Painting It Forward 2016

On the weekend of 24-25th September we had the privilege of being a part of Painting It Forward 2016 - an initiative started by Chris Lategan who, after dealing with the devastating consequences of a brain tumour (including losing his sight), developed a passion for giving back once his health...and sight...had been restored to him..  With this being the third Painting It Forward project Daniel and Friends Fund has been a part of, knowing what a wonderfully uplifting experience it would be with artists, volunteers and other members of the community working together to make it a success, not to mention the breathtaking murals which experience guaranteed us would be decorating the passages at the end of the weekend, it was with a great deal of excitement that we made our way to the paediatric ward at Karl Bremer Hospital on the Saturday morning. 

The passages were a-buzz with artists and volunteers eagerly wanting to get started on the project.  The ease and prompt reaction with which artists and volunteers signed up this year to be a part of the project made it very clear how quickly Painting It Forward has become a much-loved community project. 

The first task was getting everyone signed up, making sure the necessary indemnities were acknowledged and accepted as well.

And then it was off into the passage which the Karl Bremer staff had kindly (and most helpfully) prepped beforehand.

  

Next up was wiping down the walls, taping off the corners with masking-tape and then applying the basecoat.

Before too long the artists were able to start on their murals, while volunteers keenly took to filling up the bottom section of the walls.

An intrigued patient wanders out into the passage to observe the activities.

And the end of Day 1 drew to a successful close.

It was off to an early start on Sunday morning.  Last year's project saw a few of the artists working right through into the early hours of Monday morning to finish their murals, but as the ward needed to stay up and running throughout the weekend, the artists had to work within a specified timeframe. 

It's not often one gets to have a hospital-stay which is accompanied by such a colourful and exciting form of entertainment.

The enthusiasm, gratitude and excitement of Karl Bremer's nursing personnel brought an unexpected air of humility to this year's project, so there was no doubt that the walls needed their 'mark' as well.

Vanessa Speck from Quality Paint Supplies, who once again supplied all the paint for this year's project, popped in to see how the murals were coming along.  Sister Nguta's grateful smile never left her face for a second and she was thrilled to pose for a snap.

Jampie Fourie from NG Kerk Oostersee kept our team freshly supplied with tasty hotdogs on both Saturday and Sunday (three cheers for Jampie - Thank You!)

Taking on a project of this nature would not have been possible were it not for the overwhelming generosity with which sponsors contributed, yet again.  We humbly offer our thanks and gratitude to:

QUALITY PAINT SUPPLIES for, as mentioned, sponsoring all the paint needed for the project
FRANCO FRAZZITTA who supplied the brushes, paint trays, mutton-cloth and masking tape
IAN DICKIE GROUP who sponsored the food and refreshments
GLACIER (by Sanlam) who supplied the artists with Posca Acrylic Pens
STEPHAN DU TOIT PHOTOGRAPHY for offering up his entire weekend to take photos
PREMIER SCAFFOLDING & KONIC HOME BUILDERS who helped transport equipment
KENRIDGE PRIMARY & TYGERBERG HOSPITAL SCHOOL for the use of their projectors
CANDICE RODRIGUES PHOTOGRAPHY for her awesome donation of toys to the ward, as well as contributing to the photos on Sunday afternoon

One can look through the pictures and listen to the feedback given by those who took part in the event, but you really have to be a part of it to experience the incredible vibe upon which the project flows. Rest assured, there are many more Painting It Forward projects in the pipeline...watch this space! Of course we absolutely have to close out with some pictures of the murals.  While it would certainly be wonderful to include a pic of each and every mural, practicality dictates otherwise.  And so, as blogger, I have the awesome privilege of getting to choose some of my favourites.  To everyone who contributed to the project, from the distributing of the paint and brushes to the painting of the magnificent murals, a super WELL DONE! You guys rock!

Elanie Bieldt's Bedtime Stories - what kid wouldn't want a mural like this in their bedroom.

Although it hardly seemed possible, Sandie Gie managed to outdo herself again this year with her exquisite mural.

In between offering some comfort and much-needed TLC to one of the patients, Brandon Challis managed to finish this brilliant Alice In Wonderland themed mural.

Chris Venter's awesome Pirate Maze inspired by one of his illustrated children's books, "Waarvoor is Seerowers Bang?" (written by Jaco Jacobs)

Elouise Milburn's mesmerising Rocket Spiral

Jodique Fontein's Alternative Earth

Maxine Koen's enchanting Pixie Forest

And Kim Mobey's breathtaking mural. All the murals can be viewed on the Painting It Forward Facebook Page  

We were thrilled to have our very own DFF princess-warrior, Layla Loos, there on Sunday afternoon to add her contribution to the initiative.

And the only thing which could possibly have made this year's event any more awesome? A Painting It Forward event taking place in Tawain...at the exact same time!

In closing...a winning Painting It Forward 2016 Team

From left (back) Stephan, Chris V

(middle) Kate, Lianie, Chris L, Talitha, Nicky

(front) Anja, Sandie and Iqraam  

COMMUNITY-BASED PROJECTS : ANTI-HIJACKING COURSE

On Saturday, 9th April, the Daniel and Friends Fund was excited to host its very first Anti-Hijacking Course, facilitated by Robert Martin of Global Learning Services, an ex-member of the South African Police Services. 

The Workshop covered the following :

Criminals and their Tactics :

• Criminals work either on their own or as part of a gang, most gangs of which work for syndicates
• Criminals approach their lifestyle as if it were a profession, affording it almost the same amount of planning and commitment, particularly as motives predominantly revolve around money

Reasons for Hijacking:

• Anti-theft devices make simply stealing the cars harder
• Although hijacking is far more risky for the criminal, the financial gain makes it worth it
• Hijacking is considered a petty crime so, if caught, the criminal would face a lesser sentence
• Hijacked vehicles can be sold for an instant R5 000.00 (sometimes more if "ordered" by a syndicate) and can take less than 2 hours to be stripped by the "chop shop"

Types of Hijacking:

• Spontaneous - usually carried out by an opportunist who spots a negligent victim
• Planned - a specific car "ordered" (usually through a syndicate). This particular type of hijacking usually requires observing the target's routine for some time first. 

Most common places for Hijackings to take place :

• When target is leaving/returning home
• Entrance/exit to place of work
• Intersections
• Petrol stations
• Outside shops, roadhouses, etc
• Parking lots/garages at shopping centres
• Narrow, isolated streets
• High-crime areas
• Popular locations eg. "lovers' lane", etc

Tactics hijackers use to fool their victims :

• Dressing up as police officers, hitch-hikers, car guards, street hawkers at intersections NB If a police vehicle instructs you to pull off the road, indicate to them that you are going to drive to the nearest police station and they should follow
• Pretending to be good Samaritans, eg. trying to pull you off the road by telling you your wheel is flat
• Faking an accident scene NB In the case of arriving at an accident scene, never leave your vehicle.  Stay alert and call an ambulance from your car.
• Pretending to need directions
• Bumping into your vehicle

Hijackers Planning :

• The hijacker will observe your routine and plan ahead - make a habit of occasionally changing your route, etc. particularly if your routine involves things like banking large amounts of cash on set days, etc
• Hijackers will often work in a team so that one members can distract the victim
• They will always target the driver as he/she has control of the vehicle

Weapons most often used :

• Firearms (including homemade firearms)
• Knives
• Batons
• Stones
• Tear gas or pepper spray
• Spark plug (to shatter the window)

Safety and Prevention :

• Always plan your route ahead of time and identify alternate routes in the event that you find your safety feeling compromised
• Avoid routine
• Always tell colleagues/family where you are going and which route you will be going
• When approaching your vehicle, have your keys ready in your hand and scan the area around your vehicle. Enter and exit vehicle as quickly as possible
• Leave your window/s (particularly the passenger window) with a 5-10cm gap. This reduces the severity of the shattered window and might deter a hijacker.
• Advise colleagues/family when you have arrived at your destination
• Make a habit of scanning your surroundings for possible threats, particularly when at intersections, and where possible advise your passenger to do the same.
• Refrain from using a cellphone while in your car.  Apart from being illegal, it is a driver's biggest distraction.
• Always keep your cellphone on your body, in case of being thrown out of the car

There are five stages of alert :

White :   when you are in your comfort zone, distracted and oblivious to your surroundings
Yellow : you are remotely aware but not perceiving danger
Orange : you are alert of non-specific danger
Red :      you are concerned and have reason to believe there is clear and present danger
Black :   you are under attack

Your vehicle :

• To be kept in good working order
• All valuables to be kept out of sight
• Weapons to be kept within reach
• Doors to be kept locked

Tactical driving when approaching an intersection :

• Reduce your speed slowly
• Pre-select your gears
• Maintain a "creep" distance between yourself and the car in front of you
• Constantly survey the area
• Allow for a survival space between yourself and the car in front of you once you have stopped
• Mentally prepare an escape plan
• When stopped, leave your car in first gear with your hand on the pulled up handbrake and your foot on the accelerator

What to do if a hijacker instructs you to exit your vehicle :

• Raise both hands to shoulder height (never higher as this draws attention to yourself which in turn draws attention to the hijacker who will then panic and react)
• Always keep your right hand up in defence position
• Use only your left hand when given instructions - release your seatbelt with your left hand and unlock and open your door with your left hand
• Slowly get out of your vehicle
• Tell the hijacker what you are doing as you perform each action
• Exit to the right, rear of the vehicle
• Do not attempt to make eye contact with the hijacker but instead keep your focus down while trying to observe any marks of identification
• Always answer the hijacker truthfully

What to do if the hijacker has a firearm pointed at you :

• Do not do anything to alarm the hijacker (eg. scream, try to hit the firearm from him)
• Never initiate any movement without instruction from the hijacker
• Obey all instructions
• Do not make eye contact
• Move your hands only when instructed

After the hijacking :

• Get to a safe place and report the incident immediately
• Seek professional intervention, particularly if a child/children were in the vehicle at the time
• Be aware of the signs and symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

 

We wish to thank Robert for his hugely informative workshop and encourage

community members to contact him on robert@emergencysa.com for further information.

 

Painting It Forward 2015

In 2014, 32 year old Chris Lategan, an art director and movie props master, came face-to-face with one of the fears many of us dread...cancer. Diagnosed with a rare brain tumour which left him blind, Chris was admitted to Tygerberg Hospital for surgery. Despite being thrilled to have his sight back after a successful operation, one of the things Chris' visually-trained eyes first took in was the dreary state of the hospital's walls, particularly in the paediatric ward he occasionally passed.

 

Filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the positive outcome of his treatment, Chris envisioned an initiative whereby he could pay it forward (a sentiment originally offered by Dr Burke - the anaesthetist who oversaw Chris' care in theatre), in the most creative way he knew how...art. And so, barely back on his feet, Chris shared on Facebook his idea of adding some much-needed colour and character to the walls of Tygerberg Hospital's paediatric ward. Friends, volunteers and sponsors immediately jumped on board, as did the Daniel and Friends Fund, and so followed the very first Painting It Forward project.

 

Eager to make the project an annual event, the Painting It Forward team got together again in August this year to debate its next possible project and after much deliberation settled on the Tygerberg Hospital School. Tygerberg Hospital School not only ensures that all children undergoing treatment, regardless of the duration, are able to stay up to date with their school work, but also provides specialised classes for children who struggle with Apraxia. A meeting with Tygerberg Hospital School's principal, Susan Potgieter, and a quick tour of the school left us not only in awe of how efficiently the school is managed with such limited resources, but with a very clear idea of which area would most benefit from the Painting It Forward project...the school entrance, which did little justice to the remarkable efforts being made within the heart of the school.

 

Once again the generosity from sponsors, volunteers and artists alike was overwhelming and a truly heartwarming process to be a part of. With the outstanding donations and sponsorships from Quality Paint Supplies, Franco Frazzita, Premier Scaffolding, AFS Productions, PEG Design and Oh So Pretty Event Planning, the incredible talent and commitment of the artists who painted the murals and the willingness and dedication of the volunteers to take care of the 'ground work', it was a project deemed for awesomeness. The excitement and pure delight captured on the childrens' faces when seeing the murals for the first time was the final affirmation of what a rewarding experience it had been.

 

 

The "before" picture

 

The walls needed to be scraped, sanded, washed

and then painted with a base coat before the artists

could begin their murals.

 

Harmonious chaos as everyone gets stuck in

 

 

 

And finally the walls are prepped for the artists to begin

 

 

 The artists painted a base graphic and volunteers

jumped in to "colour in" while the artists 

concentrated on perfecting the intricate details
 

 

Susan Potgieter, principal of the Tygerberg

Hospital School, adds her artistic contribution

SOME OF THE FINISHED MURALS :



Jodique Fortune's space turtle

Ludolph Pretorius' uniquely styled mural of Red Riding Hood

(completed on the Monday)

 

Chris Venter worked till 4am on the Monday morning to complete

his amazing mural of Karla Krullebol. Visit

Chris Venter Illustration to view more of Chris' talented work

Dorette Walters also pushed through till 4am to complete her

beautiful Aladdin mural

Hardus Jonker's larger-than-life mural One Piece

 

Maxine Koen's underwater delight - Dory and Nemo

 

Shoana Jones and Jason Fortune effortlessly put

a man in space

 

Taygen Hendrikz  beee-utifully painted work

Elouise Milburn's magical unicorn

Renier van der Vyver strikes a pose with his SpongeBob

 

Olivia Stone's breath-taking mural of How To Train Your Dragon,

which took three straight days to complete

 

Sandie Gie's awesome mural of Inside Out

 

 

 

 

Without these fabulous organisations and their generous donations

and support, the Painting It Forward project would not have

been the roaring success it was - we humbly thank you :

Quality Paint Supplies

Franco Frazzita

Premier Scaffolding

AFS Productions

PEG Design

Oh So Pretty Event Planning

 

 

Vanessa and Marko Speck from Quality Paint Supplies

who not only donated all the exceptional-quality colour

paint, but popped in on both Saturday and Sunday and

then again to watch the children seeing the murals for

the first time.

Some of the amazing Painting It Forward 2015 team

 

The Daniel and Friends Fund, together with one of

our newest partners Michelle Phillips from

Synchronize Systems (and our on-site medic for the

weekend) wish to congratulate Chris Lategan on

the wonderful success he achieved with

Painting It Forward 2015! We look forward to what

2016 brings for this inspiring initiative.

 

And the proof, as they say, is in the pudding...