Collaborating for kindness in the Cape Winelands

Role-players in the Cape Winelands are making kindness their mission, launching various activities after the recent celebration of World Kindness Day (13 November).

The Western Cape Government’s departments of Education, Health and Social Development in the Cape Winelands District, as well as the Cape Winelands District Municipality, are encouraging staff and their clients to actively show kindness towards each other. During a meeting between these role-players, Education mentioned previous initiatives they launched to help learners readjust to school after the many disruptions that came with the COVID-19 pandemic. They also wanted to raise awareness of the importance of mental health with their initiative. “We saw that learners (and adults!) had to ‘relearn’ how to engage with each other. We started with an anti-bullying campaign and integrated it with one focusing on being kind to one another,” said Mrs Sura Swart, Acting Head: Learner Support in the Cape Winelands Education Department.

This initiative sparked the idea for the departments and the CWDM to collectively drive a Be Kind Campaign, focusing on ways to be kind to yourself, others, the environment, and people you meet in passing. Besides a social media campaign running on the municipality’s Facebook page, Health has challenged its staff to identify ways they can show kindness. “This time of the year many people feel tired, and we must be intentional to make a positive contribution. Kindness benefits everyone,” says Mrs Handri Liebenberg, the Director for Health in the district. “We are very excited to hear what our staff is taking on. Some of our teams are going for brisk walks during breaktimes. In Stellenbosch, staff is sponsoring benches for use in one of the gardens at the facility, and they plan to remove and replace a dead tree.”

“Acts of kindness play an important role in your mental health,” says Clinical Psychologist, Mrs Leilanie Phillips-Losch. “Performing an act of kindness lights up the brain’s pleasure and reward system. It releases feel-good hormones, which calm us and stimulate positive feelings,” she says.

Members of the community are invited to actively participate in the Be Kind Campaign. Here are some examples:

Be kind to yourself:

• Make sure you speak to yourself in a kind, loving way.
• Identify phrases that you can repeat to yourself on a regular basis, for example: I am caring. I do my best. I am worthy of love.
• Drink your medication as prescribed.
• Ask for help if you feel down, stressed, or anxious.

Be kind to others:

• Show kindness by attentively listening when someone is speaking.
• Surprise your neighbour with a plate of food!
• When you see someone is having a difficult time, offer to listen or help with a task.
• Leave a ‘Thank You’ note on a colleague’s desk.
• Introduce yourself to a new learner/student/colleague.

Be kind to the environment:

• When you are out for a picnic or braai, avoid lighting a fire in areas where it is prohibited.
• Throw cigarette butts, nappies and other waste in bins.
• Think of clever ways to reuse items, or to recycle them.

Be kind to people you meet:

• Compliment a stranger on their friendliness.
• Smile to the person you meet in the shop.
• Make eye contact with others to acknowledge them.
• Offer someone your place in the queue.

“In celebration of World Kindness Day, I hope that each citizen of our beautiful district will take the time to be kind to themselves and their loved ones, our environment, neighbours, and strangers too. Being kind to one another is the easiest way of building a positive society and thus an environment in which we can all prosper – after all, we can only rise by being kind to others,” says Ald (Dr) Elna von Schlicht, Executive Mayor of the Cape Winelands District Municipality.

ENDS.

Maak omgee die norm

Rolspelers in die Kaapse Wynland maak goedgesindheid hulle missie en loods verskillende aktiwiteite ná die onlangse viering van Wêreld Omgeedag op 13 November. Die Gee-om-Veldtog is ’n gesamentlike poging tussen die KWDM en departemente van die Wes-Kaapse Regering om mense aan te moedig om nie alleen vir hulself en ander om te gee nie, maar ook vir die omgewing. Sulke dade stimuleer die brein se genot- en beloningstelsel – hormone wat mens lekker laat voel, word vrygestel en dit bevorder ’n positiewe ingesteldheid.

Ukwenza ububele   isithethe

Abalinganiswa beCape Winelands benza ubulungisa ibe ngumsebenzi wabo, yaye basungula imisebenzi emva kokubhiyozela uSuku lobuLungisa leHlabathi ngomhla we-13 kuNovemba. IPhulo i-Be Kind, liyintsebensizwano phakathi kweCWDM namasebe kaRhulumente weNtshona Koloni, lisenziwa ngenjongo yokukhuthaza abantu ukuba babe nobuntu, ingekukho nje kuuphela kubo, kodwa nakwabanye, kodwa ngokunjalo nakwindalo. Izenzo ezinjalo zikhanyisa ukonwaba kwengqondo ze kuwongwe ngencindi yedlala (hormones) ekhupha isixokelelwano sokuziva kamnandi izinto ezikhuthaza imo elungileyo neyakhayo.