Murray swart Stop complaining

ONCE you get over the heat, and the cold, and the filth, and the potholes, and the erratic supply of water, and the power cuts, and the lack – if not total absence – of public service, and the failing infrastructure, and the stench, and all those other disgraces we face on a daily basis, Kimberley is an awesome place.

Many of us have seen our outrage erupt into unanswered phone calls to the directionless, clueless, worthless, yet, somehow, neither jobless, nor voteless, who know how to turn a blind eye yet deprive our cries of even deaf ears.

It’s not that we are being ignored by government. We’re simply disregarded, but it’s not that bad. Believe it or not, it could be worse.

Our dry, dusty, dirty dorpie certainly has its problems but show me a city that doesn’t.

Face it, we definitely have plenty of cause for complaint but what we really need to look for are more reasons to compliment. Otherwise, we may just suffer mass, mental breakdowns with nobody to help us.

Remember, over-exposure to effortless work, creative accounting, jobs for pals and salaries for sex, easily leads to a psychotic meltdown and you would have to leave town for help.

You see, the medical treatment you need is decades overdue and as out of our hands as the billions already spent.

I may be dreaming but I’m optimistic that by World Mental Health Day, 2019, just over 350 days from today, we will have a mental hospital of our very own.

While we wait, find those silver linings. Change your perspective and look for rainbows in rivers of raw sewage.

Somewhere under all that dirt is a forgotten gem. Kimberley still has plenty to offer.

Granted, we may be located in the middle of nowhere and the bright lights of the big cities seem so far away, but in our town itself, everything is within walking distance.

Though often overlooked by the narrow and closed-minded, we have no shortage of wide, open spaces to enjoy. Our part of the world also oozes culture, history and heritage, but that’s not all.

Every single day, we have sunrises and sunsets that would put others to shame and no amount of crime, corruption and crookery … no kleptocracy, can ever take those away from us.

Kimberley may have a surplus of local, lowlife leaders who belong behind bars until that time that they are ushered back home to Hades, but that’s hardly unique to our city.

Satan’s spawn lurk in every suburb of every city in South Africa and as much as we complain, we continue putting them in power.

We are the people picking pathetic public posers who prey on the poor. We endorse these politicians, more pimp than politician, more parasite than answer to prayers. We hear the lies and instead of acknowledging these as empty promises, we hang on every word, like poetry.

We choose them and then complain when they inevitably don’t deliver. Therefore, it’s all our fault.

We are the ones who made Kimberley filthy and caused those craters in the roads. We kept breeding and breeding and breeding, with total disregard for our planet, or our limited resources, our children, or their futures.

That’s why it gets as hot as it does, and as cold. That’s largely why we have power cuts. That’s why we often don’t have running water in our taps but plenty in our disintegrating streets.

All our other complaints about Kimberley can be attributed to our own complacency and poor taste at the polls.

Kimberley is an awesome place, so pay it a compliment every once in a while. Things can be better, but we need to stop criticising and complaining and start considering, constructing, cultivating and correcting. RECOGNISING the importance of early childhood development (ECD) and the role that it plays in breaking the cycle of poverty, as well as the significance of properly qualified and competent practitioners to teach young children, Renewable Investments South Africa (REISA) has honoured graduates from its flagship ECD programme, launched in 2016. Regional community operations manager for REISA, Veronique Isaacs, said that the importance of ECD and the role that it plays in breaking the cycle of poverty and inequality is undeniable.

“It is proven to be the key driver in impacting on a country’s future economic growth and improvement for the citizens. This is the opinion shared by President Cyril Ramaphosa, who addressed the issue during his Nation Address, stating that, education should start in early childhood,” Isaacs said.

“Recognising this need and the significance of properly qualified and competent practitioners to teach young children, REISA launched its flagship ECD programme in 2016 and is now honouring these graduates at a ceremony attended by local stakeholders and partners, practitioners and the Northern Cape premier. “We are extremely proud of these fifty-seven practitioners who have invested so much of their time and efforts over the last 18 months. Their commitment to this programme is applauded. With a pass rate of 100%, this is most certainly something worth celebrating.” Isaacs added that, even more significantly, a recent study had highlighted the impact on improved quality of teaching and learning across the twelve ECD centres within the Gamagara Municipality, which participated in the training programme. Both NQF Level 4 (Further Education and Training Certificate) and NQF Level 5 (Higher Education and Training Certificate in ECD) qualifications were embarked on over the last 18 months.

“The study has shown a steady increase in learners meeting educational and cognitive levels, as expected at their age group, growing exponentially since 2016, to now demonstrating an 85% achievement,” Isaacs added.

“Ten Level 5 practitioners are now qualified, making them eligible to apply for Department of Basic Education vacant Grade R posts. The gradual completion of these two qualifications allow for the professionalisation of the ECD sector and creates a career path for practitioners.” Boipelo Majeng, a graduate ECD practitioner from Mpelega ECD Centre, is one of the many practitioners who has been able to see the benefits of her training and is now working towards a Diploma in ECD.

“Before enrolling for the ECD N4 training, I worked as an aftercare assistant. The training has taught me the importance of preparation and how a well drafted daily programme helps in boosting a child’s development and education. I have also learned an important skill – developing learning resources using recyclable material. I can now develop any resource that I need for a lesson or activity,” Majeng said.

An assessment of this programme in October 2017, showed that 100% of practitioners reported an increase in their confidence levels in teaching the children and communicating with parents, a greater understanding of how to manage children in and outside of the classroom. Seventy-one percent of principals also reported observing an improvement in the functional and technical capability and capacity of practitioners.

REISA is one of South Africa’s largest solar PV plants. Situated in the Gamagara Municipality in the Northern Cape, this solar plant extends over 210 hectares of land and boasts 343 200 solar modules. With a total output of 75 MW REISA will generate approximately 175 000 MWh/ year of clean, renewable energy to the national grid and when operating at full capacity, it is expected to supply enough green electricity to power approximately 50 000 medium-sized South African homes.

This power plant will also avoid approximately 125 000 tons of carbon emissions each year when compared to traditional fossil fuel power plants.

– Norma Wildenboer