August 23rd, 2010
So you’ve managed to steer your way through the challenges of getting an education. Just when you thought your journey was over, you realise that it’s only just beginning! Let’s face it, you can’t keep studying forever (unless you become a professor) so there will come a time when your qualifications need to open doors to experience. Naturally, given the competitive world we live in, the transition isn’t particularly simple. Finding work is among the key concerns of youth in South Africa and in the week ahead, the Boka Blog hopes to open some discussions about getting ahead in your career. We’ll help you identify what field of work you should be aiming for and get tips from the top about how to become a success. Our regular feature, Ask Lucky, finds an answer to one of your questions and our Boka Ambassadors Hanri Wondergem and Stuart Grobbelaar get to grips with this week’s topic. Also, look out for our little feature on the amazing Elana Afrika. The road to success takes a lot of steps Boka Buddies. Stick with us this week and let’s move forward together : )
Tags: careers, jobs, personal growth
Posted in urCareer, urTurn Magazine | No Comments »
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August 22nd, 2010
“Much education today is monumentally ineffective. All too often we are giving young people cut flowers when we should be teaching them to grow their plants.” John W. Gardner
“Education in South Africa today is the topic of much heated debate, and for someone who has steadily moved through the ranks from elementary, secondary and on to tertiary education I speak from experience when I say that I have accumulated a great amount of cut flowers, in bunches and bunches, but until rather recently had no idea as to growing my own plants…
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Tags: discussion, education
Posted in Ambassadors, Bokamoso Ba Rona, urEducation | No Comments »
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August 21st, 2010
Sizzling Things to Check Out :: Parkour
A growing global trend, Parkour, is giving new meaning to the expression “climbing the walls.” Parkour, or Freerunning, is an art movement where a variety of movements such as running, vaulting , climbing and jumping are exercised on objects in one’s path to get from one place to another. It’s a bit like movie stars leaping overs walls, fences, cars and even buildings in a big chase, except these aren’t stuntmen and it’s all about fun. Visit www.parkour.co.za for more information about the sport or check out the forum for fellow freerunners in your area.
Tags: exercise, parkour, trends
Posted in Wot's Hot | No Comments »
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August 20th, 2010
If money-trouble is holding you back from studying your dream career, there could be a funding option available to help make it happen.
Student Loans
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) offers loans to promising students to help fund their tertiary education. One major advantage of the NSFAS loan is that if you work hard and produce good results, you could have up to 40% of the loan converted to a bursary, which means you only pay back 60% of the student loan. Another perk is that you are only required to start paying the loan once you start earning a salary, which is a Godsend for graduates who may struggle to find work immediately.
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Tags: advice, education, personal growth, student loans
Posted in urEducation | No Comments »
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August 19th, 2010
“Tell me and I’ll forget. Show me and I may not remember. Involve me and I’ll understand.” Native American Saying
“The key to success. This has been the tagline which represented our views of education for decades. And, contrary to Pink Floyd’s opinion, education is something very much needed in society today. In my opinion, education is the most important thing you can give a child. It has been said that if you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. But if you teach this man to fish, you feed him for life. This highlights the importance of education, especially in a society which seems to pride itself on the exact opposite…
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August 18th, 2010
Warning! Books are Highly Addictive…
Beloved
Author :: Toni Morrison
Publisher :: Vintage
In a Nutshell :: “This Nobel Literary prize-winning novel focusing on the effects of slavery is a dark and touching book a former African-American slave who is haunted by the spirit of her murdered child.” Ntombentsha Mbadlanyana, 26.
Capitalist Nigger
Author :: Dr. Chika Onyeani
Publisher :: Jonathon Ball
In a Nutshell :: “We like to parade the fact that Africa possesses a large percentage of the world’s natural resouces but we have not found a way of extracting those resources. Read this with an open mind.” Mhlanga Mhloli, 22.
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Posted in Bokamoso Ba Rona | No Comments »
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August 17th, 2010
Nobody sails through their matric year without the pre-exam and post-result jitters. Lucky asked some of our country’s successful professionals how they got through it.
Alex van Tonder :: Award-Winning Blogger of MyBrandedLife
“I took Science and Maths at Higher-Grade for Matric. They were my worst subjects but I thought my choices would be limited without them. By the time mock exams rolled around, I decided to be honest with myself. Creativity was my passion and I realised that I would never become a doctor of a scientist so I switched them ti Standard Grade. This gave me time to focus on my strengths, Art and Languages, and resulted in a comfortable A-average all round. So my advice is to be honest with yourself about who you are. It was the best thing I ever did.”
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Tags: advice, exams, matric, motivation, stress
Posted in urEducation | 1 Comment »
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August 16th, 2010
This week we’re talking about education because, let’s face it, without one you can’t very far in life! Somehow, a lot of people find it heard to believe this at school but when faced with competing in the real world, what you’re achieved in your formative years really is your passport to success and happiness. In the days ahead, we’ll provide some tips on how to survive Matric and give you some insights on getting help when it comes to financing your studies. Ambassadors Pearl Pillay and Nicky Grobler go into more detail on the subject of education in South Africa and we’re also providing a list of recommended reads to inspire you to reach for a book. To round things off, we’ll keep you in the know by taking a lot at Wot’s Hot. Feed your brains Boka Buddies! A good education is life’s most valuable investment.
Tags: books, education, reading
Posted in urEducation, urTurn Magazine | No Comments »
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August 15th, 2010
“You are born an original. Do not die a copy.” J.L. Mason
“Health is one of the socio-economic issues of our youth in SA. As youth we need to really take care of our health, but due to lack of knowledge, interest and understanding of what goes on around us, we turn to forget nearly everything that plays a very big role in our lives. Neither the less we turn to unhealthy habits when things go bad, we have problems and forget that life can be bad too. Health in youth concerns different types of perspectives or factors…
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Tags: advice, drugs, family, motivation, peer pressure, personal growth, sexuality
Posted in Ambassadors, Bokamoso Ba Rona, urHealth | No Comments »
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August 14th, 2010
On a fateful day in 2001, Natalie Du Toit’s life was changed forever. Her motorcycle was hit by a car while she was driving home from training. While her left leg was so badly damaged that it had to be amputated at the knee, her spirit remained intact.
Du Toit was back on her feet three months after the accident and nine years later, even when most of her able-bodied counterparts asked for the towel mid-way through the race, Du Toit soldiered on to the finish. Natalie Du Toit made history in Beijing in 2008 when she became the first amputee ever to qualify for the Olympics, where she finished 16th in the 10km open water swim. Here’s Lucky’s interview with her on how she keeps so motivated.
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Tags: motivation, natalie du toit, olympics, personal growth, stress, world youth summit
Posted in Q&A, urHealth, urTurn Magazine | Comments Off
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August 13th, 2010
You asked us and we sent Lucky out to find answers to your issues…
Q: My boyfriend and I have decided to have sex but I want to do it the right way. Other than condoms, what are my other options to protect myself from an unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases?
A: Jamie Lee, Project Coordinator at Partners in Sexual Health in Cape Town, says, “Condoms are your only form of protection against STDs and HIV but there are quite a few options available to females to prevent pregnancy.”
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Tags: advice, condoms, contraception, hiv, pregnancy, relationships, sexuality, sexually transmitted diseases
Posted in Bokamoso Ba Rona, urHealth | Comments Off
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August 12th, 2010
“The state of health in South Africa sees a simple divide in our society play itself out even in the health sector, and that is the rich and poor. Specifically this can be seen as largely the top class private sector health care and the ailing public health system. Unfortunately young people have not been vocal in addressing many of the issues faced in the provision of health-care services to them, and as such many developments in the South African health system, whether public or private, has occurred outside the scope of youth input or development…
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Tags: department of health, national health act, parliament, sihle ngobese
Posted in Ambassadors, Bokamoso Ba Rona, urHealth | Comments Off
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August 11th, 2010
Just like a petrol car won’t function properly on diesel fuel, your body needs the right fuel to perform at its peak. The Heart and Stroke Foundation of SA offer these tips to keep your boddy revving at full power.
Watch the Junk in your Trunk
There’s a reason why fast/convenience foods are nicknamed “junk.” Frankly, it’s no good stuffing all that sugar, salt, oil and fat into your body on a regular basis. Here are some healthier alternatives to your usual favourites.
1 :: Choose grilled, stir-fried, steamed or boiled foods and try to avoid terms such as frieds, basted, battered, creamy or crispy.
2 :: Ask for skinless chicken without batter and for the fat to be removed from your meat.
3 :: Go for baked potato, rice or salad instead of fried chips.
4 :: When you’re having gravy, choose one with no added salt, butter or sugar where possible.
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Tags: diet, health, junk food
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August 10th, 2010
It’s always tough talking about personal problems, but sometimes the only way to a solution is by giving your issue a voice and who better to share it with than someone in the same boat.
SPEAK UP
To most people, bottling up problems is far easier than talking about them. Most of the time it’s because we don’t want to seem weak to others or because it feels as if no one could possibly understand what we’re going through. This is usually reinforced when we do eventually open up to someone, a parent, teacher or friend, and our problems are brushed aside. But swallowing our problems won’t make them disappear, which is why Lifeline/Childline started a peer counselling programme where youth can speak to other trained youth who understand and are dealing with the same pressures and issue.
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Tags: childline, conflict, lifeline, peer counselling, peer pressure, personal growth, prejudice, relationships, self-awareness, self-disclosure, self-esteem, sexuality, spirituality, stress
Posted in Ask Lucky, urTurn Magazine | Comments Off
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August 9th, 2010
Ahoy Boka Buddies! This week is dedicated to one thing we can’t live without, our bodies! Let’s face it, a healthy body really does hold the key to a healthy mind, which is what you need to get ahead in life. Stick around for the next couple of days as we’ll be dropping you some tips on keeping your flesh and bone machine running smoothly through our healthy lifestyle guide. There’s also a feature on star Mzansi swimmer Natalie Du Toit coming up as well as writing by our ambassadors Sihle Ngobese and Naki Makhubele. Then, of course, look out for some of our regular stuff like Ask Lucky and Wot’s Hot. Stay strong!
Tags: Ambassadors, health, problems
Posted in urHealth, urTurn Magazine | Comments Off
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