I absolutely loved spending time with this beautiful Armstrong Family again. What a privilege to be able to capture the latest edition of their growing Family. They are now officially a proud Family, consisting of four boys. Judson, Darrow, Gower and Creed, I would just like to speak blessing and abundance over you four. May you grow to become men that always make the right choices in life, knowing where you are rooted. Dale and Stacey, may God lead you in all wisdom, as you steward these precious boys in life. Welcome to the world Creed... you are loved and treasured. Watch out... some world changers in the making.
Thank you for trusting me with these precious memories Armstrongs. Hope you guys enjoy these. Blessings.
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The building and construction industry will always be one that literally feels the effect of economically tough times. Hein Goosen owns the business ‘Your Home Renovations’. Hein worked in the motor industry for about thirteen years, but always had a passion for doing home renovations. Starting with his own house, he gradually renovated, and through that process built up many skills. This made him realize that he would love to do renovations as a full time job. He took the risk and step out as an entrepreneur. In 2017 his business was established, and been going from strength to strength. Hein is married to Margo, and together they have two beautiful children. Hein has been in Howick for ten years now. Any business owner will be able to tell you the stress and anxiety that 2020 brought. I spent some time with this business, to find out what they have been going through this year. What has been your biggest fear in 2020? ‘The biggest fear was definitely that the 2020 lockdown would kill our business. I had a fear of being forced to go back to an industry and job that I didn’t enjoy, just to produce an income for my family. Keeping head above water and generating an income has been really difficult this year.’ How long was your business in stand-still this year? ‘We were not allowed to do any work for two months, it was quite stressful. From there we were allowed to gradually start doing odd jobs, just to get some money in. We had clients, who at that time already paid deposits for kitchens. We were not allowed to enter their properties, because of the strict restrictions. Because of that, income was really limited. Fortunately we were able to still keep all our staff, although we were not able to pay them their normal salary. We tried helping where we could.’ What has been the biggest life lesson that you’ve learned this year? ‘Unfortunately I’ve had to learn the hard way that you can’t always just trust people. There has been more than one incident where I was doing work for clients, and they did not pay. It’s been difficult to get funds from those clients, it has been quite disappointing. This is not something that is only because other people are under financial pressure in 2020. In general, this is something that I’ve had to deal with from time to time. It has probably also been one of my biggest challenges this year.’ Any advice or encouragement to others in the industry? ‘If a customer picks up a problem, always go back. Make sure that the customer is happy with the end result. Referrals mostly come from other customers as word of mouth marketing. That has been working really well for me. I’m proud to say that my business has really grown in the three years, since we started.’ It was lovely spending some time with Hein and his team. This year has certainly not been an easy one for them. I have however really been amazed by the many people and industries in this community, and how business has picked up after lockdown. South Africans really do have a way of picking their heads up and facing the music. Hein is a genuine and humble man. From the time I've spent with them I can really gather that he absolutely loves his work. Whenever he does a project, he goes the extra mile, to do it, and do it well.
I would just like to take the opportunity to thank Hein and his team for allowing me to come and spend some time with them. I know God has mighty plans and I speak His blessing over this business. May it prosper and excel. In the words of Hein: 'Business has actually picked up after lockdown. All of a sudden everyone wants to renovate their homes now. We have really been busy, so blessed to be able to say that.' To God be the glory. Running is such a crucial part of our everyday lives. Some of us will never run physically, but in a way we are all busy with some or other race in life. When running a race, we all know that there are the easier parts of downhill, a cool breeze, or maybe just that supporter along the road, giving you the boost you need to go the extra few kilometres. Then, of course there are the dreading parts of exhaustion, moments of feeling to give up, or trying to motivate yourself to know you can do this. This year, has surely been a race most of us were not prepared for. It has been a year of the unknown, and surely a time of being confronted with so many moments of making important decisions. If there are people who will understand all the dynamics of running a race, and running it well, it will be Andrew and Lauren Booth. KZN Trail running was established eleven years ago. They have such a heart for conservation, and combining that with their passion for running, they have not looked back. The sporting and leisure industry has been really hard hit this year, being some of the last allowed to open their doors to the public again. This business entered this year March, with ten full time staff. Unfortunately lockdown left them with no other option than to downscale, and currently there are three full time and one part time staff member left. I was curious to find out what they as an industry and family of four have been going through. What has been your biggest challenge this year? ‘We have had six months of no income coming into our business and household. Even before level five lockdown was announced, we were forced to stop our races, due to the one hundred limit that were placed on events. At that time, we were days away from hosting our biggest event of the year. The financial strain has been immense, and it’s going to take a long time to work ourselves out of the hole that we are in now.' 'Our staff team is also a lot smaller now. Being allowed to operate again, it is extremely challenging to gear everything, and to comply with all the different protocols that need to be in place for events. There is a lot to take into consideration, making sure that everything is done safely and responsible. Even though our sport is a non-contact sport, we need to be cautious to make sure people are safe. Our kids have always been part of our events, and included in the kid zones we have at our races. They really do miss that.' What has been your biggest fear in 2020? ‘It has been fearful to think of what could happen if our older, high risk parents contracted the virus. Our business is unfortunately also not diversified, as we are in the same industry as a family. The financial stress and fear has been overwhelming. The possibilities of not being able to make it as a business and having to re-enter the job market has been a very fearful thought. We have been feeling to be brave all the time. Not knowing for how long we will have to be brave, was exhausting. The emotional strain of the unknown has been tough.’ What has been your most positive experience during this time? ‘It has definitely been the slowing down of life. We were doing events on majority of our weekends, in various parts of the country. We knew we had to slow down in some way, but wasn’t sure how to do that, without having detrimental effects on the business. Lockdown has had devastating effects on the business, but we have had the slow down on life. It has brought us to a place where we got time to spend quality time with our children. We were able to give them the absolute undivided attention that we have lost in time.' 'The connection with the trail running community has also been immensely positive. The way that they reached out to us was really amazing. The first two months was supported by donations to a big degree from the trail running community. All of this added up. We were able to carry our staff for longer, and giving us that support.’ Any encouragement and advice to others in business? ‘Innovation is key. In these times, even though so many businesses have closed, so many others have come out with new business ideas, and so many innovative thoughts. Fortune favours the brave. Keep on trying, and be brave. Don’t allow this year to crush your spirit. There are always ways to keep trying, no matter what the circumstances are. We have had many humbling moments this year.’ I loved listening to what Lauren had to share about their year. They have also had lots of innovative ideas themselves, and in collaboration with someone else in their running community, started a new series named the Garden series. It allowed people to run in their Gardens and connect online, which was a saving grace for many being stuck at home. In her opinion it even allowed them some normality, and something to pull their energy into. Hosting live events from their own garden every Sunday was such a fun event. It allowed them to meet some furry friends online, and even see what people's gardens look like.
They were thrilled to be allowed to host one of their bigger events end of September, and it was really special to go and take a few snaps of the renown Karkloof 100 miler. This was their second post-lockdown event. I would just like to take the opportunity to thank the Booths for allowing me to come and spend a bit of time in their uncertain year. You guys have been running this year hard, but running it well. Keep going. I would like to speak a blessing over you as a family and a business. May, in the midst of all the chaos and uncertainty, God be your pillar of strength and strong tower. Thank you to all that you guys are pouring into, in this beautiful community. May it prosper and flourish. After doing an article for Headspace Salon, a few weeks ago, I had the privilege to meet yet another amazing hairdresser and hair salon. Wilma Dunckley is a hairdresser at the well known Marcus@ Hair Transformation, based in Howick. Meeting Wilma, and just having a conversation with her, I instantly knew that she’s not just another hairdresser, working to earn an income. Wilma has been in this industry for thirty years now, she is passionate in what she does, humble and teachable. Wilma grew up in Pretoria, but has been living in Howick for the last twenty years. She was involved in quite a few different salons over the years, majority of them being in Pretoria and Hilton. Beginning of this year she was looking for new opportunities and made contact with Marcus Venter. Marcus himself, has been part of this industry since the age of eight years old. Barely tall enough, he would stand on tomato crates and assist in a salon. Together with Jess, they are a team of three hairdressers, with their two assistants helping them. Together, they have a rich amount of knowledge and experience. Wilma’s hairdressing journey started off in Pretoria. She did an apprenticeship and after two weeks of being there, the owner felt assured that Wilma will be going in the right direction with a career choice. She finished her studies while working at this salon, and she can assuredly say that she loves her job, and is in the right industry. She joined Marcus and his team, just a month before lockdown, and although she has been in this industry for years, nothing could prepare them for 2020. We all know that the beauty industry took some hard knocks for many this year. I asked Wilma a few questions to understand what they have been going through in this time. What has been the most challenging aspect of 2020? ‘Lockdown was most definitely the most challenging aspect. Our industry was closed down, and we were not able to generate an income. It was difficult to understand why our industry had to close down. Hygiene is such a vital part of our business, and we always make sure that our environment is on the right standard. Initially we were told that we will only be able to go back on level one. That caused a great fear, because we are currently not even on level one, as we speak. The uncertainty caused fear, and a threat to the industry. Unfortunately, I also had to go into debt, just to get through financially in this time.’ What has been your most positive experience during lockdown? ‘One of the most amazing experiences, was that we had clients spontaneously paying money into our account, to support us. I had some clients that have been with me for twenty years, that asked me for my banking details. Some paid money in, without having any expectation of anything in return, where others paid upfront for treatments to come later this year. The support, the phone calls, the generosity and kindness of people, was amazing. We are really thankful towards our loyal and supportive clients.' Any advice you would like to give to clients or people in the beauty industry? ‘Our biggest challenge has also been clients dyeing, and doing their own hair in this time. It is so much more difficult to fix hair that was done with box color and damaged. I would advise clients to not do that. It’s so much harder to fix something that was used incorrectly. The advice I would like to give to others in the industry, is to have respect for one another. We should rather be working together in an industry and not break down, but rather build each other up.’ What have you been placing your hope in this year? ‘I have been placing my hope into the integrity of the industry. We would love to deliver a quality service for each person coming in. That people would feel valued and receive what they pay for, or even more.’ I really felt special and honored visiting this little gem of a salon and spending time with them. They honestly do go out of their way to value you as the client, and I for one can most definitely recommend this salon. Marcus is quite well known in the industry, and also a renown Redken Color Master. He also came up with a great concept and had special masks made, to use in a salon. It's a mask that sticks onto the face, so that you are still able to wear a mask when getting your hair colored (see picture above). For more information, feel free to make contact with him, it's such a brilliant concept.
I would just like to thank this team for allowing me to come in and spend some time with them, and also doing a little hair transformation for myself. Wilma, you are really so much more than just a hairdresser, and I can see why you have such a loyal client base, being with you for so many years. Wilma's heartbeat, is to assist a client in feeling good, refreshed and transformed when they leave the salon. This salon really do live out their name. I speak God's blessing over all of you. May this business flourish even more in the years to come. Going to the butcher has always been a special experience for me. I vividly remember going to the butcher with my mom, I guess I was about five years old. I remember the smell of meat, and the sound of meat being cut or processed. Those of us, who love meat, will know that not all meat is good quality. You get different grades of meat, as well as different specifications of how it should be packed or even cut. Knowing your local butcher plays a big part in that. Growing up in the Northern Cape, meat was always in our house in abundance. I really consider it a blessing growing up in a house where I was privileged to eat meat at least once a day. Butcheries were one of the essential services that were blessed to stay open for the whole of 2020. One of the butcheries that have really been busy during this time, is the family owned Farmgate Butchery, based at the Dulcet Centre in Howick. I asked the owner, Grant Reed a few questions, to understand a little bit more of what they have been going through during this time. Grant and Jane have been married for fourteen years. Together they have two beautiful children. The Reeds started off their journey by travelling and also working corporately. Later they started their own canning business, delivering to restaurants. They soon realised that there was a gap in the market, and decided to go the meat route. Grant has always loved agriculture, as it also runs in the family. The meat and butchery side is also in that sense, linking into his passion. The butchery gives them the opportunity to add value to farm products. Farmgate Butchery was established in October 2018, and the business has been going from strength to strength. Initially, when they moved into the Dulcet Centre premises, there wasn’t a lot going on there. They soon became the anchor business in the centre, which has opened doors for other small businesses to operate from there. What has been your biggest challenge as a business in 2020? ‘There has been a definite element of fear involved. If one of our staff members test positive for covid-19, we will have to close, and follow the protocol involved. We took some huge precautions to try and prevent that. For five months we were doing transport for all our staff. We have also been doing our best, not to pass the virus on to our customers. One of the more constant challenges we have been facing, is load shedding. Being a butchery we are so dependent on electricity.’ What have you been placing your hope in? ‘All our staff are Christian, and we have all been placing our hope in God. We know who to turn to, He is our anchor. There has definitely been moments of trying to do things by ourselves, but we always realise we can't do things in our own strength.' What do you enjoy most about owning and running this business? ‘The components of what I love is multifaceted. Seeing how staff is developed and growing is one of them. Our canning business closed during lockdown, because there was no demand for it. We were then able to train more staff, and give them skills they never had before. Many of the staff did not have the skills to even cut a piece of meat.' 'I also love the aspect of adding value to meat. Surely a roast is a roast, but to be able to add value to it, or to the experience, is what I love. I read a while ago an article about one of the world's renowned butchers. He’s an eighth generation butcher, from Italy. He said that the animal needs to be respected, and that is very true. We have a lot of interaction with interesting people and we learn a lot from them. It allows me to also grow as a person, and be part of the community.' Is there any encouragement you would like to give to other business owners and families out there? ‘Take it day by day. You obviously need a long term view on things, but everything passes. If you are having a bad day, just hang in there, it will get better. There’s always a positive view to things and ways to hold on. I really believe we should also have fun, we seem to have forgotten how to have fun. There’s more to life than just work. This year has been really tough on people.' Life has become busy, and many of us do not always make the time to visit our local butcher. In a way, it has become convenient to pop into your more mainstream grocery store. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that, but it has been refreshing to me to be reminded of my childhood, by visiting this local butcher. Spending time at this business was a walk down memory lane, and I know most of us are on a journey to be more supportive to local businesses around us. I can with all confidence say that this is a very well run, and fantastic business to support. Going to your butcher must be an experience. Do yourself a favour and pop into Farmgate Butchery. Grant and his team will be more than happy to greet, assist and give advice where needed.
One of the innovative ideas, that have been helping this business flourish even more during this time, is that they offer home deliveries. It has even been convenient for myself, to just put an order in over the phone, and have my meat delivered to my door. I would like to take the opportunity to thank Grant, Jane and their team for allowing me to come in and spend some time with them. I have really been confronted this year with what is important in life, and not to miss opportunities to connect with people. Grant is a humble man, and I'm sure many great things are still to come for this little gem in Howick. Here is your chance, go and support local. Support this business. I speak favour and blessing over Farmgate Butchery. May you guys keep on growing and flourish. As we enter lockdown level two today, many people and industries are rejoicing. For some, it is another lifting of more opportunities, thus ultimately building on loss and trusting to make a come-back financially. Another industry that has been really hard hit in this time has been restaurants and your typical coffee shops. Station Stop Coffee Shop opened its doors December 2019. Ever since this little gem opened, it has been a great attraction, and they were really blessed to have such a good start. I had a chat with the owner Dave Ballance, to find out more about what the coffee shop industry has been going through during 2020. Most of you will probably recognize Dave as the face behind his mobile business Country Ground Coffee, that he ran before he started Station Stop Coffee Shop in Hilton. He has a son who is busy doing his pilot’s license in Durban, and a daughter who is homeschooling at the moment. He has been married to Caryl for eighteen years, who works at Michaelhouse School. Dave has been in the coffee industry for fourteen years. He has loads of experience and has helped and come alongside many to train and impart his skills. For fourteen years he had a dream to open a coffee shop, but the right opportunity didn’t arise until the Hilton Steam Heritage Association made contact with him to do coffee at a Saturday market. Little did Dave know that this was going to be the start of his dream coming alive. The society showed him the building they wanted him to occupy and thus Station Stop Coffee Shop was born. Those that know Hilton will know that this area wasn’t in the best condition. Well done to the Association who had the vision to see this historically rich area become a buzzing place to share with locals and tourists. The coffee shop is inside a little museum of historical richness. The decor, art and artefacts inside has been originally part of this Hilton Train Museum. Lockdown level five was announced, and they were forced to close the shop entirely. This however, gave them some time to reflect and get some new ideas. After level four was announced, they took the opportunity to do some home deliveries for coffee, which later became deliveries in the car park and on the veranda eventually, as regulations were loosened. Level three allowed them to open and do take away service only. People would come and collect coffee and social distance on a spot by a train, or walk up the railway and just enjoy the freedom of coming out for a moment, doing their part in social distancing. Going on from there, this place has been having record months financially, and honestly just going from glory to glory. In the words of Dave: ‘God has really restored what the locust, or the virus has eaten.’ I was pleasantly surprised and overjoyed with him, to hear how well they have been doing in spite of lockdown. What has been your biggest challenge during 2020? ‘Although Lockdown has been a great time to reflect, it has generally been hard. We’ve bounced back from that. Social distancing, and all the regulations is really hard to attend to in a social environment like a coffee shop. Our biggest challenge now is handling the growth and expansion of business. How to fit all into this little building that is set.’ As the building they are occupying is a Heritage site, they are not allowed to change anything around it. They have been getting creative in making more space to do light lunches and an extra coffee machine, to be able to handle an overflow of customers coming in for take-aways. What have you been placing your hope in? ‘Our hope has been in the Lord. We opened something, without knowing what the future would bring. It was opened out of faith, as we did not have the finances to do it. It has totally been an act of faith, even going forward as well with expansion.' What innovative ideas have you had in this time and what encouragement can you give to others out there? ‘From when we started, we implemented the KISS system – Keep It Short and Sweet. Do what you know you can do. We are not chefs or a restaurant, so we are not trying to be a restaurant. We don’t know food, so we do good coffee. Bring in people that can help and support you. Support small businesses where you can and bring in those suppliers. The milk tarts we get is from a guy who works in a scrap yard, but his salary was cut. His wife makes them and they are fantastic, so it’s another family we are supporting in this way. Our interior decorator was shut down and she makes some awesome carrot cake, which she is now supplying to us.’ I have had quite a few interviews now with different people, from different backgrounds and covering various industries. Everyone of us have been going through various moments of frustration, emotions and at times even been feeling overwhelmed. It was so inspiring to hear of all the innovative ideas this beautiful business have been digging into, and exploring in this time. A wise business man knows that you need to surround yourself with a good team. Dave speaks very highly of his team and staff he is working with, and has made a special mention of his barista Andile. 'Andile has been an absolute star through this difficult time of lockdown.'
It was such a delight to pop into this coffee shop and in a way taking a step back into time. This little station must have been the life of Hilton where people were either waiting for loved ones to arrive, or waving them goodbye. This area has been transformed into a beautiful spot to gather with loved ones, and revisit the past. Do yourself a favor and make a stop at Station Stop Coffee Shop. Andile would be more than happy to serve you with an amazing coffee. I would like to give a special thanks to Dave and his team for allowing me to come and spend some time at their shop. May God continue to grow and strengthen this business, as He has already been doing. The beauty and salon industry has most definitely been one of the industries that took many ‘shots’ during this time of lockdown. This industry was under strict lockdown for three months. That was three months of not being allowed to work and generate an income. I’m sure all of us can think of a friend or two that was in this position. Lauren Holland and Lyndall Terblanche are hairdressers at HeadSpace Hair Artistry in Howick. I popped into their Salon to get a feel of how they are allowed to operate with the regulations in place, and also to ask Lyndall a few questions. Lyndall is an example of many small business owners, but also parents out there who had to swim in this ever so pouring and uncertain covid rain. Lyndall grew up and lived her whole life in Howick. She absolutely loves this town and the community here. She is a single mom to her daughter, who is also in Grade one this year. The one side of 2020 has been managing all the uncertainties of this year around her business and generating an income. The other side has been being a parent and worried about her child not allowed to attend school, in such a crucial year and foundation phase of schooling. Even though the school has been able to send school work out during the strict lockdown time, it has been challenging to her and I would like to say to most parents out there. It was great to spend some time with Lyndall and understand her, and many others out there’s situation. Please share how you became a hairdresser and some history of your salon? Lyndall did not have the opportunity to go to varsity. She decided to get into trade. She went to Pietermaritzburg College to study hairdressing for two years. She did not go into hairdressing immediately. After being a rep for a plastic company, she very quickly realised that she’s not able to market or sell products. Craig Speirs made contact with her to employ her at their salon, opening in Howick. This was probably where Lyndall fell in love with hairdressing. The team she was working with really allowed her to grow, and she could live out her creativity. Two years passed and Lyndall went to work on a cruise ship for one year to travel the world. Returning, she worked for a few salons, but realised that she would love to have her own salon. That lead to her eventually opening a home salon. Her salon thrived and she was able to run it exactly the way she wanted to. After these eight years of having her own salon, she was looking for growth and to expand. Lyndall connected with Lauren and thus HeadSpace became a business they could run and grow together. They love their salon where they can be a positive influence and work great as a team. The best is that Lyndall is able to schedule her days to be able to spend quality time with her daughter. What has been your biggest challenge as a small business owner, and also as a mom in 2020? 'Having a small business is challenging in that, the pressure comes down to you, the owner.' Not having an income for three months has by far been the biggest challenge for Lyndall. The unknown of not knowing when they would be able to return to work and under what circumstances, was really stressful. ‘What grounded me in this time was the knowing that I wasn’t the only one going through this. Everyone around us and in the world was going through the same thing.’ ‘As a mom it was trying to deal with my own stress and anxiety, with being strong for my daughter as her mom, and be there for her. It was challenging to create a secure environment, for her to know that everything is going to be okay, without me myself not even knowing if everything was going to be okay. It was especially difficult when it came to schooling, to understand why and how certain decisions were being made. The second time school was closed my daughter was really upset and that brought me to a point of feeling broken for her sake. She tried to be strong and that just broke me. I am really concerned as this has not been a good start to her foundation phase of schooling.’ What has been your biggest fear in this time? ‘The future. Not knowing what and how it will look like. As humans, we always have a goal to work towards, or a little bit of insight of where we are going, and this has just left us with nothing. Not being able to plan ahead has been really overwhelming for me. There has actually been many fears.’ What has been your most positive experience coming from 2020? ‘The realisation of how much love and support I have. Family, friends and even people who I don’t even know who has just been acting out kindness towards me in various ways. These are people who have also been going through trying times. This has also brought me to a place to do the same towards others, as we have all been in this together. The slower pace of life has also been a great time to reflect on what is important. Rather supporting smaller businesses where I can and look out for them.’ Any advice to small business owners? ‘Keep doing what you are doing. Keep the passion going. Make it your own, this is our time now. Times are tough, but it’s the tough times that give us clarity to push through, and move in a direction. Don’t give up.’ It was really special to connect with Lyndall, to understand her life and circumstances a bit better. This industry, as many others surely needs the support of their community. Thank you Lyndall and Lauren for giving me the opportunity to come in and take a few snaps of you guys in your beautiful salon. I speak God's blessing over your business. May it even flourish more than what it did before lockdown happened.
Lyndall, you are such a strong and courageous woman. Being a small business owner and a single parent is challenging in itself, not even to mention adding the year 2020 to it. Well done for swimming well. Thank you for being so honest and vulnerable and allowing me to do this interview with you. May His perfect love cover you and your family and you experience His peace in all you do. If you are looking for a hairdresser or salon, do yourself a favor and contact these beautiful ladies. It has now been just over a week since president Ramaphosa announced the closure of schools, once again. To say I was devastated to hear that, would probably be an understatement. My grade one son was into his third week of being back at school (afer being home due to lockdown, for just over three months), and it has been great for him to get into the new ways of doing school and also connecting again with his school friends. As a parent, I have of course been very much aware of all the frustrations we as parents have been going through. Doing school work with a grade one, who just started to learn the basics about reading and writing, is not a joke. Don’t get me wrong, I have also very much enjoyed spending precious time with our children and imparting more into them as we were forced to be together. Point is, it has not been easy being a parent and be concerned at the same time that your child is not allowed at school, not even to mention allowed to do the sport he or she loves so much. On the other side of the spectrum, is of course the teacher. We all know that in the midst of this, teachers had to act beyond what they know, to make sure that our children received the education needed to be able to still try and save the school year. Many schools are immensely behind and surely will not be able to get through the curriculum. Part of doing my unmasking series, I really had on my heart to do an interview with my son's grade one teacher, as well as the principal of their school. Teachers have been bombarded with either negativity and criticism, and even for myself, it has been great to just place myself in their shoes to try understand what they have been going through in this time. They are people, just like us. They also have families, and because of the nature of their work, like many other sectors, were not prepared for the bomb that struck our country over night. I took the gap to pop into Howick Prep on the 24th of July, the day school closed again, to get a feel of what has been going on in the school environment and do my interviews. Please note all necessary procedures and regulations were followed with these interviews and photos taken. Rhoda Marot (Grade one teacher) Please tell me a bit more about yourself and your career as a teacher. Mrs Marot is married to her husband, Dominique and together they have three beautiful children, aged nine, six and one and a half years old. They have been married for twelve years and mostly lived in the Hillcrest area. They moved to the Midlands about three years ago to have more of a country lifestyle. She did her intern years as a teacher at private schools and most of her teaching career was in the private school environment. She has been teaching for eleven years now. This is her first year at Howick Preparatory School, and it certainly has been an interesting year. ‘I'm really happy at Howick Prep, and it’s great to be part of a warm school with such a welcoming staff.’ What has been your biggest challenge being back at school? ‘With all the new protocol they need to follow as a school, it certainly is challenging. Making sure that all is in place so that learners are safe. There are some children with co-morbidities who have not been able to return back to school as was, so to make sure that they have all they need to be able to school from home has been a new challenge to adapt to. Having a grade one class, it has been challenging at times to make sure children apply social distancing.’ What have you been placing your hope in during this time? ‘My hope has definitely been in Jesus, and a Father that keeps His promises. Being anchored in God. My hope has not been in vain, in something that is movable, but in an unchanging, unmovable, loving Father, who has provided for us and who is not disappointed in any way.’ Any advice you would like to give to junior primary and grade one learners? ‘Keep working hard and give your best. Give the best that you are able to. Have your hearts set in doing what is good, especially towards others. If there is one thing Covid has taught us, it’s that we need to look out to others and not only think of ourselves. I would like to encourage every learner to think beyond themselves and think where they can reach out to others. Listen to your parents, and do all the protocols you are able to do in this time, like keeping your hands clean.‘ Tiny Coetzee (Principal) Can you please tell me a bit more about yourself and your family? Tiny grew up in Durban. He has two older sisters, thus he is the youngest of the three siblings. He is married to Helga, who is also a teacher at Pietermaritzburg Girls High, and together they have one son, who is also in grade one this year. He studied at the Durban Teachers Training College for four years and finished there in 1997. From there he went to Greytown, where he taught for thirteen years and became HOD at Howick Prep for two and a half years. From there he became principal at Athlone Primary and was there for seven years, before he and his family moved to Howick, as he became the new principal at Howick Prep. His biggest love in teaching is Afrikaans, History and Maths. His first passion in life is History. What has been your biggest challenge as a principal in 2020? ‘The unknown, and purely the fact that we don’t know where we are going and what we are dealing with. The goal posts have been moved the whole time. In the beginning, it was especially difficult to tell yourself that this is a long term thing. Initially, we all thought this is only going to last a month, but we then realised that this is potentially going to last years. It has purely been the not knowing what is going on, and how are we going to deal with it. I always say that teachers are ‘box’ people. In that, meaning that as teachers we like our perimeters. We like to have everything in a little box, and to know exactly when and how to do things. It has been a real challenge to get out of that mentality, to be fluid and to adapt to exactly what’s going to happen, minute by minute.’ ‘A teacher knows that they have four holidays a year, they know they have four terms and they know exactly what’s happening within each term. Within that term, you will also know for example it is now time for the yearly play, the cricket tournament etc, and the school runs with that in mind. Our school is very special that we only meet with the teachers once a week, so we communicate via whats app or at the staffroom. There is a routine established, so within the first year of finding your feet and that routine, you know what to expect going forward. Now, suddenly that routine is non-existent.' What has been your biggest fear in this time? 'The biggest fear by far has been that one of our children or staff members will be infected at our school, or potentially lead to a casualty. Another fear we have is that we won’t be able to afford all our teachers. Most of our teachers are governing body paid teachers and we depend heavily on school fees. At this stage the parents have been very good and supportive, we are in a much better position than most schools.' Is there any advice or encouragement you would like to give to teachers and parents? ‘This too shall pass. Whenever we go through trying times, we know that we need to learn from these things and in the long run we will benefit from it. This time has also taught us how to adapt and to not take things for granted.’ Personally, Tiny has loved that families have been able to be together due to lockdown. ‘At the end of the day, we know that those children that come from a tight family unit, are usually the ones that excel in school. If I can give any advice to parents, it would be to use that, and focus on the small things that really count in a family. Do not get caught up in the busyness of routine and neglect the family unit.’ In the words of Atticus in the book To kill a Mockingbird: 'You never really know a man, until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them.'
I would just like to take the opportunity to thank Mr Coetzee for allowing me to get behind my lens and be allowed to share a moment in their shoes. I believe, that regardless of what position we all are in at the moment, it is most definitely one of embracing a year that none of us expected. There has been times of overwhelming fears and anxiety as parents, teachers, but also as children. Thank you Howick Prep for what you guys are imparting into this community and most importantly into our next generation. Thank you to every teacher out there going the extra mile, and not just being a teacher to earn a salary. Being a teacher is surely not only a job, but a calling. I speak God’s blessing over this school and every family involved here. May we all choose love and peace over fear and anxiety. A special thank you also to Mrs Marot for the interview and sharing her heart, and Mrs Tooms (surely a grade one legend), for allowing me to take a few snaps in her class. We really count ourselves and our family blessed to be part of this community and school. May we all learn and grow in this difficult season, to become more of the people we were created to be. When Lockdown level five was announced, some industries were closed immediately, while others, as we all know was named essential services. Spar, as we know is an essential service. One of the many things that I noticed during this time, was that whenever I went to my local Spar, people would hardly greet each other, not even to mention look you in the eye. Of course, once again I don't want to generalize, so if you are reading this, and maybe you were one of the people smiling behind your mask with a 'hello' in passing, thank you. We are all still people and we all have different needs. This really had me thinking, in the midst of people buying groceries in bulk and stockpiling their cupboards, how was the employees feeling of a grocery shop like Spar? Greendale Spar gave me the opportunity to interview two of their employees. I had such a good conversation with Nontobeko Mkhize, as well as Desmal Mugasa, just finding out more about who they are. and what impact this time of Lockdown has had on them as two very unique and different individuals. We have all heard the saying in this time that we are all in the same boat, yet some of us have been going through bigger storms than others. Nontobeko Mkhize is a very well spoken, yet soft hearted person. She has ambition and many dreams. She lives in Mpophomeni and has a daughter in High School. She has been working for Greendale Spar for five years now. What has been your biggest challenge during lockdown? One of the biggest challenges for her, was that their normal working routines and hours had to be adjusted. Pesonaly, it has been a lot more costly having her daughter at home and not at school, to make sure that she has enough data to keep up to date with her school work. What has been your biggest fear in this time? 'My biggest fear has been contracting the Corona virus. In normal circumstances, we as staff would be happy if the shop is busy, and many customers are coming in, but in these times we realised we all need to be more cautious.' Is there anything that has been keeping you positive and full of hope? 'The fact that I still have employment has been keeping me positive, many out there are losing their jobs. I am placing my hope in that once this time can pass, we can bounce back to a more normal way of doing life.' What has been the most positive experience of lockdown for you? There has definitely been some positive things coming out of this time for Nontobeko. One of them has been managing her finances a bit better, and also learning how to budget. Lockdown has also allowed Nontobeko more time to think what else she wants to do with her future. She has a diploma in Human Resources and would love to potentially work in that field in the future. Another dream she has is to look at starting her own business. Desmal Mugasa is a born Zimbabwean. He came to South Africa to look for better opportunities. He is 29 years old and listening to him, I could hear this man will still achieve many goals he has set for himself in his life. He has ambition and a zeal for life. He really brings joy into a room. What has been your biggest challenge during the lockdown? It has been really difficult for him to feel 'locked-in'. Not being allowed to go out to your normal gatherings or visiting people has been tough. 'We all sometimes need to get out, and get our minds cleared.' What has been your biggest fear? Desmal's biggest fear has been contracting the virus, especially as he is a Zimbabwean. As he does not have immediate family in the area, it really concerns him that his family won't be able to help or assist him if he does contract the virus. What has been your most positive experience during lockdown? Desmal has been able to 'to put his mind down' and think what it is he wants to still achieve in his life. Spending just a few minutes with these two was really an encouragement to me. If there is one thing I have been able to pick up out of these interviews, it's that all of us, regardless of who we are, have been having moments of feeling overwhelmed. We all have been so use to a culture in our society where we can plan our lives, do what we enjoy and spend time with those we love.
I would like to take the opportunity to thank all the grocery shops in the Midlands area, and especially all the employees who have been keeping their heads above water and serving this community. You guys are awesome. Thank you Greendale Spar for allowing me to come in and spend some time in your shop and with your employees. We love our local Spar. Next time you go to your local Spar, maybe greet your cashier on his or her name and make their day. Nontobeko and Desmal, thank you for sharing with me to understand and get to know you guys better. I speak God's blessing over you guys and my all your dreams come true. The world is your oyster. For most of us, 2020 started of as a pretty normal and standard year. Setting either new years resolutions or envisioning how we will be doing life or things differently, to become more of a person we would like to be, or even in some ways change to become better or closer to dreams we have in our hearts. I for one, never envisioned 2020 to be a year of learning or adapting to new ways of doing life. Things we considered as a given, was taken away overnight, and we either had to learn to swim upstream quickly, or sink in an overwhelmingly fear and anxiety driven society. Yes, there has been in the midst of all going on, and managing emotions been such sweet moments of actually living a slower paced life, a life where families were forced to spend more time together, and also to reflect on what is really important in life. However, the side about this time that I have seen creeping in is one of isolation, selfishness and also one of not having regard for other people. I am not saying that this is true for everyone, there has been and still are people out there who care for others, who has been giving time and resources generously, where they would not normally been doing that if it was not for the massive need around us. I am referring to simple moments, of going to the shop and 'hiding' behind your mask. You can still wear a mask, social distance and say hello to the person passing you at the same time. Out of all this chaos, I have really sensed a need to create a platform where people in our Midlands, and later potentially in this country can be introduced. By introduction I mean the following. Do we actually know what the name of the lady ringing up our groceries at Spar is? Do we know if she is afraid or has certain specific needs? Maybe your answer is yes, but how many of us really do know? I have been setting up interviews with various people in our community just to ask a few questions and to give some businesses also a bit of exposure in these economically difficult times. Please note, that social distancing and regulations have been followed during these interviews, and I totally respect the regulations put in place. My aim in this is to help create a culture of honoring people, being interested in the needs and feelings of those around us and just to know who our neighbors are. That said, let me do my first introduction. Meet Janette Nicholson. I met Janette after I saw an advert that she placed on Howick Buzz during lockdown, where she had a special running on hanging lacey bowl planters. Janette has a business on the Birnamwood road, called Birdsong. She makes the most beautiful bird feeders, ceramics and pottery. I popped in to collect and I was so amazed that I didn't even know about her business and the beautiful things she makes, that this surely had to be my first interview. I asked Janette a few questions just to find out a bit more about her and the business. How and when was Birdsong established? Janette bought the business from a friend of hers starting with children's worskshops, ceramics and painting classes from as early as 1999, before they went to Johannesburg for a few years. Soon she realised that she needed to create her own range of products. Thus in 2009, Birdsong was established after they moved back to Howick from Johannesburg. What has been the biggest challenge during lockdown? Janette has actually been enjoying lockdown, and just having a slower paced life. Financially she has been forced not not spend, so in her 'little world' it has been good. 'Life in general has been more peaceful and calmer during lockdown.' What has been your biggest fear in this time? The biggest concern that she's been having, is to know if there is going to be a market for her products once life and business turns back to a more normal. Will her small business be able to make it? She is also really concerned about her staff, to be able to still provide for them during these times, to still be able to generate a good enough cash flow to keep them on board. She has however been able to still pay her staff during lockdown. What positive things did you experience during lockdown? 'Having the chance to reflect and remember what it is that one enjoys doing and not be on the run always. I have enjoyed being forced to think outside the box, have a different approach and find creative ways to sell my products.' What do you place your hope in? 'I place my hope in innovation.' Janette has loved seeing how innovative people have become in this time, and been able to keep a cash flow going. Do you have any advice you want to give to business owners? 'Keep exploring and sometimes you need to reinvent yourself. Approach things from a different angle. Explore more on digital marketing.' I would just like to take the opportunity to thank Janette for allowing me to take these pictures, do the interview and getting to know Birdsong more. Janette will be having an open day during the first weekend in August to the public, where her products will be displayed and available to purchase. All regulations will be followed during this open weekend. Do yourself a favor and pop in for some fresh air on this beautiful farm.
Herewith a link to her website and Facebook page: http://www.birdsongceramics.co.za/ https://web.facebook.com/birdsongkzn Janette, I just speak God's blessing over you, your family and your business during this time. May hope be more than ever, and you be rooted in His love. Blessings, Michelle |
about me
I'm a passionate photographer based in the KZN Midlands - enjoying life to the full and spending time with my awesome family and friends... photo credit: www.peartree.co.za
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