My Life Changing Journey: The rubbish that lying on the banks of the river as we approach towns

CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, 1996

Ripples For Good....Motivating Change In The Waterways...It Starts with You!!

The Ripples for Good team comprises Liani Broodryk and Maria Botha, Dante and Katryn. In the first part of their epic journey, Liani and Maria and their two Jack Russel dogs, Katryn and Dante, will circumnavigate the entire boundary of South Africa, alone and unaided, to raise awareness of the critical issue of water conservation, the importance of safe drinking water in our communities and to inspire public awareness and action around these issues. Travelling by motorbike, bicycle, canoe, scuba diving, by foot and by donkey cart they will cover approximately 16 500 km to promote “Ripples for Good”.

In part two of their journey, they propose to circumnavigate the globe between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. At the end of this expedition they will have traveled through 86 countries and islands - on foot, on bicycles, on motorbikes, scuba diving and in canoes, even via donkey cart – educating and engaging members of the public, in towns and in remote rural places to support this cause.

They will document their experiences, highlight problem areas and connect communities with the various water organizations that can help them in practical ways to protect and preserve their water sources.

In their own special, courageous and determined way, they will DO something about sustaining water in our country and in our world.

Today there are:

1.1 billion people living without clean drinking water
2.6 billion people lacking adequate sanitation
1.8 million people dying every year from diarrhea diseases
900 children dying every day from waterborne diseases

Liani and Maria are passionate about South Africa – its natural beauty and its people. They are strongly aware of the impact that water pollution has on our rivers and our seas – the effect it has on our environment and our communities. And they passionately believe that they can do something, in their own small way, to make a difference in the waterways of our country and our world.

“Ripples for Good” objective part one, is to circumnavigate South Africa - unaided, including travelling across a small portion of Namibia and Mozambique - using various modes of transport such as motorbikes, bicycles, canoes, scuba diving and by foot.

They will do this in partnership with the Water Research Commission (WRC), to raise awareness around the importance of protecting our waterways against pollution and waste – thereby providing safe drinking water for all communities of South Africa as well as protecting the diverse wildlife along our rivers and in our seas.

The specific objectives of the expedition will be as follows:

Link communities with existing water organizations so that sustainable assistance can be provided with river clean-ups, recycling and sanitation

Link communities with water organizations in on-going projects that provide employment opportunities for members of the community

Raise awareness of water conservation, the importance of safe drinking water and recycling with the general public.

Highlight problem water areas found en-route on rivers, in towns or on coastlines where help is needed.

Monday 26 January 2009

The rubbish that lying on the banks of the river as we approach towns

We woke up with a clean smell in the air. The dust of the winter has been washed off. Everything looks brighter and more beautiful. I enjoy the paddle tremendously, nature is busy all around me. Some fishes bumping against my canoe, birds diving catching fish. There are more Hyasynths, even blocking some canals. Passing thatch roof homes in a nature reserve and a couple of bigger houses with green cultivated gardens. The change in scenery is so diverse, we came from the bush where we could only see the odd fishermen and houses way deep in far from the river to these houses.

Paddling past the houses we came across a man who's working with his team of men on a pipeline for a new development next to the river. He told us about Bert just past the next bridge and Lumana Resort where we might be able to camp. There is a thunderstorm on the horizon that scare Dante a loose cloud opens up above us and the rain pour over us. Quick decision time should I cover the bag at the back or should I paddle like mad to get in front of the cloud and out of the rain. But the drops are getting bigger and I quickly threw the poncho over the bag. There is a bridge not so far where we can hide under.

Swallow nests cover most of the bridge's bottom and they flew in flocks out when we paddled underneath them. It happened the other day with Liani when she paddled underneath a low bridge and these huge flocks flew out right above her head. A sight to be seen. Fascinated by the birds I noticed that it stopped raining but we made it to the side for Dante and Katryn to stretch their legs anyway.

Someone decided that its too much trouble to throw their baby's used diapers in a dustbin and came and threw it out underneath the bridge. We made it a quick stop for the dogs and were off to look for Lumana Resort. A long flat stretch of water around a turn in the river brought us to the resort. There were not a lot of people and I climbed out to go to the office and find out if its okay for us to pitch our tent. I followed directions given to me by campers and got lost eventually walking a long way up a cement road to the top at some houses next to the main road I found the office. Lallies helped me with everything we needed. Enthusiastically inquiring about our journey and giving us a gasstove to use to cook for tonight. She called her husband Andre to take me back to the campsite where he showed me a perfect spot, close to the restrooms, electrical plug and a light.

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Background info on our travels...Thanks Liani

There are many ways in which we can get technical about the how’s, when’s and why’s we started this journey, but ours is a story, and there's only one thing to do with a story, you tell it.

By "us", I mean 2 girls, Maria Botha and Liani Broodryk, 2 Jack Russels, Katryn and Dante on bicycles, and our amazing journey through South Africa. This is how it started:
It was one night, at a get together, surrounded by friends and family, when the reality of the moment struck. What was usually fun and games, turned stale, suddenly! Stuck in the proverbial rut! The moment was too big to ignore, so, the obvious question was, where to go from here? So as if by design, we set off to St Lucia, to new horizons, self discoveries, and a tremendous awakening.

The 'challenge' was met once we rode into Cape Town, 3 months later, after some close calls and never felt before, intense moments, we knew that this was not the end by a long shot. So, it is here, where our journey truly begins. Everyday just suddenly had a reason, and every moment counted. It was difficult, the obstacles seemed impossible, but with this came the discovery of kindness, trust, love, humbleness and courage, and the loyalty and trust of animals and nature alike.
We became aware of a whole new world, one that was so endless in it's possibilities and opportunities, we almost couldn't believe it! Threatening this world however, is ignorance and the lack of fearless leaders, ones who inspire individuals to understand and pursue their innermost truth, instead we are misguided and made to believe that war and terror is our only choice. In the midst of all this violence and outrage, is some truly amazing individuals, who have made it their life's work, to reach out to those who have lost hope, and despite efforts to promote confusion, rage, fear, distrust, the way of the world as it is told through mighty mediums, such as the media,

Since we've left St Lucia, our lives have changed dramatically. We saw that through what we were doing, and by challenging our own fears, we were starting to capture the imagination of many and soon realized that our story needs to be told. It is one worth telling, for it could very well be everybody's discovery.

Through weird coincidences, we have joined various organizations in their efforts to heal the wounded, preserve mother nature, etc.. We realize though, that what we experience first hand, could be an effective enough medium, to relay the truth about the state of our country and it's people. It's not as 'bad' as everyone fears, in fact, it's an amazing adventure, and this is how we thought it should go:
We have thought to relay our adventures on a website, which will basically contain our daily diary, pictures, video footage, live chats, etc. A wildly interactive site, aimed at showing off the beauty and diversity of our country and it's people, and at the same time, raise awareness for issues and pandemics that needs attention.

What is SOUL? And HOW do we live a soulful life?

People everywhere are searching for well-being: for meaning, purpose, fulfillment, health and happiness. For life to be good, we need to feel useful and appreciated. And we long for great relationships—to love and to be loved.
Behind all of these human desires is the creative impulse of soul. It moves through each of us and through the world we create.And when we can understand, love and respond to soul, we find meaning in all of our experiences – even the difficult ones.
On the other hand, when we resist the movement of soul within because we don’t understand what’s happening, we become ill, have accidents, experience emotional pain, struggle with money, work and relationships … Life becomes a real challenge.

From: www.mindfulness.com

Mindfulness is:You are not your thoughts. Our thoughts take us away from being here now. If I am thinking about the past, or worried about the future, I am a prisoner of my thoughts. When I take a moment to observe myself having thoughts, I am no longer the thoughts. I get to be and observe at the same time. That's why if I continue to come back to my breath which always occurs in the here and now, it draws me into the present. And from that vantage point I can observe as past and future attempt to draw me away from the moment. This paying attention to the here and now, to the breath, to the observing one's thoughts without being critical or judgmental is what many people call Mindfulness. But what is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a word. Nothing more, nothing less. As a word it is a symbol or a sign. As a sign or symbol it points to a way of looking at life in general and one's own life in particular. Mindfulness points one in the direction of being aware of the present moment.

Mindfulness points to: Being aware of and paying attention to the moment in which we find ourselves. Our past is gone, our future is not yet here. So what exist between them is the present moment. If I can observe and not get caught up in my thoughts, it is all that I have. The here and now, the present is the link which holds what was and what will be. My past was a series of present moments which brought me to this present moment. My future should it happen will be a series of present moments effected by only present moment in which I am now living, being, doing, observing, being aware or unaware, and attentive or unattentive.
While mindfulness is a generalization about paying attention and being aware in the present moment , it occurs only in the individual. That individual makes a choice to be in the moment and be aware of what is happening in the present moment. In that choice is a realization.
You are not your thoughts. Thoughts take us away from being here now. If I am thinking about the past, or worried about the future, I am a prisoner of my thoughts. When I take a moment to observe myself having thoughts, I am no longer the thoughts. I get to be and observe at the same time. That's why if I continue to come back to my breath which always occurs in the here and now, it draws me into the present. From that vantage point I can observe as past and future attempt to draw me away from the moment. This paying attention to the here and now, to the breath, to the observing one's thoughts without being critical or judgmental is what many people call Mindfulness.