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Climbing Kilimanjaro in Support of Education

Climbing Kilimanjaro in Support of Education:

Meet 30-year-old Cassandra Pireu-Pilossof on a quest to climb Kilimanjaro in March 2019 in an effort to raise both funds and awareness to build a library, inclusive of resources and librarian training for Qhobosheane Primary School in Soweto. Cassandra is one of the thirty volunteers who are part of the Adopt-a-School Foundation and Flight Centre Foundation #Kili4Kids campaign.

According to education researcher, Nic Spaull, out of a group of 100 Grade 1 pupils, 50 will reach Grade 12. Of those, 36 will pass matric and twelve will enter university is what motivated Cassandra to be part of the team raising funds for the construction of a library at Qhobosheane Primary School, through Adopt-a-School Foundation.

In preparation for the climb Cassandra has been part of regular fitness programmes such as Hiking, running, swimming and cycling. She has been part of the Telkom 947 Cycle Challenge, Redhub triathlon
Soweto Marathon and Midmar Mile. With the expectation of a tough climb Cassandra will be taking with her only the essentials and a camera to ensure there is no excess baggage to prevent them in summiting for the children of Qhobosheane who are in need of a library and books.

“I chose to be part of this campaign as working with the Flight Centre Foundation has been a wonderful experience, they have been deeply involved, passionate and committed to the improvement of Qhobosheane Primary School over the years. This initiative speaks to their ethos of engaging individuals to get involved and raise funds to help fast-track the implementation of projects that they have already committed to,” shares Cassandra.

To support the #Kili4Kids campaign and help the challenges facing South African schools, people can attend a number of smaller events in an effort to raise funds. Please contact Diane Cleary: diane.cleary@flightcentre.co.za.

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What Support Is There For LGBTQI People In The Workplace?

What Support Is There For LGBTQI People In The Workplace?:

LGBTQI people face exclusion and discrimination in the workplace. People who are less advantaged socioeconomically are most at risk of poor treatment and marginalisation, and a different sexual and/or gender orientation to the majority exacerbates this.

At the level of individual companies in South Africa, there is insufficient, if any, formal and specialised workplace support for LGBTQI people. Informally, some co-workers and employers do provide support and show acceptance in the workplace and don’t show favouritism according to sexual orientation and gender. However, overall, there is little effective support, and it is too easy for a recruiter or employer to simply ignore certain candidates who apply for work or promotion on the basis of demographic factors.

There are at least two organisations making headway, however. The Shambhala Organisation promotes and supports LGBT business leaders specifically. Shambhala invests in LGBT owned and managed high-potential businesses. These investments are combined with mentorship and support towards meeting business objectives.

We need dedicated business chambers for and active in the LGBTQI community. We need several focusing on each group because the issues faced by the various members in the community are not the same. Transgender people face a different fight in the workplace compared to people who are homo- or bisexual, for example.

Nevertheless, it is great news that Africa’s first business network for LGBTI+ people was launched in 2016. The network has offices in Johannesburg and is called PLUS the LGBTI+ Business Network. It is an ‘African trust that advances equality and freedom in southern Africa, with a particular focus on sexual orientation and gender identity.’ PLUS champions, promotes, supports and empowers South African LGBTI+ business owners and entrepreneurs with opportunities for learning, networking and conducting business for prosperity. PLUS aims to redress structural and economic injustices of the past. ‘PLUS intends to address scarce employment opportunities, and discrimination in the workplace of LGBTI people in South Africa, which are harmful to their wellbeing.’

We are a long way from providing sufficient support and effective legal and other forms of protection for the whole queer community in South Africa in and outside the workplace. People most at risk in the LGBTQI community are among groups struggling financially. A focus on business owners and entrepreneurs is too narrow. The possibility of pitching a winning business idea to an investor may feel out of reach for many. It is thus critical that LGBTQI people be supported at all levels. Entrepreneurship is great, but many people have a pressing need for a stable job and an opportunity to learn and grow in that space.

One organisation which is championing the rights of LGBTQI people in all contexts is the South African Human Rights Commission. In any case of discrimination, which thus equates to an infringement on human rights, the Commission can be contacted for assistance and advice on how to take the matter further. The Commission takes its directive from our Constitution and Bill of Rights and has displayed commitment to achieving justice for LGBTQI people as far as taking matters to court. For example, this year, the Commission ensured that a South Africa pastor was brought to book for hate speech against gay people, and it made a strong argument that one cannot rely on religious views as a defence for such discrimination.

The recent book Racism, Classism, Sexism, And The Other ISMs That Divide Us delves into the issues described above and offers practical solutions to problems surrounding sexuality diversity, as well as other diversity issues which can hamper organisational progress and cause deep hurt to individuals if not handled with care.

The book looks at overcoming instant separation magnets (ISMs) in the South African context, and how to manage diversity so that everybody wins. The aspects of diversity are considered in detail with real examples and practical information on dealing with and preventing diversity-related problems.

Racism, Classism, Sexism, And The Other ISMs That Divide Us helps readers bring about transformation in their everyday dealings and in their organisations. It is useful for managers, HR departments, corporate trainers, strategists, students, and anyone facing situations of diversity which require strategic and prudent interventions. It helps in inspiring positive change, changing mindsets, and transforming the status quo for the better of all.

Racism, Classism, Sexism, And The Other ISMs That Divide Us (ISBN: 978-0-620-80807-1) by Devan Moonsamy is available from the ICHAF Training Institute or from Amazon.

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Support for parents managing their child’s diabetes

Support for parents managing their child’s diabetes:

Medipost Pharmacy supports parents with clinical advice on their children’s diabetes medicine, which is delivered to them each month. Pictured are Medipost Pharmacy team members (left to right) administrator Anne-Marie Pretorius, pharmacy manager Marilize Dreyer and pharmacist’s assistant Lelani Delport. Photo: Medipost Pharmacy

It can be a major shock for parents to learn that their child is diabetic. While there have been significant advances in the management of childhood diabetes, the intricacies of monitoring the health of a diabetic child can be particularly stressful for families.

“A diabetes diagnosis is life-changing for children, as well as their parents, and learning about how to manage the condition can seem extremely daunting at first,” says Marilize Dreyer, pharmacy manager at Medipost Pharmacy.

She explains that many of the families who rely on Medipost Pharmacy for the delivery of their diabetic children’s chronic medicine have been through the often-harrowing journey leading up to a diabetes diagnosis, including the process of healthcare professionals trying to pinpoint the cause of persistent and distressing symptoms.

“Many parents tell us that simply knowing that our pharmacists and pharmacist’s assistants are just a telephone call away provides them with a measure of peace of mind. This is why we go the extra mile to support families with clinical advice and reassurance.”

Medipost Pharmacy’s core service is delivery of chronic medicines, reliably and conveniently, anywhere within South Africa. Marilize says that one of the most common queries parents phone to seek guidance on is whether insulin can still be used if it has not been stored in the fridge.

“The answer to this question is that insulin is safe to use at room temperature for up to 30 days. Medipost Pharmacy ensures that all medicines, such as insulin, that require a cold supply chain are packed with ice packs frozen for a minimum of five days at -20oC and are packed in polyurethane boxes to ensure that the cold chain is maintained for up to 50 hours. The boxes and delivery routes are tested regularly to guarantee that the cold chain is maintained at all times.

“This ensures that the insulin will still be below 8oC when the parcel is delivered each month, and so even if it is not refrigerated when the family receives the insulin, its pharmacological integrity will remain intact up to the time when the next month’s Medipost Pharmacy delivery arrives. Parents are therefore comforted by the fact that the medicine that they need to manage their child’s diabetes will arrive on time each month and in good condition.

“We also assist with obtaining medical scheme authorisation for medicine, such as insulin, and consumables, like insulin pumps, to ensure that there is no delay in the delivery of these essential supplies for the patients who need them,” Marilize explains.

Lelani Delport, who is a post-basic pharmacist assistant and leads the team responsible for medicines and medical devices for diabetes management, says that during her 13 years with the company she has walked a long path with many families.

“I can remember advising the parents of some people, who are teenagers today, when they were first diagnosed with diabetes as toddlers. It is not always an easy journey for families, as there are many considerations when raising a child with diabetes, but we do our best to alleviate their anxiety by taking the time to talk through any concerns they may have and advising on the day-to-day management of childhood diabetes through appropriate use of the prescribed treatments.”

Another key member of Lelani’s team within the Special Medicines Department at Medipost Pharmacy is administrator Anne-Marie Pretorius, known affectionately to a number of families making use of this service as ‘Anne-Marie Medipost’, who has been with the company for some 14 years.

“More than 85% of the patients we deliver type 1 diabetes medicine for are children, and it is our passion to take the time to ensure authorisation and dispatch of medicines rolls out smoothly, month after month, so that these families have one less thing to worry about.

“While we do not often see these people face-to-face, we try to make a difference in their lives. Over the years we come to know the families and they have come to know us, and some even go so far as to send us a thank you card or a box of chocolates for Christmas as a token of their appreciation. There really is no need because we so enjoy being of assistance to these families, and knowing that we are playing a role in keeping their children well is in itself the greatest reward,” Anne-Marie concludes.

 

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Championing breastfeeding support in the workplace

Championing breastfeeding support in the workplace:

This morning members from the Departments of Labour, Health, Social Development, Universities and Civil Society organisations, panelled a roundtable event that discussed ways workplaces can be more supportive to breastfeeding new moms.

This morning, the South African Civil Society for Women’s Adolescents’ and Children’s Health (SACSoWACH) hosted a roundtable discussion to encourage better implementation of the Code of Good Practice for breastfeeding in the workplace, in an effort to create enabling environments for breastfeeding in the workplace. The event comes after a recent discovery that while women constitute close to half of the South African workforce (44%), the vast majority do not receive adequate maternity protection, support or facilities to promote breastfeeding.*

Held at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, in Pretoria, the event included panellists from the Departments of Labour, Health, Social Development, Universities, Civil Society organisations and the Private Sector. Here, the panel and attendees discussed the importance of breastfeeding in support of children’s health development and to ensure sustainable social and economic development, and the very real difficulties that women face in the workplace every day. Practical and easy ways for employers to better support breastfeeding mothers were also explored.

Opening proceedings Professor Linda Richter, highlighted that if breastfeeding had been invented today, it would receive a Nobel Peace Prize, as an economic and development imperative.

“Breastfeeding plays a significant role in contributing to the optimal health and development of a child” said Sue Jones, Chairman of SACSoWACH, in her welcome address, on behalf of Dr Tshepo Motsepe. “It also contributes to securing and equalising their right to develop to their full potential. Because of the critical link between breastfeeding and health and child development, support for breastfeeding is of the utmost national development importance and achieving many of our sustainable development goals – not just health-related, but our social and economic goals too,” she continued.

“We need to see leadership in government declare breastfeeding as a valuable objective,” says Patricia Martin-Wiesner, senior policy analyst at the Centre of Excellence in Human Development. “Breastfeeding must become the business of business, and a key part of this lies in the bridging of the gap between the corporate sector and the development sector,” she continues.

The Code of Good Practice states that mothers with children younger than 6-months are, by law, entitled to at least two 30-minute breastfeeding breaks a day; over and above their lunch break. However, this code is not always implemented correctly and returning to work becomes a barrier to breastfeeding because many mothers struggle to balance breastfeeding and work, and stop breastfeeding earlier than recommended.

“Breastfeeding is not only beneficial to babies, but to workplaces as well. Recent studies indicate that by supporting breastfeeding mothers, employers improve staff loyalty and maintain high staff retention rates,” said Jones. “The children of today are South Africa’s future, and we need to ensure that they have every chance of survival,” she concluded.

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AIDC Eastern Cape moves to support automotive industry masterplan

AIDC Eastern Cape moves to support automotive industry masterplan:

Port Elizabeth – The AIDC EC this week unveiled a new three-year strategy to drive localization, transformation and skills development in the Eastern Cape’s automotive supply chain in support of the South African Automotive Industry Master plan.

Speaking at the launch Board Chairperson, Weza Moss said the AIDC EC had repositioned itself in the light of the current automotive landscape to align its program resources with the South Africa Automotive Master plan (SAAM2035).

SAAM2035 was developed by the sector collectively as a comprehensive guideline to secure the sector’s future.

The AIDC EC Board embarked on a process to review and test the relevancy of its strategy against the backdrop of the sector’s priorities to grow GDP and jobs, Moss said.

“Stakeholder engagements with the industry bodies for component manufacturers and assemblers, OEMs, SEZs, government departments, independent researchers and benchmarking entities informed and affirmed an outcome towards close alignment with the pillars that underpin SAAM2035,” he said.

“Key, but not limited, to the new strategy, is how we impact and contribute to localization and the deepening of the value chain, how we develop suppliers, particularly in the context of transformation and then how we capacitate them and assist them with issues of compliance pertaining to international standards.”

AIDC EC CEO, Hoosain Mahomed said the company had earmarked three anchor projects in the Eastern Cape to underpin the new strategy which would be reviewed again in 2022.

“The organisation envisages incubators for both of the Eastern Cape’s manufacturing hubs around East London and Port Elizabeth and a learning center that supports the development of skills required by the automotive and manufacturing industries towards Industry 4.0”, he said.

“In execution of the strategy discussions with the DTI and educational institutions – the TVETs are are ongoing and a number of MOUs have already been signed with, among others, NAACAM, East London IDZ and the Coega SEZ.

“The new strategy acknowledges the priority in South Africa of skills that are relevant for the current and future needs of manufacturers, while it also incorporates the urgent need for job growth and addressing unemployment.

“A learning visit to Germany recently re-enforced for us the benefits and requirements of implementing skills development initiatives that address the specific needs demanded of manufacturers in Industry 4.0.

“The Auto sector is the biggest driver of jobs in the Eastern Cape, which is why investment in skills must be a top priority,” Mahomed said.

Moss, said the new strategy of the AIDC, which was established in 2003 as an implementing arm of the Eastern Cape Province Department of Economic Development to assist manufacturers become more globally competitive, represented a notable shift in focus.

“The strategy is now closely aligned with SAAM2035 and seeks to assist the sector in the Eastern Cape in a deliberate way, raise percentages of local content in South African Manufactured vehicles from below 40% to 60% by 2035 and in the process facilitate transformation targets, Moss said.

Moss asserted that its shareholder, the ECDC and patron, the Eastern Cape Department of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism, led by MEC Lubabalo Mabuyane, were to be lauded for enabling the organisation to “shift boldly and ambitiously.”

The AIDC would continue to provide technical support to suppliers, as it has for the past 15 years, he said.

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