Dance to Health

“Gift of the Givers” Slide Show on visit to Gaza by Zohra Sooliman

2009-03-05T06:29:00.000-08:00

4th March,2009

Julie had invited me to accompany her to this slide show and talk which was held in Pietermaritzburg.

The policy of “Gift of the Givers Foundation is expressed as “Gift of the Givers Foundation is the largest disaster response NGO of African origin in the African continent. Coming into being in 1992, we have evolved into an agency that stands out as one of the best in the world. Entrepreneurship, job creation, bursaries, mosquito nets, blankets, clinics, counselling and life skills services are all facets of our expanding diverse activities. Building bridges between people of different cultures and religions, instilling hope and dignity and creating opportunity are all integral aspects of our philosophy. Our assistance is purely humanitarian and unconditional.

We assist irrespective of race, religion, colour, class, political affiliation or geographical boundary. We work with governments to get our assistance delivered, but do not align ourselves politically to any party.

Our credo is “The best among people are those who benefit mankind”.

The audience consisted of women. The ladies of Indian descent were wearing a variety of outfits. Julie was not wearing anything that identified her as a Muslim, others wore headscarves with traditional attire from the sub-continent, out lecturer wore a headscarf with a western style patterned blouse and white trousers. There was only one woman completely covered from head to foot in a black chador. Her outfit was decorated with black lace something I have never seen before and she was carrying a smart black handbag. She exposed her face on arrival and covered up again on departure. There were two “white” south Africans and a “black” South African woman in addition to myself. The latter was clearly a person of education and authority.

Zohra Sooliman, who is a psychologist, her husband and founder of “Gift of Giver” Dr. Imtiaz Sooliman, medical specialists and journalists had formed a party of about forty people who had entered Gaza about three weeks after the ceasefire at the beginning of this year.

Zohra and the whole team had worked in some cases almost literally twenty four hours a day to treat people and alleviate suffering. Zohra had been helping adults and children with post traumatic stress using a technique called EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing).

The slides were a very powerful accompaniment to her words. Zohra made clear that the Israeli’s are clearly not following the accepted rules of war. They are using white phosphorous , a banned substance, for which there is no cure for those affected by it. The slides were a very powerful accompaniment to her words.

Zohra made a clear distinction between the policies and attitudes of the Israeli government and the Israeli people themselves. She mentioned that there are growing numbers of Israeli’s who are looking for a peaceful resolution to the present situation.

After the talk we were offered refreshments. Julie (who really is a wonderful Publicity Manager) started talking to Zohra about “Tales My Ghanaian Grandmother Told Me”. She had, with admirable foresight, brought along the publicity pack which Donnette had made up. Zohra was very interested and immediately started asking about what newspaper and radio coverage I had enjoyed. She expressed the thought that we were destined to met and said she would see what she could do to help with publicity. She has a husband, five children, works and regularly gives talks so she asked me if she could ring me in the evening in a day or two. Zohra really is a truly exceptional woman!

"The Zulu Mpophomeni Tourism Experience"

2009-03-04T07:00:00.000-08:00

28th February,2009

In a tourist office I picked up a glossy, attractively produced pamphlet entitled “Zulu-Mpophomeni Tourism Experience - Traditional Zulu hospitality”. Under history is the following information:
“The Zulu-Mpophomeni Experience serves as a unique metaphor for the miracle that is South Africa. Mpophomeni was founded in 1972 when the original settlement was moved under the segregationist policies of the apartheid government. There was much unhappiness about the move and the farmer whose land was expropriated committed suicide and has his ashes scattered over the land.

Mpophomeni housed most of the workers at the British Tyre and Rubber plant in Howick and in 1984, a massive strike was called to protest low wages. The entire workforce was fired and some of the shop stewards were subsequently shot.

A wall of Reconciliation was built to commemorate the 120 people who died in the violence and fittingly, is named after Nokulunga Gumede, the five-year old who was run over by a military vehicle during the cycle of violence”

There was mention of Township Tours which included visits to the Wall of Reconciliation , an old farmhouse, and income-generating projects as part of community development. As well as a visit to a Sangoma (traditional Healer), a cemetery, Shembe Traditional Church and cultural activities such as Zulu dance and township jive.

Accommodation is offered in thirteen private homes with comfortable en-suite Bed and Breakfast accommodation, which include double, twin and single beds.

Donnette had never visited the village so we set off with two of her children for our”Zulu-Mpophomeni Tourism Experience.” We were all full of anticipation as we drove through the breathtaking countryside. We turned off the main road when we saw a sign for the “Zulu Mpophomeni Experience.”

Suddenly we were in another world and for the first time on this trip I met Africa as I know it. I looked like everyone else. I was no longer a black face amongst a majority of white ones. No longer were the only black faces seen in town packing bags in supermarkets, cutting the verges, pushing and carrying and cleaning things. Donnette and her two children perched on the back set of the car were now a very obvious minority.

My heart lifted with delight at seeing goats and chickens and dogs with litters of puppies roaming around freely. Rows of neat houses lined one side of the road.

We drove confidently down the road for about two miles and then cam to what appeared to be the centre of the village. We saw absolutely nothing that gave any information as to the Mpophomeni Experience. We were very aware that we were being carefully observed by a very wary population. I wanted to photograph the long queue of people patiently waiting for transport but felt that this would not be appreciated by the villagers. So we turned roun and drove to the petrol station at the turn off.

I was automatically addressed in Zulu (a lovely language) and people looked bewildered when I said that I didn’t speak the language. Donnette managed to find someone who spoke English an finally a young man with a car said we should follow him. An inebriated man called Beki squeezed onto the back seat with the children. We drove back the way we have come and the car we were following stopped in front of the Community centre. We said a friendly goodbye to both men.

Truth to tell by this time we were all rather apprehensive and mystified. People we had actually spoken to were perfectly friendly but the general atmosphere was not. It was so odd that no one appeared to have heard of the “Zulu - Mpophomeni Tourism Experience which was supposed to take place in their village.

Donnette said she didn’t feel safe and I reluctantly had to agree. She got out of the car to ask some women for directions but left the engine running. We followed their directions which seemed to lead us further and further out of the village. No matter where we looked we just didn’t see anything that was remotely like what we were looking for. By this time Donnette’s daughter who is very sensitive was nervous and upset. The decision to abandon the expedition was unanimous.

This is one of the few occasion when I have not been able to “read” what was going on in peoples’ minds. There were clearly a number of factors the weight of each which I could not evaluate. We did, however, drive further along the main road to see if perhaps there was another entrance. The road started to climb as we approached the foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains. After several kilometers we turned round and headed in the direction of home.

We stopped at a plant nursery which served teas. The place was idyllic with wonderful views and beautiful trees and plants. It was run by a brother, sister and sister-in-law. Two of whom had just returned to South Africa after ten unsatisfactory years in England. Apparently they are British passport holders. They too, had never heard of the “Zulu-Mpophomeni Tourism Experience” which should have been a few miles away from them. I had a very welcome pot of Earl Grey tea and excellent scones with cream an strawberry jam. The whole expedition had not been helped by heavily overcast skies and spitting rain.

Donnette and I have come to the conclusion that the Zulu - Mpophomeni Tourism Experience with traditional Zulu Hospitality exists only when busloads of overseas visitor roll into town. No doubt it is an interesting and entertaining experience but one which offers a totally stage-managed view of traditional Zulu life.

BSD - Book Signing Day 21st February,2009

2009-03-03T00:07:00.000-08:00

Saturday,21st February,2009
We left early for Cascades. Donnette gave the parking lady 20 rand and asked her to hand out our flyers. We made quite a grand entrance. I was wearing a Ghanaian outfit with gold stole, earrings, shoes and bag. Savannah (Donnette’s ten year old daughter) was wearing one of Nuna’s outgrown Nigerian outfits and her sister Clarissa (aged eight) had a kente stole over her shoulder. Everyone was looking at them with interest as they offered the passers-by flyers.
Coleen at the “Book World” bookshop had set up a table with a cloth and two chairs. I put a kente cloth over the table which immediately looked more interesting and spread out my book as well as “Dance to Health”, “Dance in Our Footsteps” and “Calling all musicians.”
My first sale was to a “white” lecturer in psychology from the University of Kwa Zulu Natal who had brought along a lovely young “black” MA student in psychology. She is doing her thesis on traditional African tales. When the book signing was over she came back to the stand and we did a recorded interview.
Donnette had arranged the signing to be as near to pay day as possible. But it was clear that people were not going in for spur of the moment purchases. One dance teacher expressed great interest in “Dance to Health” and took my contact details. Some people were interested in “Tales My Ghanaian Grandmother Told Me” but found them too expensive. One woman eagerly examined the book and then asked if I had copies in Afrikaans. When I said “no” she put it down. There are still Afrikaners who do not speak English and the English speakers often refuse to speak it even when they can.
Colleen took some books for “Book World” and didn’t seem to think that the price was too high. She will be in touch with Donnette when she needs more copies.
All in all the book signing was a success thanks to Dinette’s hard work and imaginative approach.
After the launch I took everyone for lunch. I was the one who asked the waiter for the menu, ordered the meal and asked for the bill. When he appeared with it he carefully put it on the table where Donnette had been sitting. I don’t think he had ever had a “black” African paying for a lunch party where everyone else was “white”.

http://www.strategicbookpublishing.com/TalesMyGhanaianGrandmotherToldMe.html

http://myafrica.allafrica.com/view/books/main/id/o8Ns1eBcjsWetOpd.html

http://www.dance-to-health-help-your-sepcial-needs-child.com

BSD - Book Signing Day 21st February,2009

2009-03-03T00:05:00.000-08:00

Encounters with Ghosts and a Careless Driver

2009-02-26T23:57:00.000-08:00

13th February,2009
Today thank goodness the weather has been bright and 37 degrees Celsius. A wonderful change from the rain and heavy mists we have had up until now.
This afternoon we drove out into the Midlands Meander district. A beautiful area of hills with luxuriant vegetation and the distant Drackensberg Mountains as a backdrop. Along the way we saw fine quality horses and cattle.
The purpose of the expedition was to visit one of Donnette’s daughters who is considering working as a receptionist at the Nottingham Road Hotel the oldest in Kwazulu-Natal built in 1854. It is a building which retains it’s atmosphere with old photos, prints and antique furniture. The room and their accompanying bathrooms are period, restrained and tasteful.
Donnette’s daughter’s colleague told us that the hotel is haunted. There is a legend that a lady of the night, called Charlotte either jumped from the balcony when her lover failed to appear or was pushed to her death by her lover. She is said to haunt one room. Even before I entered room 2 there was absolutely no doubt as far as I was concerned that there was a very nasty presence inhabiting it. I had a feeling which I had never experienced before of a heaviness in the upper part of my chest.
Room 10 was also definitely inhabited by a less malign energy. The receptionist who accompanied us also felt the very unpleasant atmosphere. Apparently the kitchen is so badly haunted (voices, doors opening by themselves, temperature changes etc) that even the male kitchen staff will not go there alone at night. I gently suggested that the rooms needed to be spiritually cleansed.
Most of the time we sat at a table in the garden. At frequent intervals long goods trains passed by on their way from Durban to Johannesburg. The picturesque old railway station has fallen into a state of extreme dilapidation. The town itself was built to protect the Afrikaners from the Bushman.
A lot of locals came in for drinks. The Afrikaner farmers looked like people from another century, dressed and looking like their forefathers.
The area offers visitors a great deal - horse riding, fishing, hiking, good food, craft villages, golf, leather work, canopy tours, and hot air ballooning.
On the way back to Hilton we stopped at a farm shop because Donnette wanted to check out the Biltong (dried meat) on offer. The produce included fresh meat, fruit and vegetables as well as very tempting jams, pickles, sweets, cakes and biscuits all home produced. There was also honey and homemade lemonade and ginger beer all at very reasonable prices,
After this stop we continued on our way. By now it was dark. A long stretch of road was undergoing repairs and was clearly marked with lights and signs. Suddenly we were shunted from the back by a chap in a BMW who was driving too fast. He had tried to avoid us by swerving to the left and onto the section of the road cordoned off for repair. We also pulled over onto this section. His right headlight was damaged where it hit us. Donnette’s rear bumper on the left side was deformed. I think our guardian angel looked after us because although the car hit us at speed it did not cause us to spin nor were Donnette and I thrown forward against our seat belts as we would have expected. Thank God for that because both Donnette’s three and a half year old son and ten year old daughter were sitting on the back seat without seat belts.
Donnette exchanged details with the other driver who it turned out knew people known to Donnette and her father. After this we continued on our way uneventfully.

I Need Volunteers Please

2006-11-17T08:36:00.002-08:00

As a result of my successful experience of improvisational dance with Children with Special Needs I have written a manual for the parents and careers of Children with Special Needs in which I encourage them to set up their own Dance Movement Therapy groups. I do not promise a cure but know that it will bring about greater harmony between MIND-BODY-AND-SPIRIT. Nothing that I suggest in the manual is dangerous or beyond the capabilities of the average parent or career.

I am looking for volunteers who have children with special needs to try the programme set out in my e-manual. I need feed-back. All volunteers will receive a free copy of my manual as well as the booklet Six Movement Lesson Plans. My support and advice will be available at all times. For further details please visit my website:- www.dance-to-health-help-your-special-needs-child.com

Do give it a go, it's FUN and HELPFUL!

2006-11-17T07:31:00.000-08:00

DOES YOUR CHILD HAVE BEHAVIOURAL, MOBILITY OR LEARNING DIFFICULTIES?
ARE the following some of the questions you ask yourself?:-
HOW can I bring greater JOY into my child's life?
HOW can I CALM/STIMULATE him or her?
HOW can I find ways to experience an even DEEPER LEVEL of COMMUNICATIONwith him or her?
HOW can I have more FUN and explore the FULL POTENTIAL of my child?
HOW can I help my child to INTEGRATE SOCIALLY?
HOW can I increase my child's CONFIDENCE and feelings of SELF-WORTH?
HOW can I improve my child's POSTURE, CO-ORDINATION and GENERAL HEALTH?
If your answer to these questions is "YES" then" DANCE TO HEALTH HELP YOUR SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD THROUGH INSPIRATIONAL DANCE" may be part of the answer. The author is a DANCE MOVEMENT THERAPIST whose main work has been with CHILDREN who have SPECIAL NEEDS. HER E-BOOK is ONE OF A KIND! No one before has suggested that the PARENTS of CHILDREN with SPECIAL NEEDS are capable of acting as DANCE MOVEMENT THERAPISTS to their CHILDREN. What is offered is not a cure but a system which will bring about GREATER HARMONY between MIND-BODY-and-SPIRIT. www.dance-to-health-help-your-special-needs-child.com
Parents DON'T NEED to have TRAINED as PROFESSIONAL DANCERS or even for that matter be EXPERIENCED AMATEURS. Parents just need to be open to the idea of having fun and communicating in a different way.

I am looking for serious volunteers who have children with special needs to try out the programme described in my e-manual . I need feed-back from users. I will send them a FREE copy of the manual and also the accompanying booklet "Six Movement Lesson Plans". For further details please go to my website:
www.dance-to-health-help-your-special-needs-child.com

Or e-mail me at info@dance-to-health-help-your-special-needs-child.com

All comments welcome!