Book: The Elephant Whisperer, Lawrence Anthony

 

Animals have this instinct about danger. They can hear without ears.

A few ladies from my running club also enjoy reading. ‘Sip & Swop’, a monthly book club was born, and we had our first get together in January. The idea is to bring a book that you really enjoyed reading and swop it out for one of the other ladies’ books. I jumped at the opportunity to join in and read different genres.

The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony landed in front of me. I am not a fan of animal books, television shows or movies. Growing up with Walt Disney animal movies has ruined my trust in animal stories. But, I thought to myself, and reminded myself, that the point of joining the book club was to get out of my comfort zone and read different books.

Reluctantly, I started my journey with the elephants.

Oh man, what a magical journey!! Every morning I read for 30 minutes as part of my morning routine, and for the past month, it has felt as if I have started my morning in the bush. [I will reluctantly move away from the sea, but, I must admit that I dearly miss the bushveld].

What a talented writer. The journey of the elephants have been captured so beautifully. Initially being reluctant to start the book, by the end I was reluctant to put it down! I have learnt so much about elephants.

Definitely highly recommendable.

Putting bread on the table with empty bread bags

 

Eight months after starting the Re.Bag.Re.Use initiative, the project of repurposing empty bread bags into crocheted shopping and beach bags is still going strong!

An empty bread bag might only be a piece of rubbish to most, but for a group of ladies in Hout Bay, Cape Town it is providing an additional income to put bread on the table.

There are currently eleven ladies on the team; eight crocheters and three ladies who cut the plastic. 

Crocheter, Jane Hoffman (photo above), is raising her grandchildren and is incredibly proud of her granddaughter who has just passed matric. “The extra money that I make from Re.Bag.Re.Use is really a blessing since I can buy bread, milk and even electricity. I’ve also been able to buy data for my granddaughter so that she is now able to apply to nursing colleges so that she can further her education.

“Furthering her education and becoming independent is very important,” adds Jane.

Rookshana Davids, Jane’s granddaughter, says, “I am incredibly grateful for my grandmother’s support and all of her sacrifices she has made to get me through matric. My grandmother is always going the extra mile for me, for which I am very thankful. She has been able to make ends meet with the money that she makes from crocheting and her pension.

“I am excited to further my studies. I am motivated to better my life and also find a way to help support my grandmother and younger siblings,” shares Rookshana proudly.

“Your empty bread bag might just be able to put bread on the table for someone,” share Regine le Roux founder of the Re.Bag.Re.Use initiative.  For every Re.Bag.Re.Use product that gets sold, a portion goes to the ladies that cut the plastic, the crocheter as well as a local charity. You are also making sure that the plastic does not land up in landfill or our oceans.

 

The bags are works of art, “It is very exciting to see how the different patterns and colours of the empty bread bags become beautiful bags,” shares Jane.    

 

How you can support the Re.Bag.Re.Use initiative:

1. Save your empty bread bags and donate them to the Re.Bag.Re.Use team (our team are eager and ready to get them cut up and repurposed into shopping bags);
2. Buy a shopping or beach bag
3. BackABuddy to raise funds, Regine le Roux is running 100 x 10kms this year. If you would like to sponsor a kilometre, please visit: https://www.backabuddy.co.za/re-bag-re-use the funds raised will be used to pay more cutters, more crocheters as well as a percentage will go directly to the Neighbourhood Old Age Home (NOAH) and Sungardens Hospice.

 For more information please visit our Instagram page: www.instagram.com/re.bag.re.use/

WhatsApp: 083 302 1528

Email: rebagreuse@reputationmatters.co.za

Audiobook: Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter, Curtis Jackson

Thoroughly enjoyed ‘Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter’, by Curtis Jackson, perhaps better known as American rapper 50 Cent.

Five key things that I’ve taken from this audiobook:

1. If you’ve don’t the work and you know your shit, put up your hand;
2. Know your value and add tax;
3. If you don’t value yourself, e.g. pay attention to your image such as not ironing your shirt, you are not going to value others; clients, prospective business partners. They won't feel valued. Image matters. 
4. Just because you are successful, have money, perhaps won the lottery; it should not make you complacent and stop working and looking for opportunities;
5. It reconfirmed for me that reading, meditation and exercise is a magic formula

Highly recommendable. 10/10