Charity

Mad Swimmers

2 February, 2013 by wotzupcapetown Leave a Comment

Jean Craven and Tim Ziehl are not your average swimmers. Like Nemo’s dad, these skilled water-lovers decided to use their aquatic abilities for good and, in 2009, set up a charity called ‘Jean and Tim Swim.’ Little did they know that this simple step (or initial plunge) would become madswimmer.com. Madswimmer is an initiative that stems from two men’s love of endurance swimming and an overwhelming desire to help others. The pair’s first charity swim in 2009 was from Europe to Africa. This journey took the swimmers across the Straits of Gibraltar and totalled a mammoth 17 km. In 2010 Jean, along with newcomers Evan Feldman and Colin Franks, swam the 12 km’s from Asia to Europe- a route that took them through sections

Tagged With: jean craven, mad swimmers, making a difference, swimming for charity

No Danger Diaries – Not scared to make a difference

29 January, 2013 by Wotz Leave a Comment

Four extraordinary chaps wanting to do some good in the world started the No Danger Diaries by performing random acts of kindness while having fun! Every third thing on their list helps the world and our people in some way. For every thing you help them achieve on their list, YOU are contributing by bringing joy to someone else’s world. So what does it really take to make someone’s day? THE NO DANGER DIARIES LIST 1. Perform a song live 2. Run naked down a mountain ♥3. Take chocolates to ladies in a retirement vilage on Valentines Day 4. Ride a Horse on a Beach 5. Ride a plastic motorbike down the longest street in the city ♥6. Donate a weeks worth of living expenses by living below the bread-line for 5 Days (Under

Tagged With: 4 Guys, charity, Helping Others, NO DANGER DIARIES, Random Acts of Kindness, unlimited good deeds

Home of Hope… Nurturing our future

3 January, 2013 by Wotz Leave a Comment

Charity is very close to our hearts here at WhatsUp, we love giving credit where it is due and couldn’t be more humbled by folks that give everything of themselves and ask for nothing in return to assist those in need. Home of Hope in Cape Town is one of these amazing and inspirational establishments. Home of Hope is a registered Child Protection Organization which provides services for the safety, well-being and care of all children in need of it, with a holistic approach through protection, education and support with the aim of breaking the cycle of child abuse. Our children are our future and without organizations like Home of Hope the future of many of our children, from their perspective would seem dull. A misconception

Tagged With: Carity, Child Abuse, Child Protection Organization, Children's Home, Donate, Home of Hope, Volunteer

Make some noise for Thembalitsha

29 November, 2012 by Wotz Leave a Comment

The Elgin Valley will be rocking the apple orchids on Saturday the 1st of December 2012 (World Aids Day) for the Hope Music Festival in aid of the Thembalitsha Foundation. Thembalitsha is the Xhosa word for New Hope, the foundation aims at restoring hope to South Africans in need - developing them to a point of self-reliance through the provision of healthcare, education and training. Organisers behind Hope and Thembalitsha have partnered with up-and-coming British band, Being Buffalo to deliver a charity single for this year’s World AIDS Day. The song itself is not the typical charity single designed to pull on heart-strings but is deliberately up-beat and delivers the message that, despite the harsh challenges people face,

Tagged With: 1 December 2012, Being Buffalo, Elgin Country Club, Grabouw, Hope Music Festival 2012, Margaret's Daughter, Muffinz, Parlotones, Tailor, Watershed, world aids day

SA’s top talent join the fight against poverty and unemployment

26 November, 2012 by wotzupcapetown Leave a Comment

Sixty of South Africa’s top talent have joined the fight against poverty and unemployment this festive season by contributing work pro bono to The Big Issue’s 2012/2013 Collector’s Edition. All 60 contributors submitted work under the theme of “My Big Issue” to create the bumper 92-page edition, printed on high quality paper and featuring the legendary flugelhornist, singer and defiant political voice Hugh Masekela on the cover. The weighty edition boasts a large number of the “who’s who” in South African literary, cartooning, photography, illustration and poetry circles, including Nadine Gordimer, Max du Preez, Ben Trovato, Zapiro, David Bullard, Jodi Bieber, Antjie Krog, Terry Crawford-Browne, Eusebius McKaiser

Tagged With: Africartoons, Andre Trantraal, Antije Krog, Araminta de Clermont, ben trovato, Beverly Rycroft, big issue, Brent Stirton, Brenton Geach, Brett Rubin, Christopher Clark, croc E moses, Damon Galgut, Dave Gomersall, David Bullard, David wa Maahlamela, Diane Awerbuck, Dorothy Black, Duncan Larkin, Eric Miller, Eusebius Mckaiser, Gavin Thomson, Gerhard van Wyk, Hasan Essop, Hugh Masekela, Husain Essop, Jacques Strauss, James Whyle, Jason Bronkhorst, Jen Thorpe, Jeremy Nell, Joanne Hichens, Jodi Bieber, Justin Plunkett, Justin Sholk, Karen Jayes, Karin Retief, Keith Gottschalk, Leonie Joubert, Lindeka Qampi, Lisa Skinner, Lisa Thompson, Mandy de Waal, Max du Preez, Michaela Verity, Nadine Gordimer, Nadine Hutton, Natasha Johnson, Nathan Trantraal, Nomusa Makhubu, Osiame Molefe, Retha Ferguson, Rustum Kozain, SA’s top talent join the fight against poverty and unemployment, Sebastian Borckenhagen, Sergio Rinquest, Shubnum Khan, Simon Tamblyn, Terry Crawford-Browne, Theo Krynauw, ZA News, zapiro

Slip your Tekkies on for Tekkie Friday

5 November, 2012 by Wotz Leave a Comment

Do you remember your very first pair of Tekkies? Most of us are privileged to have had many pairs in an assortment of colours and styles. Sadly there are many kids out there who aren’t as fortunate. Former Springbok Wing, Ashwin Willemse has experienced the joy of being bought his very own pair of brand spanking new tekkies and is inviting schools, corporates and other organisations to wear “tekkies” on the 9th of November to support the GreenSmile Foundation and the work that they do. “I can identify so closely with these kids,” says Ashwin Willemse. “I remember when I was chosen for the Boland athletics team for the first time as a 9 year old boy in 1991. It was a highlight for me, my family and our community. The

Tagged With: 9 November 2012, Ashwin Willemse, charity, Donate, GreenSmile Foundation, SMS TEKKIE to 48716, Tekkie Friday, Tekkie Friday 9 November 2012

Meet the world’s new Madiba in The Big Issue

29 October, 2012 by wotzupcapetown Leave a Comment

As Burma’s opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi signals for the first time that she will stand for president in the country’s 2015 elections, The Big Issue declares her “the world’s next Madiba” in a lead feature accompanied by a stunning graphic cover. “The comparisons between Aung San Suu Kyi and our own Nelson Mandela are undeniable,” says editor Melany Bendix. “Both were imprisoned for lengthy periods for their political beliefs, both sacrificed their family life for their country and both became worldwide symbols of their nation’s respective struggles for freedom from tyrannical rule.” The comparisons don’t end there, she adds. “As Madiba did with the National Party, Suu Kyi is advocating

Tagged With: Andiswa Madikane, Aung San Suu Kyi, big issue, Khayelitsha’s million dollar baby, Meet the world’s new Madiba, november issue, on sale now, R 20.00, Scalabrini Centre, Sergio Carciotto, Wi-Fi to townships

Happy 20th Birthday ImproGuise!

15 October, 2012 by Wotz Leave a Comment

In celebration of 20 successful years as South Africa’s longest running, award-winning and hilarious improvisation company, you are invited to watch South Africa's first ever Soap-a-thon a live, improvised soap opera marathon in aid of Rape Crisis. Rape Crisis provides essential services to women through counseling and court support services. Their 24-hour helpline reaches 4 500 to 5 000 survivors each year. But Rape Crisis is facing a crisis of its own: a shortfall of R1.3 million this year, which is threatening to force the organisation to close. All the proceeds raised from the Improguise soap-a-thon will contribute to alleviating their deficit and help them to continue with the daily running of the organisation. Just for

Tagged With: 12 hour event, 27 October 2012, charity, Hiddingh Campus, ImproGuise, Orange Street, Rape Crisis, Soap-a-thon, Soapie, The Little Thatre, Theatre Sport, tickets

Cleaning up our Beaches

4 October, 2012 by Wotz Leave a Comment

The last 2Tons2Day Blouberg Beach Cleanup held on the 15th of September was a roaring success, all the magic clean-up fairies managed to collect a whopping 1.64 tons of trash! With the help of the City of Cape Town they managed to reach their target of over 2 Tons! This just goes to show that each small effort makes a massive difference. Unfortunately this is an ongoing process and we are urging you to take part in the next clean-up… The next Blouberg Beach cleanup is this Saturday the 6th of October. Organisers behind the initiative aim at making the mission a fun-filled family activity and have therefore planned a massive beach soccer match - Pro soccer players vs surfers vs lifesavers vs some local stars vs members of the

Tagged With: 6 October 2012, Beach Cleanup, Beaches, Blouberg Beach, Cape Town, charity, Volunteer

The BIG Issue: Francois Pienaar exclusive

1 October, 2012 by wotzupcapetown Leave a Comment

Hot on the heels of its record sell-out SA Music edition, The Big Issue delivers another cracker magazine, with a heavy focus on the people in South Africa making change on all levels. “During crazy times like these where South Africans seem to be inundated with social, political and economic problems, looking at what people from all walks of life are doing to effect change — big and small — is, for me, a strong elixir against the despair that we could all so easily succumb to,” says Melany Bendix, editor. The inspirational stories begin with an exclusive interview with cover star, rugby icon Francois Pienaar. What many don’t know about the former Springbok captain is that, for the past decade, he’s led a mission

Tagged With: francois pienaar, make a difference, shnit load of entertainment, short film festival, sports development, the big issue