Guests :
Chris Geils
It’s easy to take your body for granted when you’re young. At the age of 24, Chris Geils’
health deteriorated. He was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel
disease that causes extreme pain. The chronic illness has no known cure. It can flare up
at any time and is often debilitating. After six years of intense discomfort, he started
running to regain control of his health. Realising how lucky he was to be able to move,
Geils decided to race for a greater purpose.
Having run ultra marathons, Geils pushed his limits by completing the demanding OCAL
Global Journey for Change. The 2 200-kilometre non-stop race from Pretoria to Cape
Town is designed to shift perceptions of people with disabilities.
This year, he participated in the 10-day run for the third time, raising R25 000 for
children with disabilities in the Northern Cape.
Sian Huyser
A fluffle – that’s what Sian Huyser found herself in. When she moved to Noordhoek, she
discovered numerous abandoned rabbits in the neighbourhood. So she rescued them.
Every single one. Now she has over 100 bunnies in her garden. Being surrounded by so
many seems like a dream. In reality, it’s work. While there are multiple rescue
organisations for cats and dogs, bunnies remain the forgotten pets.
Seen as cute and cuddly, the animals are quite the novelty when they’re bought –
especially over Easter. Though they’re small in size, rabbits aren’t necessarily low
maintenance, and most of them don’t enjoy being picked up. As people lose interest,
many set the creatures loose. In 2017, Huyser founded Noordhoek Bunny Rescue to
take these strays under her wing. With a series of hutches in her garden, as well as a
network of foster parents, she offers them a sanctuary.
Four Boys
A hard kick sends the grass-stained ball flying across the field. He sprints to receive it,
dashes towards the goal posts, and scores! Somaan Khan, Aazan Khan, Ross Garrett, and
Michael Adamson love sport. Nothing gets their blood pumping more than a thrilling
soccer or cricket match. But not every child has the privilege, access, or equipment to
participate. Realising this, the Grade 7 students have started an initiative that’s bringing
more players to the pitch.
Inspired by their parents, who cook for the homeless, the group decided to align their
passion with a plan to help less fortunate children. They founded Play It Forward Jozi, a
programme that collects second-hand sports equipment and redistributes it to
underprivileged schools and communities. This includes kits, bats, golf clubs, hockey
sticks, and soccer balls. In the past year, the group has donated over 3 000 items and
changed hundreds of lives. Not only does sport aid in building children’s confidence, it’s
also a crucial aspect to their mental and physical development.
Thaakirah Jacobs
How would a cartoon strip depict your life? Illustrator Thaakirah Jacobs’ vivid comics
portray her experiences as a young woman, wife, mother, and Muslim. It’s a combination
that’s rarely represented accurately. Without adding to stereotypes or glamourising
reality, she draws on her creative talent to show how relatable her journey really is.
Jacobs first began doodling to reimagine her circumstances after her parents divorced.
Drawing up fantastical and heartwarming scenarios soon became her everyday method
of expression, leading her to study animation. Today, Jacobs creates cartoons that
showcase life beyond our initial impression of her appearance. Wrapped in hijab, her
avatar on Instagram is a placeholder for personal encounters. She shares stories and
sentiments on parenting, the complexities of being a woman, and her application of
Islamic values.
