‘Blue Monday’ has a positive message

THE Students’ Health and Welfare Centres Organisation (Shawco) will launch its “Blou Maandag/Blue Monday” campaign today to spread positive messages as part of its 75th anniversary celebrations.

These are meant to let the City, Johannesburg and KZN know that, amid the reports of violence in communities and the media, there are organisations to assist, change and deepen social consciousness.

Shawco director Gavin Joachims invited the public to support the “Blou Maandag/Blue Monday” campaign.

“Join us by wearing blue every Monday to support Shawco and expand yesterday’s dreams, and dreams and ambitions of today and the future. We will have a cavalcade with Shawco vehicles along the N2, Jakes Gerwel Drive, along the N1, to the Waterfront, along Beach Road and then to the Grand Parade in Cape Town.”

Shawco is one of the oldest development agencies in the City. It started with its work in the community of Kensington, then known as Windermere, in 1943.

Shawco remains UCT’s largest social responsiveness arm, servicing over 4 000 patients and close to 2 000 pupils, from Grade R to Grade 12, with free health-care services, tuition, access to computer training and after-school education support, said Joachims.

“We have to ensure that we create the spaces for an Abdullah Ibrahim, a Doctor Hassen Adams, a Virginia Petersen, a Camillo Lombard, a Tom Noakes, a Linda-Gail Bekker and the many others for whom Shawco facilitated the space to learn, experience and grow,” he added.

Joachims said the “Blou Maandag/ Blue Monday” campaign route in Johannesburg starts at 8am along Dainfern to Grosvenor Road, via Nicolway. While the Durban route starts at 8am from Pavilion Shopping Centre to the Gateway Theatre of Shopping, through Glenwood, Musgrave and Durban North.