Driving healthy lifestyles into townships
The purpose of the event was aligned around the recent mental health awareness month in October.
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Peoentle, an NPO which runs a soup kitchen based in Dobsonville held a fitness drive aimed at mental health and encouraging a healthy living at the communal hall over the weekend.
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The purpose of the event was aligned around the recent mental health awareness month in October. It used the fitness drive to promote fitness sessions as an alternative for township individuals seeking a healthy lifestyle.
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Mampiti Mpele, Chairperson of the organisation said, “We are advocates of healthy living and this was promoted by the fact that we live in a society that deals with a great deal of mental struggles especially among the youth.
“So we are saying if we are mentally intact, if we master the art of mental health by using fitness, we will be better equipped in dealing and curbing all these other issues.”
The four hour session included aerobics kick boxing and a host of other workouts led by some of the popular names in the fitness space.
Mpele said the session was not only about fitness but served to link the community with key organisations such as Nirco that work on community issues on a day to day basis.
“It is imperative for us that we create a platform that is open for dialogue and making sure that information is accessible to our people,” she added.
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Famous Instructor, Pino Chanchane from the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) added that the workout sessions also served to keep young people away from drug and substance abuse.
“I work as a law enforcement officer and I host these sessions at a said prison and I tell you, this is one way we can save our young people.
“Instead of those drugs which are killing them, we pull them into aerobics and these sessions, so they can change their perspective and keep busy,” she said.
The gym fanatic added that the sessions were also particularly a great boost for elderly person’s health against high blood pressure, and sugar diabetes.
The self-funded NPO was established earlier this year, and solely focuses on feeding communities around Soweto by giving free meals and clothes to those in need.
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