z...

Today we spoke to Craig O’ Flaherty– Director of the UCT Centre for Coaching. The UCT Graduate School of Business Centre for Coaching has launched South Africa's first year-long Professional Coaching Course, a move that will dramatically increase the options available to individuals wanting to pursue a career in coaching. For more information you can contact the centre at (021) 406 1198 or email renee@centreforcoaching.co.za

Today we spoke to Thoko Mbudaza from the Sonke Gender Justice. The Sonke Gender Justice recently launched the “One Man Can” Campaign. The One Man Can Campaign supports men and boys to take action to end domestic and sexual violence and to promote healthy, equitable relationships that men and women can enjoy - passionately, respectfully and fully. Tomorrow the campaign will be officially launched by the United Nations in Geneva. For further information about the campaign please visit Sonke Gender Justice Website at www.genderjustice.org.za or email them at onemancan@genderjustice.org.za or call their offices:(011) 544 1900

Today we spoke to Rubin Koetzee from the Chrysalis Academy. The Chrysalis Academy offers a social crime prevention and upliftment programme targeting “youth at risk”. Its aim is to empower young people to take control of their lives and give them the tools to become economically productive and be positive change agents within their communities. For more information about the academy you can contact them at (021) 712 1023. We also spoke to Kobus van Wyk – manager of the Khanya Project. Khanya is the initiative of the Western Cape Education Department to enhance teaching and learning using information and communications technologies. The project has recently won the prestigious Technology Top 100 Leader in Empowerment Award for 2006. For further information about the project please visit Khanya’s website at www.khanya.co.za or (021) 467 2223. Our last interview was with Youth Commissioner Rudi Buys. Last Friday the Western Cape Youth Commission announced a Western Cape Youth Campaign A...

Today we spoke to Millinda Noemdo from the Western Cape Network on Disability. As we know that yesterday was International Day for Persons with Disabilities. Millinda’s orgsnisation is doing a lot to make sure that disabled people have access to the basic needs. For more information about the organisation you can contact them at (021) 637 1204. We also spoke to Baselwa Lostile from Philani Center. Philani Center runs a Nutrition and Development Project and it operates in nine communities on the outskirts of Cape Town. For further information about their project please contact the center by e-mail: philani@telkomsa.net or (021) 387 5124. Our last interview was with Sister Fiona Mc Curdie - transplant coordinator at Groote Schuur Hospital and she was talking about the importance and the need for organ donation. If you want to register as an organ donor or need more information about organ donation you can call the Organ Donor Foundation Toll Free on 0800 22 66 11 or Log onto their websit...

Today we spoke to Councilor James Vos – chairperson of the City of Cape Town Health Portfolio Committee. The City of Cape Town launched an exciting HIV/AIDS campaign today in commemoration of the World AIDS Day. The “Get Tested” campaign aims to strengthen the city’s prevention campaign so as to turn off the tap of new HIV infections throughout the city. We also spoke to Ntombekhaya Nkumanda, Phathiswa Mendu and Nomvuzo Skepe from Laphumilanga. Laphumilanga is a group of twenty six women who were trained in participatory theatre techniques by Mothertongue in April 2006 to explore the intersections between gender based violence and HIV/AIDS. The group has been performing since the 29th of November and the last performance will be on the 8th of December 2006. The force behind this project is Mothertongue. Mothertongue is a collective of women artists founded in 2000 and based in Observatory, Cape Town. Mothertongue’s community development work includes arts based projects in Manenberg, P...

Today we spoke to Noluntu Charles and Lindiwe Nikiswa from Luphumlo Home based Care. The Luphumlo Home Based Care group has only a handful of members and they work from a donated container in the backyard of a church but that does not stop them from helping the community of Joe Slovo settlement near Milnerton. For more information about the work that these dedicated people are doing you can contact the chairperson of the group Sibongiseni Peni: 083 573 8068 or Noluntu: 073 015 7669