Differently-abled Awareness Campaign with a “Difference”
Over a period of 2 years, the Differently-Abled Awareness Campaign (DAC) canvassed for volunteers and advertised for scraps of haberdashery, which received an overwhelmingly generous response.
Volunteers were specially chosen to teach sewing crafts at schools to eager children, especially those with special needs coming to the fore, giving them so much hope and pride. These special ladies did this from the heart and carried their own costs for transport and much, much more.
DAC has hosted brilliant events; the ‘July at Sky’ with all the glitz and glamour of the actual Durban July. The music was presented by local radio host, Gordon Hoffmann and the entertainment and laughter by Paul Deans. Just one event that was hugely successful and that took many months of hard work to organise.
Being a non-profit organisation the focus was not on just raising funds, but to raise just enough to cover costs to continue assisting in making the visibly “Differently-Abled” feel that they mattered too.
Now, instead of being the odd ones out – EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT and we have all had to adjust to being ABLED in order to tackle life as if we were one of “those.” The new pestilence has made us all think differently and having to adjust has not been easy.
A sense of awareness and real caring has slowly but surely crept into our lives with money no longer the sole focus, but rather our physical existence and the knowledge that we are all, each and every person on this earth, now, Differently-Abled too.
We hold onto every day longer, we call loved ones more often just to hear their voices, we send funnies in laughter-filled mail to cheer each other up with the nostalgic, “Good old days” ones, bringing back real memories. Old photographs are being scanned and mailed, we are reliving the past.
Parents have had to readjust to their children, many of them are only really getting to know them now and no longer passing each other by. We have learned to listen, really listen, and truly feel that we actually have children, not easy. Discipline? We have forgotten that part.
When last did you all, as a family, sit down to dinner with Dad or other head of the household sitting at the head as it should be? When last did you forbid cell phones during the main meal with every member of the family present not dashing off to mail something or send an SMS?
Table manners? Special plates and glasses, also the boxed cutlery and other flatware should be a regular part of the main meal not just kept for special occasions. Just having the family together is a special occasion each day now, with Mom’s cooking being truly appreciated. Choose recipes together, why not?
With all of us being DIFFERENTLY-ABLED and AWARE now, we say, welcome to the Club of the visibly differently-abled, there are no real differences, never were.
Thank you to all those who truly cared and who gave so generously not of money but of their time and expertise when I had none.
RITA HARDAKER – Chairlady
Email: ritav@global.co.za