A people of hope in South Africa

A people of hope in South Africa views the glass as half full; they actively seek to make themselves resilient in the face of the negatives that prevail.

There is a notion in South Africa that we are all victims of happenstance; it’s our fate, so simply get used to the fact that water will continue to be a huge issue, our children permanently stunted^[1] and we are sure to get cancer. Just accept it; the glass will always be half empty.

These fixed, false beliefs are fuelled almost daily by what we read. Take for example breast cancer week; there have been several excellent articles but in all of them it’s been about early detection and the improved treatments available for those who can afford chemotherapy. Not a word was there on prevention. The glass is half empty; women are the hapless victims of our times.

• Are whole grains good for breast cancer patients?
  

But equally the glass is half full. For those who have ears to listen, a whole grain every day gives nearly 50% protection. True, they are difficult to find but they are available. Or one can purchase a small mill and grind wheat and maize for a fraction of the price; and bake very special sourdough bread for under R10 a loaf.

Flaxseeds are inexpensive and will also provide those lignans that give the protection of whole grains against tumours. Soon there will be green mealies; and brown rice for a price.

Women have no compulsion to fall into the sugar trap; 24tsp per day is what the average South African consumes. Diabetes fuels cancer. Or to drink commercial alcohol, just one glass of wine per week increases the risk of a malignant breast tumour^[2]. It’s not proven but presumed that home-brews do not increase that danger. The half full ladies of hope are fixing their own wines, meads and beers.

• Tobacco, obesity and alcohol are three preventable causes of cancer

Unprocessed mulberry mead

And there is the sense that we are the helpless victims of food insecurity and sky-high prices. There’s nothing to be done, just accept that you and the kids are going to go hungry and must eat cheaper, valueless meals. The permanent stunting of children is all set to get far worse. The glass is half empty; accept it.

• Food choices get worse
  

But no, the glass is actually half full.

In fact three-quarters full. We can grow our own food; the first new potatoes are already being lifted. Mealies, there has been an increase in the production of yellow maize with an associated price-drop.

So why are we humans still demanding white maize when the harvest has dropped drastically, and the price risen? Yellow meal is far more nutritious in any case because of high protein and the beta-carotene^[3].

There are piles of many greens, different kinds of beans and butternut; all are so easy to grow. Plant a seed, weed and water it; three months later you feed sumptuously. The only cost is the sweat off your brow.

Cape gooseberries

Any person wanting fresh fruit can grow gooseberries that bear almost all year round. The half-empty folk are seriously feeling the financial strain of food prices.

The half-full people instead feel the strain of gloriously exercised muscles and joints; gardeners have no need of gym contracts. There’s no VAT or income tax to be paid on the labour we put into our backyards.

Electricity was worst of all, nine-tenths empty but currently is much improved unless you live in the City of Choice or one of the surrounding villages; grid failure is still a weekly occurrence for many every time it rains. Solar power cannot realistically be called a half full option; but it’s an excellent investment for those who can afford it. But still it is very costly to set up.

• Our green solar power
  

Water woes

Water woes continue to be the order of the day; the glass is definitely half empty.

Suck it up South Africans, there’s nought to be done. Empty taps, low pressure and water polluted with nano-particles of plastic are the order of the day with no hope on the horizon.

• How much plastic is in the human brain?

Water tankers are our undisputed lot.

But wait, do you have gutters on your roof? Or is the rain running to waste? Could you afford a tank or two. Best of all do you have R50,000 for an underground reservoir? Then your glass is nine-tenths full; abundant, pristine, free water for ever.

More than enough water to supply home and garden for a whole year falls on the average roof in one rainy season.

An underground reservoir keeps the water very cold

Alas South Africans increasingly see their country fulfilling the ancient prophecy; a land without hope and no future. Is the glass permanently half-empty?

Dare I say it? We are a people of hope, it’s time to pray; and to start thinking laterally as the Good Lord leads. Plant a seed, harvest the rain and focus on healthy, nutritious food. There is really no need to be so negative about our futures.

Broad beans are the only source of the happy hormone, dopamine.

A people of hope in South Africa

A people of hope in South Africa continue to look for the positive; and to make a plan. The are so many ways to become resilient to the challenges we face daily.

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Address:

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Create a Cyan Zone at your home; one which complements blue areas for longevity with green for protecting Mother Earth.