The Citizen (KZN)

Putting a song in SA people’s hearts

CAMPAIGN: HOPETOBER PAYS TRIBUTE TO HEALTH WORKERS

- – news@citizen.co.za Tracy Lee Stark

Encourages people to work towards restoring faith with acts of kindness.

While South Africa is still facing the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and resulting challenges that have been faced with the country on lockdown, an initiative by Adcock Ingram OTC’s Sponsors of the Brave has led to the creation of HOPEtober.

It is a campaign to encourage South Africans to work towards restoring hope through acts of kindness as SA moves to Level 1 of lockdown.

They want all citizens to be reminded that even a simple gesture of kindness such as a greeting or even a wave could brighten someone’s day.

The HOPEtober campaign is taking hope through the joy of song to healthcare workers and profession­als in Johannesbu­rg, Pretoria and Cape Town, showing appreciati­on and care for all their efforts during the pandemic.

They want to extend the message of hope to patients, staff and visitors of the hospitals they will be visiting.

The tour kicked off in Johannesbu­rg yesterday on a double-decker open-top bus with five talented singers who performed well-known South African songs to the healthcare workers – from cleaners and receptioni­sts to laboratory staff, nurses and doctors – to acknowledg­e and thank them by bringing hope and joy through song.

The objective is to reach out to those in the buildings visited to hear the songs.

“We are taking songs of hope to the people at the various hospital buildings as we proudly launch HOPEtober,” said spokespers­on Yudhveer Singh.

Campaign ambassador­s Nicole Capper (Mrs South Africa 2017, runner up Survivor SA 2019) and Derek Watts (Carte Blanche, guest speaker) shared a message of hope before introducin­g the singers – Mortimer Williams, Craig Urban, Tshepo Ncokoane, Danelle Cronje and Lelo Ramasiming­o.

Among the songs they sang were Spirit of the Great Heart, Paradise Road, Asimbonang­a and a melody of popular South African numbers from Mango Groove.

Each performanc­e lasted about 30 minutes.

Ncokoane said he was fully committed to the campaign.

“It’s just a great way to remind the front-line workers during this very intense global pandemic that they are sharing the passing of the baton of hope together,” he said.

The bus will head to Pretoria today and then on to Cape Town on Tuesday.

 ?? Picture: Tracy Lee Stark ?? BELTING IT OUT. At yesterday’s launch of the HOPEtober campaign, singers Mortimer Williams, Craig Urban, Tshepo Ncokoane, Danelle Cronje and Lelo Ramasiming­o sing from a double-decker open-top bus to healthcare workers in Johannesbu­rg.
Picture: Tracy Lee Stark BELTING IT OUT. At yesterday’s launch of the HOPEtober campaign, singers Mortimer Williams, Craig Urban, Tshepo Ncokoane, Danelle Cronje and Lelo Ramasiming­o sing from a double-decker open-top bus to healthcare workers in Johannesbu­rg.

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