Greeting means you care – MOT South Africa on its ‘Hello Campaign’

In a world dominated by screens, and fast-paced lives, the value of genuine human connection is more vital than ever.

Community organisation MOT (meaning courage in Norwegian), has launched a month-long campaign (17 February – 17 March 2025) entitled ‘The Hello Campaign’ which centres around the MOT core value of the Courage to Care, highlighting the importance of showing care, kindness and understanding towards others and ourselves. It is focused on building meaningful connections and the power of having open, heartfelt conversations.

Bush Radio’s Sakhisizwe programme spoke virtually to MOT’s country manager, Viola Manuel, who highlighted the importance of greeting.

‘’MOT focuses on three values - courage to live, courage to care, and courage to say no – the courage to care we are given practical ways to show it in the simplest way. Many talk about greeting and saying hello as a social etiquette. Greeting can boost your mood, it gets rid of feelings of isolation, etc. There is a very important social and psychological need for people to greet, but what has been happening in our communities is the lack of greeting. Our kids noses are plastered in front of a screen and we lost those social etiquettes that has important in building a society.

‘’Our slogan is ‘Your hello actually says so much more than you think.’ Last year we found incredible report that people who have seen each other so much, but never greeted and when they decided to speak to each other, it opened up an entire friendship,’’ added Manuel.

She says people need to greet more, as young people are often targeted as those who do not greet, but many adults are guilty as well.

‘’I walk into so many work places and malls, where they look at you but don’t greet you. Not even a nod or verbal communication where they acknowledging you as a person I see. We became so use to walking past each other and yet I find that if I nod, greet and smile, people engage with you. It is a scourge of discounting people and not being acknowledged and we must not forget by greeting, eye contact is the simple thing to show you have respect.’’

Manuel says one should not feel discouraged if one does not greet back.

‘’When you think of greeting someone and have this fear, remember not everyone want to engage in conversation with you. Majority of people don’t greet because they just don’t greet.’’

‘’All we are looking for in this ‘Hello Campaign’ is a greeting. It is just to show that we care and being kind. The difference between the Hello campaign and other campaign is to be brave enough to say hello, in whatever form – a wave, smile, or by greeting. In a work place, where it is not promoted, many will think you are weird and not greet back, but that is where courage comes in.’’

Manuel says even the campaign is running for a month, she hopes that people will still greet thereafter.

‘’If you do something for more than 21 days, it becomes somewhat a habit. If everyone around you does it, it becomes a habit. Those ‘hello’s’ opens up to new friendship.’’

For more on MOT’s campaign, visit their social media platforms – MOT South Africa. Alternatively, email info@mot.org.za or contact them on 021 696 6610

Click on the link if you want to hear more about the campaign :

Done by: Jasnine Roberts