They do the extraordinary
FOURWAYS – Here are five of the most interesting 'ordinary community members do extraordinary things' features published by the Fourway Review this year.
As 2019 winds down and we gear up for a new year, let’s look back on some Fourways residents who have done exceptional things in 2019.
The Fourways Review publishes the Ordinary community members do extraordinary things feature every two weeks as a chance to bring light to Fourways residents who have done something amazing – whether that be that they achieved something outstanding in their personal lives, or else something they are doing for the betterment of other people or animals.
Here are five interesting people featured in 2019:
- Nina Terashima, the violin protégé
Six-year-old Nina Terashima attends Crawford Village in Rivonia and was first written about in the Fourways Review in January (Ordinary community members do extraordinary things: You’re never too young to follow your passion published Week ending 25 January).
Although Nina is young, that doesn’t stop her from following her dreams to become a musician. After her parents brought her to see internationally-renowned Chinese pianist Lang Lang perform in concert with the Berliner Philharmoniker when the little girl was only two, she decided that she wanted to learn to play the violin so that one day she could perform alongside Lang Lang. The young talent has gone from strength to strength despite her age, and she was even invited to a competition for older kids in the weeks before the Fourways Review spoke to her.
“The Gauteng Chamber Music Festival is a music festival for children between the age of seven and 20, held every December in Pretoria and where children attend four days of workshops and play ensemble music as well as in orchestras at the Gala Concert on the fifth day,” explained Nina’s mom Nao.
“We had to get special permission for her to audition in September last year, as she’s younger than the minimum age usually accepted. She got a special award for being the youngest there,” she added.
- Toni Botha, who turned her own grief into a way to support others
Widow Toni Botha turned her own grief into a way to help others. She was first written about in the Fourways Review in March (Ordinary community members do extraordinary things: Widow: ‘I was the one who found him hanging’ published Week ending 1 March).
Her husband, Philip Botha, died by suicide aged 56 on 16 August 2018. Although his loss understandably devastated Toni, she still somehow managed to reach out to others in need through her own grief.
Together with Michael Blain and Lianne Barlon, who own the Sonia Smith Funeral Home at the Broadacres Shopping Centre, Toni decided to start the Survivors of Suicide support group in February to help others who had lost their loved ones to the same horror. Attendance is free and open to the public.
“There is so much trauma and grief after suicide and it is still so stigmatised. There’s also a lot of guilt – could I have stopped it,” Toni explained. “When you Google ‘support for suicide’, it links you to information for those considering suicide, not those who have lost loved ones.
“We started our own group so that we could provide that in Fourways.”
To join the group, please contact the organisers suicidegriefgroup.co.za; info@suicidegriefgroup.co.za; suicidegriefgroup@gmail.com; 083 728 3915.
If you are feeling suicidal, please contact the South African Depression and Anxiety Group’s emergency line 0800 567 567.
- Nonumiso Sibiya, who fights waste and illegal dumping in Diepsloot one day at a time
Nonumiso Sibiya was first featured in the Fourways Review in August (Ordinary community members do extraordinary things: I want to finish the cycle of waste published week ending 23 August) and is trying to clean up the streets of Diepsloot.
Along with Sbusiso Shongwe, the 21-year-old founded the Boombadotmobi public benefit company in 2017 as a way to alleviate the scrounge of illegal dumping in the informal settlement that she calls home. Boombadotmobi aims to act as a middleman between consumers trying to dispose of their waste and truck operators who already had waste removal businesses and would dispose of waste responsibly. Not only does she promote operators who will not dump illegally, she also makes sure that useful waste (such as garden waste which can be used to make compost, old appliances that can be repaired and sold or plastic that can be used to create eco-bricks) gets to people who can use it.
“We as a planet are seeing the impact of plastics and other wastes on the environment,” she explained. “I live in Diepsloot and I noticed a lot of waste in the township – not just rubbish produced by residents, but also building rubble. They even dumped it near where I live. “This rubbish was coming from outside the township, from the suburbs, and so I wanted to find a way to say to those people ‘hey, do you know where your waste ends up?’
“For customers, this is a chance for them to be sure that they are not part of the problem, and we appeal to people who are environmentally conscious while still being convenient. For truck operators, we help them market their business and will return to companies who do a good job.”
- Nono Maseko, who offers free support to sexual assault survivors in the Diepsloot informal settlement
Nono Maseko was first featured in the Fourways Review in October when she launched a support group for sexual assault survivors living in Diepsloot (Ordinary community members do extraordinary things: A safe haven for sexual assault survivors published Week ending 25 October).
Although gender-based violence has always been an issue in South African society, 2019 brought the reality closer to home than ever when names like Uyinene Mrwetyana (a 19-year-old student raped and murdered at her local post office), Amy-Lee de Jager (a six-year-old girl kidnapped outside her own school one morning) and Precious Ramabulana (stabbed about 52 times in her own rented room) became well known. Maseko, a councillor with the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (Sadag), decided to assault survivors in Diepsloot.
“I wanted to start a new rape survivor group because right now [with gender-based violence in South Africa receiving media and society’s attention] there are so many talks about rape on TV,” Maseko told the Fourways Review. “Hearing this is triggering for survivors, whether you were raped today or 50 years ago. These women need support because they probably think that they are alone in that experience.
“When you are raped, no matter when it happened, you will struggle afterwards, with things like flashbacks and anger at what happened.”
The group meets monthly and for free in the informal settlement, at the Sadag counselling containers just off Ingonyama Road.
Details: Nono Maseko nonnie@anxiety.org.za; 083 649 8639.
- The Taylor family, who are following their dreams in a trip around the world
Former Lonehill resident Shawn Taylor and his family were first written about in the Fourways Review in September (Ordinary community members do extraordinary things: Here’s to smooth sailing for the Taylor family published Week ending 27 September).
Shawn, wife Claire and sons Nathan (9) and Dylan (12) have stepped away from their normal life in the United Kingdom to fulfil a life-long dream – to travel around the world in their catamaran called Mokara, on which they will circumnavigate the globe over the next three and a half years. The family set off in early September from Spain and will be sailing around the Caribbean around Christmas and the new year.
“We decided to do this as we felt life was passing by too quickly,” Shawn told Fourways Review via email just after the family left Spanish island Ibiza. “The boys are growing up so fast and we were focused on the typical things in life like work, mortgage, school, etc. We feel this adventure is important for us to have as a family. We only live once. I hope that all four of us will learn that family, adventure and more importantly, living, are far more important things than the latest mobile phone, car or a bigger house.”
You can follow the Taylors’ adventure by visiting their website or by following them on social media.
Details: www.sailingmokara.com; @sailingmokara on Instagram
Ordinary community members do extraordinary things: A safe place for sexual assault survivors
