SAFETY WHILE TRAINING OUTDOORS - EVEN DURING LOCKDOWN


South Africans love the outdoors and on May 1 thousands of South Africans took full advantage of the relaxation of the movement restrictions.

Under the level 4 guidelines, South Africans are allowed to walk, run or cycle within a 5km radius of their homes, between 6am and 9am.

“Here is an essential safety guide for those heading out to exercise during level 4,” says Mr Jade Hanning, Cape Town South district manager for Fidelity ADT:

• Identification: Carry some form of identification on you, so that any bystanders will know who you are and who to contact in case of an emergency.  Most exercise gear has small pockets for this very reason
• Mobile tracking: Find out from your security company if they offer a mobile tracking app which can be downloaded on your cellphone. This is an effective way of alerting emergency service providers when you need them while also giving them your accurate location, especially if you are running or hiking along a mountain path or in a forest. Remember of course that lockdown regulations may have some limitations on where you are allowed to run or train
• Tell someone: Another good idea is to ensure someone you trust knows that you are headed out for a run or cycle, has an idea of the route you plan to take and when you should be returning. In this way, they can quickly raise the alarm if you do not return as planned.
• Be visible: Wear reflective clothing to make sure you are visible to other road users. Run against traffic and cycle with traffic. This makes you even more visible to others. If you can, make use of pavements or any designated cycle tracks
• Vary your routine: Changing up your route and training time makes it difficult for any would-be criminal to anticipate your movements. The change in scenery can also make the physical exertion more bearable
• Charge your phone battery: Make sure your cellphone battery is fully charged so that you are able to call for help in case of an emergency. It is also important to save the correct emergency contact numbers on your phone so that you can quickly contact the police, your security company or your neighbourhood watch when you need them
• Train with someone: It is always better to walk, run or cycle with a friend. Ensure you maintain the correct social distance at all times and wear a mask. Be aware of the lockdown regulations and any limitations that might be in place relating to groups training together at once.

DREAMS AND THE COVID LOCKDOWN

Dreams and the COVID19 lockdown: why is the pandemic giving us more vivid, unusual dreams? 

By Dr Samantha J. Brooks Ph.D.





According to recent research, social distancing and isolation during the coronavirus lockdown is giving us more time and space on our hands (and in our minds!).  We are not rushing about quite as much as we did in the pre-COVID era, and we are spending more time in the confines of an unchanging environment at home.  As a result, some neuroscientists across the world are finding that stress, isolation, and changes in sleep patterns are giving more vivid colour and imagery to our dreams! It could be that withdrawal from our usual environment is enabling our subconscious mind to draw more readily on concepts and unresolved issues from our past.  Or it could be that a lack of daily stimulation is leaving our brain searching our past for ‘stimulation fodder’ while we sleep!  Either way, it is interesting to consider the rise in vivid dreams, and to encourage more attention to be paid to dreams, in line with current research on the link between the COVID lockdown and dreaming.  Are YOU having more vivid dreams? And what can these dreams - during the lockdown - tell us about our thoughts and wishes for our present, as well as for our future?

Sigmund Freud famously said that dreams are the royal road to unconscious wishes that a person might privately hold – wishes that are not easily brought to mind during waking life. Conversely, Domhoff suggests that dreams are simply a reflection of what one is thinking about in waking life – but this does not explain why we sometimes dream about things that don’t seem to concern us, or when we don’t dream about things that are constantly on our mind during the day!  Carl Jung suggested that dreams reflect thought-processes or problems we have not yet fully worked-out, or that are under-developed aspects of our minds.  Others rather suggest that dreams are just another cognitive process producing nonsense images, or that are stimulated by somatic changes (internally in our body, including signs of disease, or from external stimulation during sleeping).  However, in his magnum opus The Interpretation of Dreams, Freud explains, in intricate detail, how our unconscious wishes run rampant in our dreams.  We have freedom to pursue what we cannot admit to ourselves during wakeful, polite society! Thank goodness for dreams!

Professor Patrick McNamara, from the Boston University School of Medicine, who is leading some COVID-era dream research, reminds us that psychedelic drugs (e.g. LSD, magic mushrooms etc) produce experiences similar to dreams (although taking drugs can be more harmful of course).  Psychedelics influence the activity of serotonin in the brain, which alters the inhibiting force of the prefrontal cortex, enabling greater emotional responsivity and creativity.  This extra creativity sometimes coincides with a time when our eyes often saccade rapidly during the rapid eye movement (REM) stage of sleep.  However, we don’t always furiously move our eyes during dreaming, as Professor Mark Solms – an expert in the neuropsychology of dreams at the University of Cape Town – describes.  The forebrain is largely responsible for our experience of dreaming, which can happen independently of REM, according to Prof. Solms.  Our dreaming forebrain is driven by dopamine reward – or SEEKING – mechanisms, and we know this, according to Prof Solms, because pharmacology that blocks or enhances dopamine function can change the quality and incidence of dreams with no change in REM.  So, what exactly is it that our dreaming brain might be SEEKING more vividly – what wishes might we be trying to fulfil – during the COVID lockdown?

We normally forget our dreams upon waking – perhaps because we find it difficult to admit our true wishes to ourselves! But researchers across the world like Prof McNamara are reporting an increase in vivid dreams during this global lockdown.  For example, according to research that began in March 2020 at the Lyon Neuroscience Research Centre in France, participants are reporting a 35% increase in the incidence of remembered dreams.  Similarly, a study in Italy has reported a rise in remembered nightmares and broken sleep (parasomnias), which often coincide with the experience of trauma. Researchers at the Lyon Centre highlight that all participants, regardless of whether they had pleasant or unpleasant dreams, report how weird and outlandish the pandemic dreams appear to be – and this could be related to the invisible menace that the virus introduces to our minds.  Perhaps our minds are trying to concoct an image of what this invisible menace is to us – and just like a Rorschach Ink-blot test – we pull out images from our past that we wish to overcome! The Coronavirus – although we don’t have a concrete, first-hand image of it ourselves - has threatened our very existence and we want to beat it, but we cannot see it!  So instead we might turn to other aspects of our lives that we wish to overcome and create images that we can see in our dreams.  In our COVID-era dreams we might more vividly play at achieving our existing wishes, to give us an emotional sense of mastery during these uncertain, challenging times – perhaps!

BUT, interpreting dreams and dream analysis is phenomenally complex, and should really be carried out with the guidance of a trained psychoanalyst (and there are many in Cape Town) That said, after the death of his father, Freud famously began self-analysing his own dreams, in order to write The Interpretation of Dreams, and fully develop his project for a scientific psychology. A project that is being updated with modern neuroscientific knowledge by Prof Solms and colleagues at Cape Town’s Neuroscience Institute, on the grounds of Groote Schuur Hospital and UCT.  And so, with the ongoing dream research in mind, it is worth paying attention to our dreams during the COVID lockdown, to self-examine what wishes we might be trying to satisfy in waking life.  My advice would be to use this enforced time of reflection to pay more attention to the images arising from our lockdown dreams!

Keep dreaming of a better future, Harfielders!


Dr Samantha Brooks is a UK neuroscientist in Harfield Village, specialising in the neural correlates of impulse control from eating disorders to addiction.  For more information you can contact Samantha at: www.drsamanthabrooks.com.

Click to read all previous articles by Dr Samantha J. Brooks Ph.D.

PURCHASING PROPERTY POST-LOCKDOWN


Purchasing property post-lockdown: Here’s what property buyers need to know

Questions around the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on the residential property sector have been rife – and with good reason as property is a sector that contributes significantly to the GDP. More than that, property is inextricably linked to accommodation and shelter, one of our most fundamental needs. Both buyers and sellers are concerned about whether they will be able to transact in the coming months, while buyers in particular are asking questions about the stance banks are likely to take around lending money for home loans.

It’s useful to consider the broader context, before addressing the question of home loans specifically. Even before Covid-19 and lockdown the market conditions were that of a buyer’s market in which supply outweighs demand, giving buyers both more options and more room for price negotiation. All conditions suggest that a buyer’s market is likely to remain the status quo, which helps those looking to buy. The lower interest rate – the lowest it’s been in 47 years – also goes a long way in making property investments more affordable and more attractive to potential buyers. Add the fact that the threshold on transfer duty was raised to R1 million earlier this year and that the price of property in general is likely to come down somewhat as a result of the overall strain on the economy. All of this makes the outlook rather positive for those who can afford to buy at this time.

While always important, affordability is set to be an even more pertinent consideration going forward and buyers are therefore advised to keep all accounts in good standing and save as much as possible for a deposit.

At this stage it is unknown exactly how banks will respond to home loan applications after lockdown, but there is a strong likelihood that it will be with caution and that the qualifying criteria will be more stringent.

While the economic recovery from lockdown is likely to be slow, it’s important that the banks continue lending money in a responsible manner as a means of stimulating the property sector. Whatever the economic situation, people still need accommodation, which means there will be buyers and sellers looking to finance these transactions.

Having said that, it seems unlikely that banks will grant 100% home loans as readily as in the past and, because the cost of funding loans will be more expensive, this could potentially also result in lower interest rate concessions than we have seen in recent months. Furthermore, banks may potentially re-price their future offers, as well as re-assess approvals in cases where the applicant’s circumstances have changed, such as when someone’s salary is reduced owing to business slowing down.

In the coming months we’ll see a situation where buyers are in a very favourable position to purchase property but, with lending criteria set to be more stringent, it’s a good idea to work with a bond originator who has the experience and expertise to help ensure buyers get the best deal possible. At BetterBond, for example, consultants are expertly versed in the requirements of the various banks and what their different home loan products offer, which means we can easily tailor an individual application such that it has the very best chance of being approved and thus increasing the likelihood of obtaining the home loan.



Anne-Marie Bamber is Norgarb Properties dedicated Home Loans Consultant. She has over 15 years’ experience in assisting clients with their Home Loan needs and has placed many happy families in their dream homes.

Contact her today for no cost stress-free home-buying.
Anne-Marie Bamber
Home Loans consultant
Tel: +27 (0)21 851 3568 | Fax: +27 (0)21 441 1494 | Cell: +27 (0)82 071 1665
E-mail: anne-marie.bamber@betterlife.co.za









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JUNE IN THE GARDEN

As we approach June, no doubt there are many mixed feelings about still being in lockdown, and how the 'risk-adjusted' easing will be a process that takes numerous months. It's impacting people to different levels in different ways, and we're all doing our best to stay above water and support ourselves and each other as best we can.

One lesson that's become abundantly clear in this time as supermarkets close with positive cases, is that growing our own veggies is one of the most resilient, regenerative and wise things we can do.

On that empowering note, there is plenty you can plant in June! The seasons come and go, and this time will change, just like the seasons do. While we can't do everything we may want to, it's important to focus on what we CAN do. Time in the garden is always well-invested! Did you know that soil has microbial properties that some scientists have correlated with potential antidepressant functions? Not surprising, since it always feels amazing to have spent some times getting our hands, hearts and minds stuck into the garden.

The temperatures are dropping slowly but steadily, and we're having such crisp, clear days. Even confined to our homes aside from morning exercise, it's beautiful! With the leaves turning colour and starting to fall, Autumn is the perfect time to collect your leaves (or leaves from your neighbours or street!) to use for mulch in your gardens, or as brown matter in your compost.

Here's the June plant list for those embracing the cooler temperatures and who are keen to get stuck into the garden: 
Broad Beans, Beetroot, Chard/Spinach, Cape Gooseberry, Celery, Chives, Chilli Pepper, Lettuce, Onion, Parsley, Peas, Potato, Radish, Tomato

I hope you're all healthy, finding things to laugh at and taking good care of yourselves.

MISTAKES ARE MADE FOR LEARNING

What do you do when you’ve veered off from your eating plan? Do you call yourself a failure and throw in the towel? Or are you able to look at the situation objectively, learn from it and move on?  We all make mistakes*, especially when it comes to food and eating. We have to learn to accept that. 

There are a couple of important concepts that come off of this line of thinking. 

· We need to learn to be flexible within our diet
·  We need to learn that all foods can play a role in our diet
·  We need to learn to move on when our diet hasn’t been ideal
·  We need to learn to stop focusing on the number

Flexibility within the diet

I do start my clients off on a structured plan to get them and their bodies into a routine and for them to start practicing understanding their bodies and body cues, but as we move along it is vital that they learn to bring in flexibility. What this means is that they learn to start making their own food decisions based on their own needs, wants, likes etc. For example, I may say to a client that they need to have an afternoon snack of a fruit, but what if that is too little for them and they are getting too hungry by dinnertime, or they really feel like a biscuit instead of a fruit? We need to learn how to adapt the plan to ensure that we are getting what we need. And especially to ensure that we don’t feel like we are making mistakes because we can’t do the plan perfectly.

All foods can play a role in the diet

A really important concept to learn is that you can allow any foods to be part of your eating plan.  There are definitely foods that we should try to eat more often, and those that we should keep at a minimum and use only occasionally. The important point is that you can work anything into your plan. And psychologically, this will help you. When we say to ourselves we can’t, then we crave it more! So let’s start saying we can. Again, start off with a bit more of a structured rule such as 3 small treats per week, and as we start understanding our body and habits we can do it more intuitively.

Dust yourself off and get back up again

So you lost the plot, had a bad day, came home and devoured a packet of biscuits or chips. Does that mean that you failed? Does it mean that you are no good? Does it mean that your healthy eating cannot be continued? Of course not. It just means that your (new) coping mechanisms weren’t enough yet to prevent a relapse of old habits. We need to learn to forgive ourselves and keep going.  And do it with kindness and love. It takes time to change habits.

·  Look at what happened before the unhealthy eating or binge.  Perhaps you didn’t eat or drink enough during the day because you were so hectic, and you were too hungry or thirsty when you got home? 
· Look at what it was that you really needed.  Maybe talking to someone or going for a walk would have helped.
·  And think of a plan of action for next time you are in this situation.

Stop focusing on the number (i.e. stop weighing yourself)

Another important point is that we have to learn not to worry about our number. Easier said than done, I know, but if we focus too much on our number it becomes really difficult to motivate ourselves to get back on track. The number is not always the best indicator as to how well we are sticking to our plan as the weight can be up or down because of many reasons. We may need to halt weight gain before the loss can start, we may need to get our metabolism working better before weight loss can occur. Your body is healing itself when you eat right. The number will follow, but we need to be patient and stop using the weight as a benchmark as to whether we are doing well. We know we are doing well when our eating habits are right.

*I should actually say we all make ‘mistakes’.  By mistakes I mean what you personally deem to be ‘wrong’ and ‘bad’.  Who says that when we eat something that is not on our (strict) eating plan, even if it is a less healthy option, that it is wrong?

Article written by Kim Hofmann RD(SA)
Phone: 021 674 4666
Cell: 084 206 2715
E-mail: kimh.rd@mweb.co.za
Website: www.kimsnutrition.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimsnutrition
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Dietician-147567922002184/



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DISTRIBUTION OF SENSITIVE DETAILS ABOUT OTHERS


Break-ups are never pleasant and more often than not bring out the worst in someone you once loved and trusted. If your former partner is in possession of content which could be harmful to your reputation and threaten to expose you, this would naturally cause you added emotional and psychological distress in an already difficult situation.

As of the end of 2019, anyone who shares explicit pictures or videos without the consent of the person featured in it, can be brought to task, with a hefty fine or even time behind bars. The Films and Publications Amendment Act, 2019 brought about changes specifically related to the act of sharing private, explicit content. In terms of the Act, anyone who knowingly shares or distributes nude or sexually explicit material with the intent of humiliating or “getting back” at someone, can be criminally prosecuted.

“Sharing” and “distributing” includes, as the Act specifically mentions, publication via the internet, any form of social media or any other electronic mediums. This covers a wide range of sharing platforms such as, but not limited to, Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, text messages, e-mail or any website. 

Even if the individual appearing in the explicit content has consented and taken part in the production thereof, in no way can this be construed as consenting to the distribution thereof for the purpose of the Amended Act.

To assist with bringing perpetrators of such a shameful violation to task, the Act has made provision for the perpetrator to be identified through a technological fingerprint.  The internet service provider will be compelled to disclose to the investigating officer the identity of the person who published the private sexual content.

The Act also differentiates between instances where the person in the content is or is not identifiable. In instances where the person is not clearly identifiable, the perpetrator shall be guilty of an offence and liable upon conviction to a fine not exceeding R150 000 or to imprisonment for up to two years or both. If the person in the footage is identifiable, the fine can be as high as R300 000, and the period of imprisonment as long as four years. An order can combine both these sanctions.

These amendments prescribe a hefty price tag for vengeance and will hopefully make begrudged former partners think twice before sharing intimate content with third parties.

For assistance, contact us on www.stbb.co.za or email us at info@stbb.co.za.

HVA COVID 19 EMERGENCY RELIEF PLAN




Harfield Village Association (HVA) COVID 19 Emergency Relief Plan 

Introduction: The HVA “Campaign of Goodness”

Before the dramatic unfolding of the Covid 19 crisis, the HVA took a decision at its monthly committee meeting on 3 March 2020 to engage with civic associations in Hanover Park with a view to developing a meaningful and respectful dialogue. The goal of this dialogue would be to explore ways in which to build sincere and genuine bridges and provide developmental support between the two communities, which are geographically only 10 minutes from each other but worlds apart in manner of living. The Covid 19 crisis accelerated the importance of developing this initiative with the extremely important and immediate need for food aid to some of the most at-risk and destitute families in Hanover Park. Just prior to lockdown on 24 March the HVA embarked on a passionate ‘Campaign of Goodness” to reach out to our neighbours in Hanover Park to investigate how the Harfield Village and surrounding areas  can assist and support during this crisis and going forward into the future.

Partners and Beneficiaries

The HVA engaged reputable and accountable local stakeholders to support and assist their efforts and already the impact has been considerable. The HVA has identified primary beneficiaries but also assisted other organisations which are directly impacting their communities.

- The Alcardo Andrews Foundation. Established in 2015 in honour of a young man whose aspiration was to restore Hanover Park into a safe and peaceful community, his life was tragically cut short through gang violence. The Foundation is deeply rooted in the community and run by Avril Andrews and Lesley Wyngaard, both of whom lost their sons to gang violence. The foundation has 4 main pillars: Moms Move for Justice / Youth with Purpose / Fatherhood Programme and Feeding Scheme Programme.

- The Fish Rite Hanover Park Cricket Club: Run by well-known personality Ashraf Allie. The cricket club is a registered NPO (176-964) and PBO (930058963) and focuses on youth development through a schools cricket coaching programme (currently only working in 4 schools due to lack of funds though there are 14 schools in the area). During this crisis the cricket club is being used as a distribution point for emergency food aid and is being run by staff / volunteers who are part of the club.

- Christel House School is an international non-profit organisation with a single mission: to break the cycle of poverty through education.  The organisation operates eight schools internationally (United States of America, India, Mexico and South Africa) of which the school in Cape Town, Christel House South Africa, is the only one in Africa. During the lockdown crisis the school is implementing an e-wallet payment to 166 of their most at-risk families. R500.00 supports 1 family for a week.

- Sisters in Care (Harfield Village) is a safe house in Kenilworth. Sisters Incorporated plays a critical role in protecting, supporting and empowering women and their children who are survivors of domestic violence, abuse and stigmatisation that is so prevalent and widespread in our communities. With a history spanning over 60 years in Cape Town, Sisters Incorporated has evolved from being a refuge for single mothers into a safe haven caring for women and their children from all walks of life. They provide care – free of judgement, criticism and bias – and aspire to empower those who pass through our doors, to become better equipped for their role in society.

- Philisa Abafazi Bethu, feeding scheme in Lavender Hill feeding more than 1000 children

- Wynberg Haven Night Shelter - fights to improve the quality of life for their guests, with the goal being to get them back home and functioning. Alongside food and shelter, they offer extremely necessary rehabilitation, counselling, social welfare services, family reunification services, and physical care.

- U-Turn organisation for the support of the homeless

- The campaign also includes ensuring that ALL residents in Harfield Village are also nurtured and protected, especially the elderly and vulnerable people who might require assistance.

The HVA is supporting the above-mentioned organisations primarily through food drives but also the collection of decent clothes and blankets bearing in mind the cold winter months are approaching.

The HVA is also supporting these programmes financially. After consulting with the partners and beneficiaries, The HVA compiled a list of essential foodstuff and toiletries which are purchased weekly, stored at the Rosmead Central Primary School and collected by the beneficiaries to be distributed in the communities.

Residents can support the “Campaign for Goodness” in the following ways:

 1. Financially by making a payment through SnapScan or directly into the HVA bank account which money will be used for family food packs and toiletries as discussed above
2. Donate groceries at the trolleys at the entrance of Spar Rosmead and Score
3. Contact a volunteer to collect items from your house.

OR donate to our cause through the following bank details:

Use SnapScan 
Bank details are

 Harfield Village Association

Standard Bank

Claremont Branch

Branch no 025109

Account: SAVINGS 07-745-577-0

Reference: Your Name and Covid19

James Fernie is  the  Chairperson of the Harfield Village Association (HVA) and the Director of Non-Profit Organisation Uthando (Love) South Africa (which is also based in Harfield Village). Uthando is also engaged in extensive emergency relief funding to community based projects which are feeding and supporting destitute communities across the Cape Town metro www.uthandosa.org

TAX DEDUCTION: Any individual or company wishing to claim a tax deduction for their contribution to the Harfield Village Association (HVA) fund, can make a donation through Uthando SA and 100 percent of the funds will be transferred from Uthando to the Harfield Village Association.

Name of Account           Uthando Social Development Projects, South Africa
Bank:                                  First National Bank
Account number             62161218542
Type of Account             Current account
PLEASE email POP / Name / specify purpose of donation to jamesfernie@uthandosa.org

The Team of volunteers in Harfield Village spearheading this Harfield Village “Campaign of Goodness” is:

James Fernie HVA Chairperson
Sean McFarlane HVA Vice Chairperson
Alison Palthe HVA Treasurer
Terry Robinson HVA Secretary
Maggie Palthe
Delva Shamley
Leila Emdon
Anel Heymans
Reyana Hamdulay

Please message Leila Emdon on 072 055 92 76 if you need clothing, household goods, toiletries or food collected from your house.

Thank you! Our goal is to feed hundreds of families in Hanover Park during this crisis. It costs the HVA approximately R500 per pack. Help us reach our goal.

On behalf of the Harfield Village Association and the Harfield Village community, we express our deepest and most sincere gratitude and appreciation to every single person who has assisted the HVA with this campaign thus far.

Love

James Fernie

 Chairperson (Harfield Village Association)

jamesfernie@uthandosa.org


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