The beginning of a new era

Mdantsane Christmas Collection

Christmas Clothes & Food Appeal:

As we gear up for the Christmas season and there is that hustle and bustle when we’re shopping at the malls, let’s give a thought to all those less fortunate to us!
Mdantsane is the 2nd largest township after Soweto and now houses 600,000 black South Africans who grapple daily with the challenges of unemployment, poverty, crime, and rampant diseases like tuberculosis and AIDS. Its rows of modest homes line street after street in the rolling hills outside a small industrial port city in the Eastern Cape Province.

What may seem like something small and insignificant to you, could really put a smile on someone else’s face this Christmas. Just as many hardened criminals and violent people live in Mdantsane, are there that many innocent people who re searching for something to believe in or just that hope that someone cares.
Hilltop Empowerment Centre are doing a collection for our volunteers, their communities and the children of Mdantsane.

You are welcome to participate by showing you care and donating any clothing items and food items or money which we will buy food in bulk or use to sponsor their football team Youth United.
You would also be welcome to join us for the handover, which will take place on the Hilltop Empowerment Centre Farm in the Hanover Village, near King Wiliams Town, where we will be doing training and development from 10- 12 December 2008. The Handover will be done on 12 December and it will end in a mini celebration of African Culture where we will present the donation to the local volunteers who will distribute it to their community.
Contact Person: Manisha Ramdhin ; funkymani@gmail.com, 0832250817

Possible Food Items:
Canned Tuna, Canned Beans, Canned corn, canned meat, canned vegetables
Bags of Maize, Bags of Rice, Bags of Samp, Bags of Beans
Biscuits, sweets, cookies, toys, stationery, milk, flour
Anything which you feel would bring a smile to someone this Christmas;-)
Our Goal is to collect atleast 500kg of food and also various clothing items which we could give as gifts.

DIBANISA WEBSITE WORLDWIDE HELP

Hilltop Empowerment center is in the process of developing a website for a schools network. The schools network consists of a number of different rural schools.

Dibanisa Web Project Report

Description of project:

The Dibanisa web project will be divided into different sub-systems: The main website, Satellite websites & the client systems. These sub-systems will be discussed at a later stage.

The goals and functions of the project are multi-faceted:
 To provide a resource center.
 Online Networking
 Student Tracking
 Reporting systems
 Social Networking
 Schools Promotion & facilitation of creating an 'old-boys' network.(*)

All these goals are achieved by developing a series of modules which would be attached to the primary website.
*School promotion is achieved by providing each school that signs up for the project a website of their own. Each website's content is managed by a content management system which makes it the given schools responsibility to populate.


Client Systems

The client systems are currently only an idea and as such are not off the ground. We need a whole host of information:
 Research into current school systems.
 Research on the structure of current schools databases.

HELP WANTED!!!

What we need from those willing to help (& we have people from all over the world working on this project) is for you to help us colate all this inforamtion for the schools. Whatever your profession or even if you want to add a fun element, we would like you to submit various information which you think would be useful for pupils & teachers at schools.

Examples are:

-sport activities
-details about a specific country
-animals
-recipes
-conflict management
-information about a specific subject
-history of a country
-how to draw up a curriculum vitae

The above are only a few examples- you can be creative with this & basically just use information from the internet or if you have been doing a project or have information related to your work, etc, please can you email me the information on funkymani@gmail.com and clearly mark it DIBANISA WEB PROJECT.

This is quite exciting & a huge project and we have about 30 countries working on this, about 400 people who are submitting information so if you would like to be part of something BIG & contribute to helping rural communities in South Africa, please contact me.

ETHOS

ENLIGHTENING MINDS...
EMPOWERING INDIVIDUALS...
BRIDGING COMMUNITIES...
UNITING COUNTRIES...
HEALING THE WORLD!

Really exciting times are here now! The start of my new business!
I've been up all night for the past week putting together my business plan & doing hectic thinking & planning regarding every aspect of my business. This business is so me & it combines everything I believe in - This is something I'm passionate about & alot of thought has been put into this before just taking action. I realise it has a long way to go but every day gets more exciting as it becomes a reality.

My vision is to be the leading volunteer organisation in South Africa.

A little bit about Ethos:
(derived from the Greek word ethikos and meaning "state of being" the inner source. This is an unknown region within the spirit, the soul, the mind, and the original essence, that shapes and forms a person)

I called my business Ethos because this is what it's all about - true character building not only with the volunteer, but also the community, our town , our province, South Africa & the world.

The world really is your oyster & the possibilities are endless...
A point to really ponder over.

Whether you are in South Africa & want to go abroad or abroad, wanting to make a difference in a developing couintry, contact me & we can have a chat! funkymani@gmail.com

I've travelled to about 16 countries & it has really changed my perception of the world. Everyday I push myself a little more & I get excited because wouldn't you be excited too if you finally realised your potential? I walk around smiling & people think I'm crazy but I've never been happier because this business is something I truly believe in. I want to help individuals find their passions in life, teach them how to set goals, make them believe more in themselves & I want to also lead a balanced life & thereby inspire & motivate them to do more. I want to create the same opportunity for all other young people!

Objectives of Ethos:

1.To provide much needed help to rural communities where they lack skill & expertise by providing really basic life skills which are vital to find employment in a country that is characterized with high unemployment rates &increasing poverty.ie. teaching computer skills

2.To promote intercultural learning across countries & cultures

3.To promote leadership, teamwork, basic life skills & integration skills, which cannot be learned in a classroom thereby empowering individuals & teaching them the tools to handle any problems In life plus they can add value to our economy when they generate new ideas & a better understanding of the world

4.To create an environment that fosters personal growth & development and that the volunteers have the feel good factor
5.To promote generation of new ideas, concepts & thoughts thereby enlightening minds & expanding individual consciousness

6.To increase tourism in South Africa : as more volunteers come, it enlargers the network & reaches out to more people thereby increasing the visitors that come to South Africa

7.To contribute to the development of the community& provide an equal opportunity for those that were previously disadvantaged

8.To change certain rigid mindsets from the apartheid era

9.To increase national & international awareness of local projects

10.To work together with countries toward a common goal & also contributing to the United Nations peace objectives.


This is not just going to be any ordinary volunteer organisation. I plan to include so many fun activities so you're having fun while you're learning all these skills & in the process also helping rural communities. I spent 2 months in Germany & am a trained international work camp leader so although you're going to have to work really hard some things to look forward to when you're taking a break :

Hiking trails, scuba diving, kayaking, bungy jumping, cycling along Footsteps of Mandela Cycle Trail, fun team building at seaside resorts,white water rafting, game reserves, sky diving, the graden route, wine tasting, strawberry farms, aloe farms , protea farms, arts & crafts

10 KEYS TO SUCCESS

I draw my inspiration & knowledge from numerous people it's weird how synchronicity works but every time i am needing reassurance or help & support, something so fitting shows up in my mail box!

The following is taken from Lynn Robinson & when I read it, it just resonated through me & I felt it's truth!

Make your intuition your ally.

How does your intuition speak to you? Do you receive information in words, feelings, a body sensation? Do you just know? Ask your intuition questions and pay attention to the answers and act on the information you receive.


What are you enthusiastic about?

The root of the word enthusiasm is entheos. It literally means "God Within." Just think, when you feel enthusiastic about your dreams it means that God is speaking through you and saying "yes" to your goals! The feeling of enthusiasm is one of the ways your intuition speaks to you. What makes you excited, happy, delighted? What do you look forward to each day? Do more of it!


Be clear about your goals.

We are often quite clear about what we don't want. Spend time thinking about what you do want. What does your ideal life look like? Draw pictures or cut out scenes from magazines that illustrate the life you wan t to create. Write in your journal, envision. Spend time each day imagining your ideal life. Envision the details of that life. Imagine you are living it now. What are you wearing? What are you feeling? Who are the people around you? The power is within your mind and heart to bring forth the new life you want.


Spend time in prayer and meditation.

Answers often come to life's questions through self-reflection. Prayer and meditation are two ways we have of slowing down enough to listen to the still, quiet voice of our Higher Self. Remember that the answers don't always pop into your mind fully formed as you meditate or pray. You may find them slowly evolving into your consciousness over several days or weeks as you ask for insight.


Create positive self-talk.

Pay attention to what you tell yourself about yourself and your life. If the general tone is hopeful and positive you feel better and are more optimistic. William James said, "The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives." It's easier to create a life you love when you give yourself affirmative message.


Practice an attitude of gratitude.

Research has shown that the happiest people are the ones who have gratitude for all that they have despite their circumstances. You don't have to postpone happiness until you have achieved all your goals. Joy is an inside job. In the Talmud it says, "In the world to come each of us will be called to account for all the good things God put on this earth which we refused to enjoy." Learn to appreciate the unfolding process of your life, not just the realization of your dreams.


Take action.

People often get stuck because they can't figure out how to get from Point A to Point Z. What is one thing you could do that would be a next step? Take a class, talk to a friend, read a book on a topic of interest, learn a new skill. Take action on what feels exciting to you.


Look for coincidences and synchronicities.

It has been said that coincidences are God's way of remaining anonymous. We often have serendipity occurring in our lives as a way to show us we are on the right path. As you trust your intuitive knowing you'll find these synchronicities occurring more often.


Know that there will be ebbs and flows.

We often reach success through a series of ups and downs. When you are in a "down" place and feeling stuck, know that it won't last forever. Find some ways to enjoy your life despite the lull and continue to focus on what you want.


Trust in divine order.

Maybe you're beginning to feel as Mother Theresa once did when she said, "I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much." The Universe has a perfect plan for your growth and unfolding as a human being. As you learn to be guided by your intuition you're beginning to act on this wisdom from the Universe.

It's all "Relative"

Often we are quick to notice what we don’t have in our lives… we don’t have enough time, we don’t have enough space and, we definitely don’t have enough money for anything we want to do. That’s typical of the scarcity complexity & since the Law of Attraction works that way, what you think, you bring about, by thinking about your “lack of” only gets you more of it, which is why most people who are in debt, continue to stay in debt. Those who run around with no time, never have time for anything…they’re all caught up in the rat race & unless they become aware of this & change their thinking, they will never get what they desire.

That’s where the “relative theory” comes in…because if you think about it, everything is relative, as it depends on what you’re comparing it to. Take a look around you, that old sweater that was not warm enough, to someone who cannot afford to buy any clothes, is welcoming. All the leftovers which you are so quick to chuck in the bin, could mean survival for a street kid. Where you thought you didn’t have enough money to see to your expenses, be appreciative that you have enough money to food, clothe & house yourself.

If you’re going to compare yourself with a millionaire, you will look poor but if you’re comparing yourself to a beggar, you then become the millionaire. Life is all about perception- be appreciative for all that you have! Look around you & see the beauty & wealth because everything is relative & by feeling happy with your circumstances, you will attract more of it. It really is that simple.

Parallel Dimensions

This is dedicated to all those who love having their cake & eating it.
by manisha
Parallel dimension captures the best of both worlds,
The good & the bad,
the best & the worst,
the ups & the downs,
the yin & yang...
the ecstacy & the purgatory.
For if there were no pain , we would know no pleasure.

Paradise Island

Lets swim to the point of no control
In an ocean of bliss
Across the currents of passion
Where you will encounter the depth of my love
Until we reach the sands of time
On an island that’s erotic

A convergance of intellects
An arousal from within
Naked to hungry eyes
Caressing each other with sin
Burning with desire
New territories exploring

Two hearts pulsating
Intense heat generating
Bodies perspiring
Movements invigorating
Until utopian climaxing
And then pure breathlessness


Extreme Purgatory

Imprisoned to these depths of despair
Confined to this misery
Stuck in this bottomless pit
That’s the gate to my purgatory
So deep in this underworld
This is my living hell

A place to punish
Extreme pain & misery
Nothingness
Intense loneliness
Conflict
Confusion

Lies & envy
Deceipt & betrayal
Jealousy & resentment
Anguish & despair
Fears & uncertainties
Erupting from all this unfaithfulness


With every up, comes a down but with every cloud comes a silver lining.
Life is all about perception & beliefs.
We have the power to control our thoughts & effect our lives.
We create our own reality.

Happiness is a state of mind & as easily as we can hold onto moments of pure ecstacy, some of us choose to imprison ourselves & continue to punish & torture our souls.

Initially, I wrote the first part of this poem "paradise island" during the happiest part of my life. When you fall in love, you love the idea that someone could be your "ideal" when in reality, as time passes, the truth hits home & it's you who has wronged, because he always "was" - you just had your rose coloured spectacles on. I refused to see the truth yet it was always there. I become my own worst enemy & i imprisoned myself & i hate myself for making me so vulnerable... so open.
This is "extreme purgatory" (place of suffering where souls remain until they have expiated their sins)= purgatory of lost love. I loathe myself for lowering my walls, for letting this stranger into my haven. I start questioning why I acted so foolishly & my mind gets in a frenzy for there is no logical solution.
I remain in this abyss until I choose to see the light.

And even if I choose to be happy once more, ne'er again will I let down those walls, because it literally feels like rubbing salt on an open flesh wound.