THE Tongaat Child and Family Welfare Society will be hosting its 28th annual fair this year and promises to bring you loads of fun-filled entertainment and activities, as well as a Stop Bullying campaign.
Social work manager Jo Moodley said: “Due to the demographical needs of the community that we serve, certain attractions are not easily accessible to most community members, therefore we have decided to bring them to you. The upcoming attractions include Crocodile Creek and pony rides. We have also included the Stop Bullying campaign and Las Driving School to enhance the edufair experience for our pupils.”
The Stop Bulling website www.stopbullying.co.za was created in February 2015 to make use of technology to help people affected by bullying.
“The response was overwhelming, with the website crashing several times during the course of the year due to the large amount of visitors seeking advice and assistance.
“In October 2016, the team decided to take a further step and set about applying to register as a non-profit organisation. This enabled the team to spread the message about how passionate they are to stamp out bullying and assist those affected. They will be conducting presentations and offering advice to the young and old during the fair.
“They have launched four editions of their Stop Bullying newspaper which was handed out freely to schools in the Zululand region and parts of KZN as they looked to expand their campaign. The response from principals, teachers, pupils and parents as well as celebrities, has been amazing.”
Founder of the Stop Bullying campaign, Anesh Singh, said: “Bullying is an indirect or direct act of making someone feel inferior. It can take the form of verbal, emotional, physical or cyber abuse. It can lead to serious and life-threatening consequences.”
According to statistics, 87% of all violence in South Africa, especially against women and children, can be traced back to a troubled individual who was either a bully or bullied themselves. “The best way to eliminate this epidemic is to achieve a change in the mind-set of our youth at an early age. By grooming our youth and instilling a sense of accepting, respecting and helping each other, we can change the direction of our nation, from one spiraling downwards into an abyss of crime and violence into one of self-respecting and law-abiding citizens who live together in harmony as our rainbow nation was envisaged by our beloved Nelson Mandela,” Singh said.
The Stop Bullying campaign is undertaking free roadshows to interact with youth in a fun way, with celebrities, mascots and competitions, with a core focus on “Don’t be a bully – Be a friend.” Schools can send WhatsApp messages to arrange free roadshows at 079 010 5555.
