Author Archives: hanslos

World Health Day

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World Health Day
By Samantha Hanslo (Student Counselling, Mowbray)

Did you know that World Health Day 2018 will be globally celebrated worldwide on Saturday 7th of April?

What is World Health Day?
The World Health Day is celebrated annually under the leadership of World Health Organization. The aim of this day is to draw the mass people attention towards the importance of global health. In 1948 the first World Health Assembly was held Geneva by the WHO. Here it was decided to celebrate the World Health Day annually on 7th of April. In 1950 was the first year it was celebrated worldwide as the World Health Day. Varieties of events related to the particular theme are organized on the international and national level by the WHO. Every year, a particular theme is chosen to run the whole year.

Who celebrates World Health Day?
World Health Day is celebrated worldwide by specific governments, non-government organisations and NGOs. Various health organizations may also contribute by organizing programmes relating to the public health issues and awareness. These entities use media reports by means of press releases, news articles and social media platforms to highlight their activities and support for the theme. Health authorities from different country take part in the celebration with their pledges in order to support on the health issues worldwide. (http://www.indiacelebrating.com/events/world-health-day/)

2018 Theme
This year, 2018 will be the 70th annual World Health Day organised by The World Health Organization. The theme is “fight for universal healthcare for all”. The WHO explains on their website that their goal is a world where everyone has access to the healthcare services they need without having to worry about going into debt paying for them.

You can also help by spreading the word on social media. The World Health Organization has created perfect squares to be used on your social media platforms on World Health Day 2018. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5570613/World-Health-Day-need-know.html#ixzz5BhE5KROm.

South Africa
Breaking health news in South Africa is that on 1 April a new tax on sugary drinks came into effect. This tax was renamed the Health Promotion Levy by government. This tax is ground breaking as it’s the first such in Africa. (HEALTH-E NEWS SOUTH AFRICA 02 APR 2018 (SOUTH AFRICA)

Important questions to ask yourself this World Health Day is how healthy are you? How many sugary drinks do you use daily and how can you improve your health and the health of others?

CPUT Students Learn to sail

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Sailing

by Momelezi Funani

Mowbray Peer Helper, 3rd year Sports Management

 

Sailing is a very strange sport because so much of it is out of your hands. You rely solely on the weather for all of your push. You can personally be as prepared as possible, but if the weather doesn’t want to play you cannot change it. Last Sunday the 21st of May was my first time on boat. It was very scary but enjoyable at the same time. I remember it as an absolutely sensational feeling! I tried to learn as much as I can from other team members, as some of them had more experience than me. I kept my head open to new ideas, new technology and try towards the end of the day even to anticipate what I was going to be told to do. Sailing requires team effort as you have to cover for one another. I found that if you are in a team sport, you’ve got to work together, and you’ve got learn and listen to everyone. During a maneuver you got to give 100%, and that means lifting and moving heavily sails and often finding yourself in a space you cannot fully stand up straight! What adds to making these maneuvers so complicated is that you are doing all of this on a completely unstable platform.

However the boat becomes its own little city that never stops. When you are on the boat you become intimately aware of its noises, smells and general feel of the boat. You can actually feel the sea state change. My most important life lesson so far is that you have to trust your team mates because they need you and you’ve got to bring your A GAME as they rely on you.

As a peer helper from Mowbray campus we received an invitation from CPUT DSA about an initiative to teach youth life skills using sailing as the medium. The sessions are held at the Royal Cape Yacht Club. When I heard about this opportunity I was immediately excited to join. The main criteria was that students/ youth were required to be able to swim. If not, they will give us an opportunity to learn. The sail programme lasts for 5 consecutive Sundays and you have to attend all of them in order to graduate. This is a great opportunity for students because sailing sport is a non-traditional sport, especially for young people from disadvantage communities. I am learning so much and enjoying every minute of this experience and would like to thank all the agencies for making it possible for us to be part of something great….