The what, who and and why

This Mandela Day, in  2013, I have challenged myself to raise money for St Josephs Children's Home in Montana, Cape Town, by  exercising for 67 days, for an hour every day, with a target at R6700, getting my friends and family to sponsor me. That's 100 friends at R67 each, or 67 at R100. I have emailed my network of friends for their support, and the response has been amazing....but there is still work to be done. 

I am a 51 year old woman. I am South African. I am a Design lecturer, people manager, student adviser, a person with big shoulders to cry on, and a part-time creative. I am a mother and wife. 

I've done my thing on previous Mandela days, helping to paint township schools. I've always had the commitment to give to others, whether it was as a fine art student teaching adult literacy during the 1980s, or printing struggle posters, or mentoring a young adult in care, and teaching art in community art centers. 

But this year, with the seemingly immanence of Mandela's passing, things felt different: bigger, and more personally significant. For the past month, in the background of my consciousness has been a critically ill and beloved man. And I began to reflect, as we do periodically as South Africans, on what he means to me, to us as a family, a community and a country. He is a man who was supported by many others in his mission to bring change and transform a broken society, and as a consequence suffered enormous personal loss. He isn't a saint,  but to me, embodies wisdom, gravitas, humor, service, vision, suffering and forgiveness. Although there are and have been many other brilliant human beings, he is a catalyst for change, for proof of the possibility to be better human beings.

I began to wonder about this, my own lightbulb, "aha" moment, about the extent to which my own story, my internal narrative was self-limiting. About how often I said no, internally, to  possibilities, and "can I do this", rather than allowing myself to play with "how could I do this". About the extent to which I was, in many aspects of life,  staying in a safe space, risking little, not often even failure. Some of these feelings are part of the transitions that turning 50 brings. I've spent the past three months enrolled for the second of the coaching courses at UCT Centre for Coaching, which involves both deep inner work as much as it involves learning the practice of coaching others. I have been slowly working on growing my spiritual practices over the past two years, learning to meditate and practice mindfulness. 

I have constantly put the needs of my family first over the years, and while my kids and family are everything to me, they are growing up and beginning to need their own space, physically, emotionally and in life. My younger son, Adam, did community service at St Joseph's Children's' Home, and his experience was so warm and welcoming, and so positive, that something clicked into place for me. You can see their work at http://www.stjosephshome.org.za

And so my idea was born: 

Combining the desire to make a big commitment to other people,  in a way which will stretch my mental and physical boundaries and strength. And making it public, in the knowledge that it's also a homage to an incredible man.
Here goes. 

PS 
St Josephs Account details

St. Joseph’s Home

Special Fund

Standard Bank   Account Number: 271 1666 14

Branch Code: 036 309

For international donors: Swift Code: SBZAZAJJ