Fireside Chats

Many of us are going to be living far longer that our parents and grandparents.At the same time many people who are 50 plus are retiring, being retrenched or jobless. The future stretches ahead where many of us may be living until 90 and we do not know what to do. How will we survive financially ? What is the reason and purpose of our lives in this new season of life?Lynda Smith is a South African social entrepreneur who has developed expertise in this area over the past fifteen years. She has been looking closely at the major trends that are impacting the 50 plus generation and their future. In this episode Lynda talks about the impact of longevity and technology as well as Covid-19. For those of us at a cross roads, what she has to say, is very valuable.She is the founder of Refirement Network and 50 Plus-Skills and is involved with many similar international organisations. To learn more go to www.50plus-skills.co.za.

A Death Cafe is a group directed discussion of death with no agenda, objectives or themes. It is a discussion group rather than a grief support or counselling session.Death Cafes are always offered:- On a not for profit basis- In an accessible, respectful and confidential space- With no intention of leading people to any conclusion, product or course of action- Alongside refreshing drinks and nourishing food – and cake!In 2010 Jon Underwood from the UK decided to develop projects related to the subject of death,  one of which was to focus on talking about death. In November Jon read about the work of Bernard Crettaz in the Independent newspaper. Inspired by Bernard's work, Jon immediately decided to use similar model for his own project, and Death Cafe was born.The first Death Cafe in the UK was offered in Jon's house in Hackney, East London in September 2011. It was facilitated by pychotherapist Sue Barsky Reid, Jon's mum. They went on to offer Death Cafes in a range of places including funky cafes, people's houses, cemeteries, a yurt and the Royal Festival Hall.Jon and Sue Barsky Reid produced a guide to running a Death Cafe, based around the methodology Sue developed. Subsequently hundreds of people have adopted the idea to provide Death Cafes across the globe including South Africa. In this podcast we talk to a facilitator at the Cape Town Death Cafe, Gill Faris. This chapter of the Death Cafe can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/letstalkaboutdeathcpt.

Mountaineering was  a childhood dream for Deshun Deysel, which she achieved in 1996.  Deshun was a member of the first team of South Africans who placed the new South African democratic flag at the top of Mt. Everest. The media described her as the first black woman in the world and the youngest South African to set foot on the slopes of Mount Everest.She grew up in South Africa during the apartheid era in a small township outside of Uitenhage in the Eastern Cape. Her grandmother's recollections of the exploits of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay who were the first to officially summit Mt. Everest in 1953, stimulated her dreams of becoming an adventurer.She has always been sporty enjoying open water swimming, cycling, running, and she played provincial volleyball in high school and college. But mountaineering became her first love. After her participation in the 1996 expedition, Deshun participated in climbing expeditions to five of the seven summits on five continents: Mt. Mckinley in North America, Mt. Elbrus in Europe, Aconcagua in South America, Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa and she attempted to summit Everest again. She has successfully guided teams up Mt. Kenya, Mt. Kilimanjaro and smaller South African peaks, and she has also summited Mt. Meru (Tanzania), Mt. Blanc (France) and Mt. Kalapathar (Nepal).She was to be part of an all women South African expedition which planned to climb Everest in 2020 but unfortunately Covid-19 put a halt to their plans. Deshun Deysel is CEO of GoPeak International which consults to and coaches clients mainly in the small to medium business space. She is also a motivational speaker.  In her business https://www.gopeak.biz/ Deshun uses metaphors from her 25 years of climbing experiences to high light the challenges that entrepreneurs will face trying to get to the top.Deshun lives in Johannesburg with her husband Charles and their two children, Edward and Judith. At the age of 50 she is still highly driven. She plans on growing her business, writing books and climbing more mountains.

In South Africa, as  in so many other countries, wild fires can be devastating.Patrick Ryan was on the scene of the fire on Table Mountain National Park on the 18th of April which destroyed parts of the University of Cape Town (UCT), causing the evacuation of thousands of students.His passion for photographing wild fires and his work as a volunteer fire fighter has culminated in a mission to improve how we manage wild fires in this country. His company was formed to create a better understanding of the wildfire environment.  It is ever changing  and the systems which aim to prevent and react to wildfire are becoming more complex in the face of increasingly aggressive wild fires.He believes there are many challenges which need to be solved in South Africa. He and his team work on analysing  all the variables that affect fire management such as weather, topography and vegetation  to find workable solutions.  He also believes that wild fire fighters need to be extremely skilled in order to manage wild fires but this is yet to be recognised and fully appreciated by government and the community.  He says "I am deeply focused on understanding and addressing the low level of wildfire risk recognition and awareness that prevails. I believe that finding the right communication methods and incentivising via the appropriate channels will bring about the change we are driving for.” To learn more about Patrick Ryan and what he does go to http://vulcanwildfire.co.za/

According to Catherine Croxton  the digital train is speeding up incredibly fast. Those of us on it are going places we have never been before and cannot imagine where it will take us in the future. But we pass those who have missed the digital train in a blur, unaware that they are now suffering  another form of  modern deprivation which will make it even more difficult to climb out of poverty. For countries with struggling economies, this is a very real threat to recovery and growth. Catherine says  the frightening fact is most  are unaware that it may become  impossible to get everyone on board. There are millions who don't know that they have missed the train because they do not understand the digital world. Something drastic has to change.Catherine decided to set up the NPO, SHARP Digital which is trying to tackle this problem at grass roots level. She began very modestly in a township in Hermanus, South Africa working with someone from the community to give free lessons using smartphones. She is slowly building a network of facilitators on the ground. She now works on the "back end" where she develops the courses and has created an app for long distance learning.  Anyone  with a smart  phone can freely access short, easy to understand, fun lessons about the basic tools needed to be part of the digital world.In this podcast she shares her story about how she arrived at establishing SHARP Digital and confronts us with some awful truths about digital poverty.To find out more  about SHARP Digital  click here: https://www.sharpdigital.co.za/"We provide free mobile-based interactive courses on digital basics to South Africans who have never been connected to the Internet or are struggling to use it.​Our courses help young people and adults get the actionable digital skills needed to look for work, to learn and to make their lives easier.  ​We shine a light on the digital blind spot which holds the majority in this country back from economic opportunity and growth."

Nomvula Buthelezi has a very impressive LinkedIn profile.She describes herself as a People Advocate, Independent HR Practitioner, Social Impact Revolutionary, Mentor, Coach, Board Member and Mother. She recently left a career of fifteen years in the corporate world to set up her own HR company ZamaShenge Consulting.She also contributes to several NPOs such as Skateistan, DueDash, SHARPDigi amongst many. She is a dynamic, passionate and charismatic woman who says "My focus is on the advancement of people, I believe that creativity is endless when people have access to resources, support and the environment enables them to thrive."Her empathy for people is rooted in her own personal journey. In our interview with Nomvula she is incredibly open, authentic and not afraid to share her vulnerabilities. It is one of the most honest interviews you will hear.This is her mission statement. It expresses her goals and thinking but for real insight into Nomvula,  the human being,  listen to this espisode."ZamaShenge Consulting is a full suite offering of multidisciplinary principles and practices of Human Enablement capabilities.My focus is on the advancement of people, I believe that creativity is endless when people have access to resources, support and the environment enables them to thrive.I believe that the best investment is in people and I encourage the development of the individual as well as the collective.I am a speaker in events, my focus is on positive value systems and how they replicate themselves as more of us practice them, the contagious nature of being authentic, sincere, respectful and acting in the interest of all people involved is what creates successful communities, whether in business or in corporations.I am an advocate for women holistically, whether as pioneers in their areas of professional specialisation, women in leadership and women as entrepreneurs.I believe that women are the bees of the human species, they allow for pollen to move from flower to flower. Where women are, the benefit extends further than the sphere of their own interest.Women who are empowered empower others. They make honey in the circles within which they influence, healing, sweetening and nurturing.Diversity and Inclusion is a social construct that does not have enough airtime. It is a way of life, it is the source of so much ingenuity, however fear has crippled the systems in which we live that it is a topic inflamed with sensitivity.Empirical evidence shows that diverse groups attain far better results and my purpose is to normalise diversity, promote inclusion, create participation and advocate for choice. Power exists in the beauty of being ourselves entirely."https://www.linkedin.com/in/nomvulabuthelezi/

Rayne Stroebel is an activist for the elderly. In this episode we speak about the problem of institutionalizing the aged in care homes and retirement villages, our perceptions of what it means to be elderly and understanding the dignity off those with dementia . Rayne Stroebel (55) tells his story about why he is so passionate about older people.His business GEACTEC provides contract services to the elderly and care homes which improve the quality of life of the people living there.  GERATEC believes in creating an environment where older people can enjoy a “life worth living”  based on the principles of relationship directed support and care. It strives to enhance well-being through a constant search for the best and most innovative products and services which create the best quality of life.Rayne is also the regional representative in South Africa of The Eden Alternative a small, not-for-profit organisation making a big difference in the world.  It started in the USA and the core belief is that ageing should be a continued stage of development and growth, rather than a period of decline. Building on this thinking, the approach affirms that care is not a one-way street but, rather, a collaborative partnership.The Eden Alternative aims to redesign the experience of ageing around the world. The bulk of its work to date has been in de-institutionalising the culture and environment of today’s nursing homes. They are expanding to all care settings, including home care and residential care for people living with different abilities.Rayne has a special interest in dementia and has completed his PHD on this subject. His insights into this condition are eye opening. To find out more about Rayne's business and philosophy go to www.edenalt.co.za  and www.geratecza.com

This podcast is about people who live in South Africa and have interesting stories to tell.Each episode takes you on a journey which we hope creates empathy and greater understanding of the world around us.Wouter van Warmelo volunteers his time as the ward photographer at Red Cross Children's Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. He captures images of the children and their families who pass through its wards and gives them printed photographs as a keepsake and a reminder of their courage in the fight to get better. But most inspiring is his interaction with the children.If you are curious about Wouter van Warmelo's background go read "Tales of a Royal Airforce Pilot" at  https://digitalstoryteller-za.blogspot.com/

The Covid -19 pandemic has swept the globe including Africa. In South Africa the entire country has been under strict lock down conditions comparable to those in Europe and the United States. Those with compromising health conditions are considered most at risk.So what is it like to have cancer and deal with the Covid-19 crisis?In this episode we talk to someone who is doing just that.For a full account of her story go to the blog she is writing at www.gailies.com.

The Domestic Violence Act of 1998 mandated that all South African police stations should have a "victim support room". These rooms are safe spaces where the victims of domestic abuse or other crimes, are given emotional and confidential support in the traumatic time period shortly after a crime. The rooms are operated by trained volunteers who come from the community. In theory it is a laudable idea but not all police stations comply and sadly there is a lack of community volunteers. But Hettie Glass is a "victim support volunteer" who has gone above and beyond the call of duty.

Kirsten Thomas is a young doctor on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa. She is doing her internship at a public hospital.She talks about why she dedicated her life to medicine and gives an insider's perspective on what it's like dealing first hand with the impact of the pandemic.She also explains why she decompresses doing crazy sports like paragliding.

Imagine you are alone on a small yacht lost at sea with no help in sight. One yachtsman survived when Spencer Oldham and his crew came to his rescue in an 18 hour operation. Spencer Oldham has spent 32 years of his life rescuing people in trouble at sea. He does this as a volunteer for the National Sea Rescue Institute in South Africa.He has some tall tales to tell about his experiences at sea. He also talks about how the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted sea rescue operations and its impact on his own life. Despite being a family man and business owner his devotion to saving lives has never stopped.

Jean Tresfon is passionate about the ocean and its creatures. He has spent 30 years of his life sharing what he sees with the public through his underwater and aerial photographs around the southern tip of Africa. He talks about why it took him a while to find his passion, how he learned to fly a gyrocopter so he could fly above the ocean for a very different perspective, how he does not fear holding those in power accountable for their actions and how lockdown had a surprising impact on him.He feels enormously privileged to have had experiences that most of us will never have and that is why he feels he has a duty to share his stories.If you want to see Jean's photographs and stories follow him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JeanTresfonPhotography