Life Of A Street Kid

WOW…For someone who’s been busy “Street-kidding” for a while, I have to admit that I haven’t had the time to read any books recently. But when a friend of mine told me about the book release of “200 Truths About Love”, I was completely intrigued by the title. Who wouldn’t be if you’ve been searching for love for so long.

Now back to the book… “200 Truths About Love” is a book on awakening to truths, growing, love and healing of a black woman in all her forms. It’s a daring confrontation of flawed masculinity and a calling-out on men to be the best they so well sell themselves to be. Hmmmm…talk about #MenAreTrash I see – interesting!

An author of a book for young black women and progressive young men in South Africa, it's now time for Hakeem Anderson-Lesolang to meet his fan-base that has followed him for the past 6 years and seen him mature from strength to strength.

To those not familiar with his work and background, Hakeem Anderson-Lesolang is a South African author and entertainer with a love and fondness for black women waking up to their own light. When asked how this book and his entire movement on profiling and celebrating black beauty and black love came about, he said:

"Who's done more for black men, as overwhelmingly well, as black women have - without fail or fear? Why wouldn't I celebrate her? Why wouldn't I wake her to her power and heart and want all men to do the same?"

I looooove this guy’s attitude! It’s about time women are celebrated and appreciated every day and not only on Mothers’ and Women’s Day (evident in his music & his social media posts under the #BecauseBlack movement). He added:

"The fact that black women don’t believe black men can love the way they want to be loved is sad. What is both angering and telling of our unwillingness to change for the better is that most black men know this, yet they look at it as if women are being crazy or too demanding. We need to interrogate ourselves on this!”

Give this man a Bell’s!

So, if you’d like to get your hands on this interesting read as well as meeting Hakeem, make sure that you’re at the SA Book Fair at Pelmo Books (stand number A17) this weekend from 8 – 10 September 2017.

Follow the movement through the following:

#200TruthsAboutLove #200Truths #AskHakeem #BecauseBlack #MelaninMuses

I sure have!

This year, Mugg & Bean will once again be bringing hope to the lives of children living with cancer, through its Cupcakes 4 Kids With Cancer fundraising initiative. As proud supporters since 2011, Mugg & Bean has to date raised over R 500 000 for this worthy cause. On September 1^st it will be adding to this amount with its Cupcakes 4 Kids with Cancer month, by selling their delectable lemon meringue cupcakes during the month of September at all Mugg & Bean restaurants in South Africa. These delicious lemon meringue cupcakes are available only during the month of September and proceeds will be donated to the Cupcakes 4 Kids with Cancer organisation.

“This means that for every cupcake sold at any Mugg & Bean outlet nationwide, we will donate a portion of the sale to this worthy cause. With an estimated 250,000 new cases of children affected by cancer under the age of 20 worldwide, we have made it our mission to share more generously. Our support of Cupcakes 4 Kids is the very least we can do to help combat this disease,” says Mugg & Bean Brand Manager, Adam Deane.

The initiative will kick off on International Cupcakes for Breakfast Day on Friday, September 1^st, which also happens to be the start of International Childhood Cancer Awareness month. During the month, Mugg & Bean will have two events where a Wall of Generosity is constructed, at Canal Walk and The Pavilion. Keep an eye on the Mugg & Bean SA Facebook page for details.

With early detection and treatment, the survival rate of children in developed countries is currently calculated at between 70 and 80%. In South Africa, however, the survival rate is only at around 50%, which is why Mugg & Bean is calling on all its patrons to get behind this worthy cause.

To show your support on September 1^st, write the name of your cancer hero on the palm of your hand and take a picture of this next to your Mugg and Bean cupcake. You can simply upload the picture to Twitter, Facebook or Instagram using the hashtag #CupcakeForMyHero.

Mugg & Bean have always based their business on the kind of sharing that requires generosity, time and effort, and is worth even more than what is shared. To bring your spirit of generosity to this worthy cause, order a limited edition lemon meringue cupcake from the Mugg & Bean menu for the month of September, and play your part in the Cupcakes 4 Kids with Cancer initiative. Helping save lives has never before felt so sweet.

We encourage you to order a pack of 6 and challenge your colleagues and friends to do the same.

The Mugg & Bean lemon meringue cupcakes are available nationwide, retailing at R R22.00 for a single cupcake and R110.00 for half a dozen cupcakes.

For more details, visit www.muggandbean.co.za

Glamour and goodwill will come together on Saturday, October 28 for the third time at the Cell C Playing for Pink Ladies Invitational Polo 2017 which takes place at the exquisite Inanda Club in Sandton, Johannesburg.

The annual event, presented by Edith Unlimited, seeks to raise funds for Reach for Recovery in support of breast cancer awareness, while at the same time offering guests an incredible day of sportsmanship, entertainment, high-fashion, retail therapy and pampering.

“Part of our role as pillars in our community is to offer our unfailing support to the women of our community who are in need. With one in every 26 women likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer, it is up to us to come together to raise funds for those who do not have access to the support and care required to overcome this disease. The Cell C Playing for Pink Ladies Invitational Polo 2017 gives us a wonderful opportunity to celebrate everything that makes us uniquely feminine, while taking a stand for those who are not in a position to do so because of their illness,” says CEO of Edith Unlimited, Edith Venter.

Reach for Recovery is a non-profit organisation facilitating the support and care of newly diagnosed breast cancer patients, those currently undergoing treatment, as well as those in remission. The initiative’s Ditto Project, aimed at helping women from lower income groups to regain their confidence after diagnosis and surgery, will also benefit from the day’s proceedings.

“Our organisation is built on the simple principle that a woman who has endured and survived the trauma of breast cancer will give freely of her time, experience and care to another woman faced with the same diagnosis. The Cell C Playing for Pink Ladies Invitational Polo 2017 proves that in fact this is true of all men and women, and even those whose lives have not been touched by this disease are willing to do what they can in support of women with breast cancer. For this reason, we feel truly honoured to be part of this incredible occasion,” adds Reach for Recovery National Chairperson, Stephane Jacobs.

“The Cell C Playing for Pink Ladies Invitational Polo 2017 is in its third tenure and we, as Cell C, are proud sponsors of such an auspicious and elegant event. Cell C’s core focus is women empowerment and an event such as this, is the perfect vehicle to raise awareness and show our support to those women affected by, as well as those victorious, in defeating this disease. We once again look forward to hosting a world-class event in support of a meaningful cause,” concludes Managing Executive of the Cell C Foundation, Suzette van der Merwe.

Tickets are available at Ticketpro, with general access starting at R650 per ticket. Visit www.ticketpros.co.za to book your entrance to this truly prestigious occasion. Hospitality packages are also available and can be secured by contacting Edith Unlimited on 011 783 5887 or visiting www.edithunlimited.co.za.

While double-tapping a perfect photo, placing a flattering filter over a moment and securing an admirable number of ‘likes’ online is certainly gratifying, can it really compare to the warmth and generosity of human interaction in the real world? Experts agree that while social media may have its place, it is no substitute for the joy of sharing generously of one’s time and attention.

Mugg & Bean is a brand known for giving more, evidenced by their giant muffins and slices of cake, their bottomless coffee and hot chocolate and unhurried, relaxed atmosphere. This season, they are on a mission to bring the real meaning of sharing and generosity back to our everyday lives. “In today’s digital era, the very definition of sharing is becoming lost in the clutter of ‘likes’, filters and perfect camera angles,” says Mugg & Bean Marketing Executive, Jacquie Schultz.

As patrons of Mugg & Bean well know, the simple act of meeting over a bottomless cup of coffee or an indulgent meal invites meaningful conversation, whether it’s between friends, family or business associates – people being generous with their time, sharing real face-to-face connection. This generosity is something aspiring musician Zuko discovered first-hand, when the brand’s marketing team staged a birthday surprise, which realised the true sentiment of birthday wishes her friends sent her for her birthday.

By secretly bringing her family and friends together so they could surprise her and wish her in person while she was on, what she thought was, a normal Mugg & Bean commercial shoot, Zuko experienced the power of true generosity of spirit and sharing. “The rush of warmth I felt when my family arrived in-person to wish me happy birthday cannot be described. I hadn’t seen them for many months and I had to pinch myself to believe this experience was real,” says Zuko.

“When we engage with social media it’s very easy to think that we are maintaining our connection with our loved ones, but the fact of the matter remains that we are simply keeping tabs on them. By ‘liking’ or even ‘loving’ their posts we are not actually engaging with our friends. For me there is nothing like face-to-face human interaction,” adds Zuko.

The poignant moment was captured and turned into a television commercial to convey the importance of reconnecting people in the real world. To further support the local flavour of the advertisement, local award-winning artists, Majozi and Tresor’s latest track The Woods was used as the catchy tune.

“At Mugg & Bean we’re passionate about bringing back the kind of sharing that shows the real meaning of sharing and generosity, which leaves the world feeling more wonderful,” concludes Schultz.

It would seem that Mugg & Bean certainly has a point. Perhaps it is time to welcome a touch of real sharing back into our daily lives. Be part of the movement and #ShareGenerous, so that together with Mugg & Bean, we bring back the true meaning of sharing!

The World Surf League (WSL) Corona Open J-Bay wrapped up last week with Brazil’s Filipe Toledo walking away with the crown, and deservedly so. He beat CT rookie Frederico Morais (PRT) in the final heat. J-Bay, stop No. 6 of 11 on the 2017 Championship Tour, was graced with flawless conditions, resulting in barrier-breaking performances by the world’s best surfers, eight perfect 10-point rides and no shortage of drama.

Besides the world-class surfing, shark sightings, and enough twists and turns (in and out of the water), to keep even the most jaded spectator enthralled, Corona ran their Escape Route campaign to entrench their first year of being title sponsors, and it was a massive success.

Corona partnered with four budding influencers, stylist Boogy, lifestyle blogger Twiggy, photographer Paris Bueller and Athlete Matt Bromley. As part of their #ThisIsLiving mantra the four influencers were taken out of their comfort zones for a #CoronaEscapeRoute adventure of a lifetime.

The journey kicked-off with a surf lesson in the infamous J-Bay surf, following which, these influencers were taken to a local beach clean-up to get more information about Corona’s Clean Waves global initiative. This initiative aims to clean up around 22,000 tonnes of plastic that ends up in the oceans. This is a joint and ongoing initiative that Corona runs with Parley, and more information about the programme is available here: http://www.parley.tv/ocean-plastic-program/.

“It was imperateive for us to expose our influencers to the Clean Waves initiative, which is part of the long-term ‘Corona x Parley for the Oceans’ programme, which was announced in May 2017. The partnership kicked off with a commitment to protect 100 islands around the world against marine plastic pollution by 2020. As part of this joint mission, Corona is also implementing a plastic conscious philosophy across all aspects of the brand by adopting the Parley AIR Strategy, which includes reducing the use of plastic at all brand activations and events,” commented Yithi Zulu, Ab In-Bev Marketing Manager for Corona SA.

“It was an honor to have been selected to be part of the Corona Escape Route Campaign. It was a learning experience and an eye opener to witness what Corona is doing to restore our beautiful oceans with the Corona x Parley. My favourite part was definitely getting more insights into the surfing culture and getting to learn to surf myself,” says Blogger and Influencer Twiggy.

The Corona J-Bay was the first WSL event to integrate the Parley AIR Strategy.

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“200 Truths About Love”

Mugg & Bean Brings True Meaning of Sharing to Cupcakes 4 Cancer Initiative

EVENT: CELL C PLAYING FOR PINK LADIES INVITATIONAL POLO

Zuko Discovers the True Meaning of Sharing Away from the Clicks, Likes and Double Taps of Social Media

Corona’s J-Bay Escape Route Campaign