IN EVERY ISSUE2 Editor’s Note

3 Your Letters

21 Recipes

28 Quick Quiz

29 Games

FEATURES4 The Values

Our new Strategic

Objectives

7 The Vision

Renewable Energy

ARTICLES11 Youth

Youth Development

15 Your Health

Children with ADHD

17 Development

Bursary Scheme

19 Green Living

Saving Electricity

24 Wellness

WOW!

25 Your Stories

I’m about to be a mother

27 Our People

Recreative Reborns

CONTENTS

BETTER TOGETHER MAGAZINE TEAM:

Editor in Chief: Faiza Steyn

Editor: Sylvanus du Plessis

Proofreader: Aré van Schalkwyk

Contributors: Aré van Schalkwyk, Maret Lesch, Jennifer Skordis, Haybre

Philander, Nokuzola Ngcizela, Amina Gallant

Layout and design: Young and Rubicam

Art director: Trudine Scannell

Artwork and illustrations: Hantie Engelbrecht

Photographers: Zanele Jam-Jam, Sergio Kirkwood

Administration, quiz and competitions: Nokuzola Ngcizela

isiXhosa translation: Luvuyo Martins

Communications and liaison: Portia Percival, Jennifer Skordis

Intern and calendar: Bronwyn Fortuin

Head of Corporate Communication: Faiza Steyn

Editorial Committee: Advocate Brent Gerber (DG), Andre Joemat (SG), Faiza

Steyn (Head of Corporate Communication), Sylvanus du Plessis (Deputy

Director: Creative)

Telephone: 021 483 3806

Fax: 021 483 8267

Postal address: Better Together

Magazine, P.O. Box 659

Cape Town, 8000

E-mail: Better.Together@

westerncape.gov.za

All letters and competition entries

can be sent to the above e-mail

or postal address. Only Western

Cape Government employees may

enter. Note that all cash prizes are

subject to tax.

What's To Come IMPORTANT DATES

3–12 July: Knysna Oyster Festival

13–16 July: Cape Town Fashion Week

18 July: Nelson Mandela International Day

31 July – 2 August: Baba Indaba

7–9 August: Hermanus Wine and Food Fair

9 August: National Women’s Day

23 August: Blisters for Bread Charity Walk

28 August–6 September: Clanwilliam Wild Flower Show

1 September: Arbor Day

1–7 September: Arbor Week

4 September: Casual Day

8 September: International Literacy Day

15–20 September: National Clean-Up Week

20 September: Cape Town Marathon

21 September: International Day of Peace

24 September: Heritage Day

27 September: World Tourism Day

Editor’s Note

Better Together Magazine 2Better Together Magazine1

Congratulations to our competition winners and thank you for the letters we received. We value your feedback!

In this issue, we focus on Opportunity as the theme, which is in line with the Western Cape Government’s commitment to building an “Open-opportunity Society for All” in the Province.

South Africa is experiencing an energy crisis, and therefore we are taking a look at renewable energy as a solution and how it is manifesting in rural development and community upliftment. In the space of less than five years, the Western Cape has already established itself as the country’s renewable energy hub. Hopefield Wind Farm was South Africa’s first commercial wind farm and in addition to providing employment opportunities to the local community, it provides clean electricity to SA’s grid, thereby reducing our carbon footprint significantly. Umoya Energy is currently also involved with a home improvement project in the town of Hopefield, which is bringing improvements to the homes of economically disadvantaged families.

Most of us still underestimate the importance of saving electricity and the difference this can make in our lives. I want to encourage you to save electricity, and use our valuable tips.

Employee wellness is important to the WCG, and with the WOW Programme we are promoting and activating a range of health-related physical activities and healthy eating through team leaders to expand and sustain a culture of wellness at the workplace, in the community and at schools.

On behalf of the Better Together magazine team, I apologize for the incorrect information in the article on emotional bullying in Issue 16. The CCMA mainly deals with private sector matters, and there are several sector-specific bargaining councils for public servants that all fall under the auspices of the Public Service Sectoral Bargaining Council (PSCBC). We would also like to extend a sincere apology to Ms Tougieda Gallow for the faulty ingredients list in her cupcake recipe in Issue 16.

Let’s make use of every opportunity to make the Western Cape BETTER TOGETHER.

Kind regards

Editor

Do you have any stories about

excellent government officials?

Perhaps you have seen someone

do remarkable work and who has

gone the extra mile for a citizen or

a colleague? Write a short letter

and tell us about them!

Dear BT Mag

Thank you again for issuing the next

financial year’s calendar – it is much

appreciated. Also, thank you for the

mirror – now we can look at ourselves

too. Let’s hope we all see our true

selves and endeavour to make the

taxpayer proud.

Regards

Sharon McKenzie

QUESTION:Dear Editor

I would like to commend the renovations that were done to the

Legislature Building. The building looks nice and all, however

with regard to the machines that are used to get the wheelchair-

bound people into the building,

I do not think that it is something that was well thought of.

Ever since that machine was installed it has never worked for a

whole week without breaking. It takes more than a day for the

maintenance guys to fix it.

I wonder how much was spent to get them installed and how

much is spent to repair them every week. However, costs are

not that much of a concern to me, the disabled are. For instance,

when the machine is broken, they have to use the parking

entrance/exit to get in and out of the building – an entrance

that is meant specifically for cars – which also comes with its

own risks and pros and cons. The door to the garage opens

only to one side and it requires some excess energy to open it.

That makes it difficult for people in wheelchairs to open it by

themselves. This means that they must always have someone

with them to open the door for them. Getting into the parking

garage is a bit of a steep ride, which also makes it difficult for them.

I do not have to mention that it is a long route as well. Has anyone

ever considered that it may happen that they could accidentally

bump any of the cars in the parking garage? Remember, getting

into a parking bay is difficult, and the road is steep, curvy and narrow.

However, at the end of it all one will have to ask oneself what is

the solution to this? A RAMP! It can be a fixed/permanent one

or a temporary/portable one.

Maybe the concern about having a ramp at the front is that it

won’t suit the design of the building, but why not have a portable

ramp that can be used when the “fancy lift” is not working? It

doesn’t have to be something expensive, just something that is

easy to assemble and dismantle and that can even be packed

away. Surely an engineer that was able to come up with that

“fancy lift” would be able to design something as simple as that?

Can’t that be done for the sake of our disabled colleagues?

Tebogo Kgosieng

ANSWER:Dear Tebogo

Thank you for raising this important question.

This is a valid concern and we have raised this matter with higher

authorities. Due to the nature of the problem, we aren’t able

to get an immediate answer, but the relevant authorities will

contact you directly to provide feedback as soon as possible.

Kind regards

Faiza Steyn

Editor of the Better Together Magazine

Q&APlease send us any questions you might have on processes, procedures, programmes and projects within the Western Cape Government. We will ask the appropriate department or directorate to answer you and you

4Better Together Magazine3 Better Together Magazine

THE WESTERN CAPE AN “OPEN-OPPORTUNITY SOCIETY FOR ALL” By Jennifer Skordis

The Western Cape Government remains committed to building an

“Open-opportunity Society for All” in the Province, in line with our

Constitution. Our Vision 2040 is for “a highly skilled, innovation-driven,

resource-efficient, connected, high-opportunity society for all”. We aim to

achieve this by continuing to redress the legacy of apartheid, through opening

opportunity and ensuring that citizens are able to use these opportunities to

improve their lives.

The Provincial Strategic Plan 2014–2019 sets out our five strategic goals that

aim to achieve these objectives so that we can create an enabling environment

for higher economic growth and increased jobs, with improved education and

health outcomes, and build better living environments for our citizens.

We have also selected, in consultation with our partners in local government,

game changers that we believe will set our Province on a new course when it

comes to tackling intractable problems that are preventing development

STRATEGIC GOAL 1: Create opportunities for growth and jobs

Strategic objectives: The Western Cape Government is committed to

accelerating economic growth and job creation in our region. Underpinning all

our efforts is a firm belief that:

• economic growth is the foundation of all successful development;

• growth is driven primarily by private sector businesses operating in a

competitive market environment; and

• the role of the state is to (a) create and maintain an enabling environment

for business and (b) to provide demand-led, private sector-driven support

for key growth sectors, industries and businesses.

Game changers: Through Project Khulisa, (Khulisa means ‘to grow’ in isiXhosa),

the WCG is focusing its efforts on a few key strategic sectors for employment

creation over the next five years and those enablers that will support their growth.

"The Western Cape Government is committed to accelerating economic growth and job creation in our region..."

The Values

SEND US YOUR BEST LETTER AND STAND THE CHANCE TO WIN R500!

Letters

Better Together Magazine5

A range of challenges and opportunities have been identified in the selected

sectors (tourism, agri-processing and rig repair in the oil and gas sector). The

objective is to develop action plans for each sector, identifying the priority levers

among the available opportunities, rather than spreading resources too thinly

in an effort to address all potential opportunities. There are enablers associated

with each of the sectors that must be addressed to ensure that growth and job

aspirations are realized. For example, water provision is critical to growth in

agri-production, while rig repair demands for specialized artisan skills.

Financial and human resources will be prioritized to support their implementation,

and will receive high-level leadership attention as part of ongoing monitoring,

evaluation and reorientation. Our strategic priorities are to:

Grow the economy and create jobs through tourism.

Tourism is a major contributor to economic value and employment in the

Western Cape. It directly contributes R17 billion in GVA and accounts for 204

000 formal jobs in the Province. In a high growth scenario (which would entail

the Western Cape matching the growth of successful tourism regions elsewhere

in the world), the sector’s GVA contribution could increase by 65%, to R28

billion in 2019, and it could add a further 120 000 formal jobs over the same

period. These projections were formulated after looking at similar economies

following similar interventions.

Grow the economy and create jobs through agri-processing

Agri-processing is already a large contributor to the economy and has the

potential to grow. It directly contributes R12 billion in GVA and accounts for

79 000 formal jobs in the Province. In a high-growth scenario, the sector’s GVA

contribution could increase by 126%, to R26 billion in 2019, and it could add a

further 100 000 formal jobs over the same period (Exhibit 2). These projections

were made after looking at how economies like ours have grown following

comparable interventions.

STRATEGIC GOAL 2: Improve education outcomes and opportunities for youth development

Strategic objectives: The Western Cape Government is committed to creating

opportunities for children to remain in quality schools for as long as possible and

opportunities for the youth to realise their full potential. This will be achieved

through the following strategic objectives:

• an improvement in the level of language and mathematics at all schools;

• an increase in the number and quality of passes in the National Senior

Certificate and equivalent qualifications;

• an increase in the quality of education provision in our poorer communities;

• more social and economic opportunities for our youth;

• family support to children and youth, and development programmes.

• Improve the level of language and mathematics at all schools

Language and mathematics are foundational skills that are the cornerstones of

all further studies, as well as conceptual and cognitive development. Therefore

they must receive priority attention.

STRATEGIC GOAL 3:Increase wellness, safety and tackle social ills

Strategic objectives: The Western Cape Government is committed to promoting

wellness by addressing the individual and broader social determinants of health,

safety and social ills within the Province through supporting:

• inclusive, safe and healthy communities;

• resilient and healthy families;

• safe and healthy children (0–14 years of age); and

• engaged and healthy youth (15–24 years of age).

STRATEGIC GOAL 4: Enable a resilient, sustainable, quality and inclusive living environment

Strategic objectives: The Western Cape Government is committed to improving

the resilience, sustainability, quality and inclusivity of the urban and rural

settlements in the Province through the following strategic objectives and outcomes:

• enhanced management and maintenance of the ecological and agricultural

resource base;

• improved climate change response;

• sustainable and integrated urban and rural settlements;

• better living conditions for households, especially low-income and poor

households.

STRATEGIC GOAL 5: Embed good governance and integrated service delivery through partnerships

and spatial alignment

Strategic objectives: Embedding good governance and integrated service

delivery through partnerships and spatial alignment will be achieved through

the following strategic objectives and outcomes:

• Enhanced governance

• The building blocks of good governance are already in place, but could

be further strengthened and consolidated through “raising the bar”.

This applies in both the Western Cape Government and in municipalities

across the Province.

• Strategic partnerships, which are seen as a key element of the PSG 5 goal

statement above, are included under this outcome.

• Inclusive society

• Attention will be focused on improving citizens’ access to information,

thus improving the quality of services and the methods of service delivery

through the expansion of regional service sites. The development of

a new approach to community engagement to improve the quality of

interaction with communities and individual service users is also envisaged.

• Integrated management

• Greater alignment of provincial and local government policy, planning,

budgeting and implementation will be promoted. A process supporting

this has been introduced and is currently being implemented, together

with a Transversal Spatial Governance System. Government coherence

and delivery performance will be closely monitored, reported on and

evaluated as part of this outcome.

"The objective is to develop action plans for each sector, identifying the priority levers among the available opportunities,..."

"Agri-processing is already a large

contributor to the economy and has the potential

to grow...."

Better Together Magazine 6

Better Together Magazine11 Better Together Magazine 12

In 2006, the Department of Transport and Public Works of the Provincial

Government of the Western Cape established the Masakh’iSizwe Centre

of Excellence with the vision to make available to the Province, country

and continent of Africa cohorts of professionals in engineering, transport

and built-environment fields that are critical to the growth of the economy.

The centre provides bursaries to students studying fulltime for a diploma or

degree in engineering, transport and the built environment at higher education

institutions (HEIs) in the Western Cape. The bursary covers tuition costs,

books and materials, accommodation or transport, a meal allowance and

various support programmes, for example tutoring support and a leadership

programme. Masakh’iSizwe has in addition partnered with private sector

companies, the HEIs and local municipalities to establish operational alliances

through a bursary collaboration venture (BCV).

The Masakh’iSizwe Bursary Programme attempts to address the skills

shortage in the fields of transport, engineering and the built environment by

creating opportunities for students who are studying at the universities of

Cape Town, Stellenbosch and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, as

well as those who have enrolled for any other related disciplines that have been

identified as critical and scarce skills.

Youth

The WCG follows the philosophy of creating an

open-opportunity society for all. Our country has a

shortage of opportunities for skilled workers in the fields

of transport, engineering and the built-environment.

By giving our youth the necessary tools to hone their

skills, we will create a society with access to modern

facilities that will better the lives of our citizens.

By Haybré Philander

MASAKH’ISIZWE CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE

DEVELOPING OUR YOUTH

14Better Together Magazine13

In line with the Western Cape Government’s Provincial Strategic Goals, the

Department utilises the bursary programme to create opportunities for growth

and jobs, whilst providing recipients with higher education and development

opportunities. Female students, disabled persons or persons from rural or

financially disadvantaged areas are given preference when allocating bursaries.

What is innovative about this programme is that once Masakh’iSizwe

students graduate, they are placed within the Department or at one of the

Masakh’iSizwe BCV partner companies for employment.

During 2010, the programme was expanded to incorporate the Professional

Development Training Programme, which enables students to attain and retain

professional registration through a structured Professional Development

Training Programme, in line with the training requirements of the relevant

professional body.

Tersia Langeveldt, a Masakh’iSizwe National Diploma: Civil Engineering

student, is one such student who obtained a bursary from the Department.

She is currently working at the Power Group, one of the WCG’s public-private

partnership initiatives.

"The centre provides bursaries

to students studying fulltime for a diploma or

degree..."

Youth

Better Together Magazine15

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a

neurobehavioural disorder that manifests in childhood with

symptoms of hyperactivity, impulsivity, and/or inattention.

By Aré van Schalkwyk

Five to seven percent of children are diagnosed with ADHD and there

are two categories of core symptoms: hyperactivity/impulsivity and

inattention. Hyperactive and impulsive behaviours almost always occur

together in young children and may include the following symptoms:

• Excessive fidgetiness (e.g., tapping the hands or feet, squirming in seat)

• Difficulty remaining seated when sitting is required (e.g. at school, work, etc.)

• Feelings of restlessness (in adolescents) or inappropriate running around

or climbing in younger children

• Difficulty playing quietly

• Difficult to keep up with, seeming to always be “on the go”

• Excessive talking

• Difficulty waiting turns

• Blurting out answers too quickly

• Interruption of others.

These symptoms typically are observed by the time the child reaches four years

of age and increase during the next three to four years, peaking in severity when

the child is seven to eight years old. Hyperactive symptoms begin to decline

by this age, but in contrast, impulsive symptoms usually persist throughout life.

Inattentive children are often described as being sluggish, frequently appear to

be daydreaming and cannot concentrate for long periods of time. Symptoms

of inattention may include:

• Failure to provide close attention to detail, careless mistakes

• Difficulty maintaining attention in play, school, or home activities

• Seems not to listen, even when directly addressed

• Fails to follow through (e.g. homework, chores, etc.)

• Difficulty organizing tasks, activities, and belongings

• Avoids tasks that require consistent mental effort

• Loses objects required for tasks or activities (e.g. school books, sports

equipment, etc.)

• Easily distracted by irrelevant stimuli

• Forgetfulness in routine activities (e.g. homework, chores, etc.).

The symptoms of inattention typically are not apparent until the child is eight

to nine years old and similar to the pattern of impulsivity, the symptoms of

inattention are usually a lifelong problem.

Children with ADHD often have bad social skills and find it difficult to form

friendships. Their hyperactive and impulsive behaviours may result in other

children rejecting them. The negative consequences are that they develop poor

self-esteemand have an increased risk for depression and anxiety, which may

trouble them throughout life.

ADHD is a controversial disorder and there are competing theories about what,

if anything, triggers it in the brain. Up to 50% of children eventually outgrow

the condition, but even if so, early delays in their development may result in

enduring learning problems.

Experts disagree over whether treatment should be behavioural (training

of attention, increased play, greater structure), which generally involves

less medication, or pharmacological (using stimulants such as Ritalin and

Adderall). The general consensus is that a combination of both behavioural

and pharmacological treatment may work best.

Better Together Magazine15

Children with ADHD

Better Together Magazine 16

Your Health

Those parents who have children

with ADHD can contact ICAS if

they need advice or someone to

talk to.

For Education call 0800 111 011,

Health 0800 611 093, and

all other departments in the

Corporate Service Centre can

call 0800 6111 55.

Sources: www.uptodate.com,

www.psychologytoday.com

Better Together Magazine17 Better Together Magazine 18

Development

Better Together Magazine17

THE WESTERN CAPE GOVERNMENT

BURSARYThe Western Cape Government (WCG) acknowledges

the contribution that people make to its success and

recognises that in order to maintain a committed,

competent and professional workforce it needs to

ensure that there are adequate opportunities for the

professional development of its employees.

By Aré van Schalkwyk

The WCG strives to support its employees by providing financial assistance

for learning and development that:

• is relevant and responsive to the WCG’s changing needs;

• is aimed at correcting the imbalances of the past by creating opportunities

for all; and

• enables employees to be fit for purpose.

The objectives of the bursary policy are to:

• afford selected employees the opportunity to study part time towards

a qualification in the Higher Education and Training(HET) and Further

Education and Training(FET) band;

• include all NQF level qualification as well as postgraduate studies

supporting the Department’s strategic imperatives;

• meet current and future HR needs;

• outline criteria, procedures, management and operational guidelines regarding

allocation, administration and monitoring of the bursary scheme; and

• address skills shortage in the WCG and promote an environment that

supports learning.

The following people are eligible to apply for a WCG bursary:

• people who are permanently employed and whose performance

is satisfactory;

• people who are employed on probation and whose performance

is satisfactory in the third quarter of the probation report; and

• people who are appointed on contract for a period longer than 12 calendar

months as long as the course, together with the service obligation, does

not exceed the contract period.

258 internal bursaries were allocated to staff members in the 11 CSC

departments in 2015 in the following study fields.

• Administration (e.g. Finance, Public Management, Internal Auditing,

Project Management)

• Agricultural & Environmental (e.g. Animal Health, Horticulture,

Environmental and Geography Science)

• Built Environment (e.g. Construction Studies)

• Education (e.g. ECD)

• Engineering (e.g. Civil, Quantity Surveying)

• Law (e.g. Paralegal Studies, LLB)

• Law Enforcement (e.g. Traffic Management, Safety Management)

• Library & Archival Science (e.g. Archives and Record Management)

• Science & Technology (e.g. IT, Information Science and Applied Math's)

• Social Science (e.g. Social Work, Industrial Psychology)

• Spatial Planning (e.g. Town and Regional Planning, GIS)

• Tourism & Hospitality (e.g Tourism Studies)

• Economics (e.g Economics, Financial, Accounting and Management).

I applied for a government

bursary in order to obtain

my BCom Honours Human

Resource Management degree,

which served as a stepping

stone for my career and

assisted me in reaching my

personal goals. I have gained

a lot of insight into the subject

field, which has enhanced

my thinking and reasoning in

work-related matters. Studying

through correspondence was

a real challenge as I was a

newly-wed at the time. This

experience taught me to be

disciplined and I had to make

a lot of sacrifices to juggle my

time between work, studies

and family. Having my end

goal in sight, the sacrifices

were sure worth it. I am a

believer in education because

knowledge is the one thing

no one can take away from

you. I would like to give back

by ploughing this knowledge

into my career. I am grateful

for the opportunity to have

been granted a bursary and I

encourage other employees to

grab opportunities like these

Better Together Magazine19 Better Together Magazine 20

Saving electricity is very important and it is one of the things that

we need to prioritise. It is everyone’s responsibility to save as much

electricity as possible, especially as our country is experiencing a crisis

in this regard and cannot meet the demand. By using electricity sparingly we

will not only save money, but also contribute to a smaller carbon footprint.

SAVING IS IMPORTANT AND SIMPLE

Most of us still underestimate the importance of saving electricity and the

difference this can make in our lives. We need to start with small and simple

changes in our lifestyle at home and at work, such as switching off unused

plugs, unplugging cell-phone and other electric chargers when we have

charged our electronic devices, shutting down our computers when leaving

the office and switching off the TV at home when we are not watching.

When we see the difference these small changes make in our bills, we will be

encouraged to save more and make bigger changes, for example investing in

energy-efficient appliances and ultimately solar power. These bigger changes

can result in significant savings.

THIS IS WHAT YOU CAN DO TO SAVE ELECTRICITY

AT HOME:

• Use less water. Shower instead of bathing, and only take short showers.

Use rain water to water your plants and recycle wastewater.

• Install a programmable thermostat to lower utility bills and manage

your heating and cooling systems efficiently. For example, only

switch your geyser on for an hour or so a day and don’t leave it on

permanently.

• Don’t leave your appliances, such as TVs, entertainment systems, phone

chargers, etc. plugged in as they still use electricity. Rather switch them

off at the power switch.

• Keep curtains and blinds open during the day to optimise the use of

natural light and postpone switching on artificial lighting until it gets

dark.

• Insulate the ceiling. According to Eskom, this is the most important

step to improve the energy efficiency of your home during winter.

Approximately 40% of heat is lost through the roof if your home is not

insulated.

• Invest in a gas heater or a heater with a short warm-up time and built-in

thermostat. Use blankets to keep warm when it is not that cold.

• Invest in solar panels if you can afford it.

AT WORK:

• When you leave the office, don’t leave your computer on standby –

shut it down completely.

• Before you leave your office, shut down printers, photocopiers and fax

machines and avoid leaving them in sleep mode.

• Replace old heating, ventilation or air-conditioning systems with new

energy-efficient systems and consider installing solar panels.

Better Together Magazine19

Have you ever imagined living without electricity? This

is the question we all need to ask ourselves as we rely

more and more on electricity in our daily lives.

By Nokuzola Ngcizela

FOR MORE INFORMATION

ON HOW YOU CAN SAVE

ELECTRICITY, PLEASE

VISIT:

www.savingelectricity.org.za/

index.php

www.powersavingservices.co.za

www.homemakersonline.co.za/

features/31/how-to-save-

electricity-in-your-home

www.doityourself.com/stry/7-

ways-to-save-electricity-in-the-

workplace

www.eskom.co.za/sites/idm/

Pages/Home.aspx

"We need to start with small and simple changes in our lifestyle at home and at work..."

Green Living

Better Together Magazine21

METHODPreheat the oven to 180 °C.

Grease a medium loaf tin with butter.

Whisk together the eggs and oil in a large mixing bowl.

Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, spreading evenly.

Scatter extra seeds on top

Bake for 55 to 60 min or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Leave to cool and serve with avocado or vegetable spread.

“I have always loved baking and cooking from a very young age. I had to cook

for my entire family whilst still at school. I especially love baking. There was

always cake in our house on a Sunday for afternoon for tea time (instruction

from my dad) and this still is the tradition today. I also love trying out new

recipes. I also include low-carb dishes and baking in my cooking nowadays.

I am married and a mother of two children and also became a grandmother

about a year ago. I adore my grandchild. I started working for government

in 1977 and I am still here today. My hobbies include reading, knitting arts

and crafts and just about anything. I love trying out new things and fresh

challenges; I also love the outdoor life. I did some overseas travelling in 2013

and I am looking forward to the next trip.”

INGREDIENTS5 eggs

60 ml olive oil

625 ml grated baby marrows

50 g finely ground almonds or

pumpkin seeds

7 ml baking powder

180 ml grated mozzarella cheese

125 ml pumpkin seeds

125 ml sunflower seeds

125 ml sesame seeds or linseed

5 ml finely chopped fresh rosemary

5 ml salt

Extra seeds for sprinkling on top

DOREEN MATTHEWS’ BABY MARROW SEED BREADLOW CARB – My favourite bread

THINKING OUTSIDE THE (LUNCH) BOXHealthy lunch alternatives

24Better Together Magazine 22

INGREDIENTS2 cups plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

200 g streaky bacon

(chopped)

1 medium-sized red onion

(chopped)

1 cup Cheddar cheese (grated)

2 eggs

1 cup milk

60 g butter (melted and

cooled)

ASANDA PIKASHE’S SAVOURY MUFFINS

Recipes

Better Together Magazine

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 180 °C.

Prepare a 12-hole muffin tin (or a six-hole giant muffin tin).

Melt the butter and allow to cool.

Cook the bacon until crispy and sauté the onions. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Stir the cheese, bacon and onion into the flour mixture.

Whisk the eggs, milk and butter and add to the rest of the mixture. Gently stir

until everything is combined. Be careful not to overwork.

Spoon the mixture into the muffin holes.

Bake for 17 to 20 minutes until the tops just start to turn golden brown.

Remove from the tin and place onto a cooling rack (or ENJOY while they’re still hot!)

NOTES:These muffins are so easy to make and they freeze really well (up to one month).

Kids love them and you can easily alter the recipe to disguise some veggies for

the picky eaters.

They are great time savers for lunchboxes. You can just remove them from

the freezer the night before, and voila! For some variation, you can replace the

onion, bacon and cheese with anything you like. The following combinations are

some of my favourites:

• Cooked spinach, Feta cheese and a dash of paprika

• Olives, Feta cheese and rosemary

• Chorizo sausage, sundried tomato, red onion and Parmesan cheese

• Ham, Cheddar cheese, grated baby marrow and carrot.

In order to increase our wellness, it is imperative that we address the burden

of disease by striving for successful behaviour change to develop healthy

habits in a supportive environment. Physical inactivity and unhealthy eating

are considered major risk factors for a number of adverse health outcomes,

including obesity, diabetes, hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases.

In South Africa, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for 40% of all

deaths. In the Western Cape, 17 to 25% of the burden of disease is attributed to

NCDs. To combat these NCDs, the Western Cape Government has introduced

its latest approach to increase wellness – Western Cape on Wellness (WoW!).

WoW! is facilitated through a transversal working group consisting of

WGC departments, academic institutions, private organisations and highly

reputable sponsors. Adopting an inclusive approach, additional organisations

with related expertise and a keen interest are welcome and encouraged to join

the partnership.

The Minister of Health in the Western Cape, Dr Nomafrench Mbombo,

describes the intention of the initiative as follows: “If we are to begin to make

a difference in the lives of those we serve, we cannot simply keep mopping

the floor, we need to close the tap. This is why my department is making the

shift to wellness initiatives like this to promote healthy living that will inevitably

prevent the prevalence of chronic diseases like hypertension, diabetes and

cardiovascular diseases. I am incredibly excited about this initiative and look

forward to seeing its pilot take off.”

This six-month pilot launched on 31 March 2015 and builds on the outcomes

of the very successful Walk4Health pilot held in 2013.

The WoW! initiative promotes and activates a range of health-related

physical activities and healthy eating through the establishment of WoW!

clubs with trained team leaders across WCG departments, the community and

in selected schools.

For more information on how to join WoW!, and how to improve your

health through increased physical activity and healthier eating, please contact

the WoW! leader in your department, or the WoW! team on

wow@westerncape.gov.za.

Better Together Magazine23

METHODStart by preparing all your vegetables and measuring your ingredients.

Heat your wok to a high temperature.

Once the wok is warm, add the olive oil and soy sauce.

Add spring onion, carrot strips and peppers whilst stirring for two minutes.

Add all the other ingredients while continuing to stir for another three to five minutes until the

vegetables are soft yet crispy.

Remove from heat and serve.

*Please note that the soy sauce will colour the ingredients to a brown colour.

This recipe is quick and easy to make. Stir-fry is healthy and ideal for colder weather. What’s great

about this recipe is that you can adapt it and work with any vegetables you have at home.

I have been leading a healthy lifestyle for 20 years. What is exciting is that traditional recipes

can be adapted to a healthier version. The benefit is that you can still have optimal nutrition

without cravings, crashes or hunger pangs. I have several healthy snacks throughout the day

to keep my energy levels up.

A healthier lifestyle can be cultivated and does not have to complicate your life, routine

or pocket. Opting for low-fat, low-sodium, sugar-free or fat-free versions of your regular

grocery items is a good and realistic start. Find what works best for you. I too am still

learning and love to try out recipes as I go along.

*Always read your food labels! It will make you aware of what you’re consuming!

INGREDIENTS2 medium-sized carrots, cut

into thin shreds (julienned)

1 punnet mushrooms (of your

choice)

Robot peppers, cored and cut

into strips

1 bunch spring onions, chopped

1 garlic clove, grated

2 tbs olive oil

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp dried mixed herbs

Salt and pepper to taste

JAMEELAH KASPER’SVEGETARIAN STIR-FRY

Better Together Magazine 24

Wellness

Wellness is much more than the absence of disease –

it’s about having a healthy body, mind and a supportive

environment. A healthy workforce is also of critical

importance, allowing all public servants to deliver their

best to the government and its citizens.

HEALTHY BODYHEALTHY MIND

Please send us your recipes and you and your favouritedish stand the chance to feature in our next issue.

Recipes

Better Together Magazine25

I’m about tobe a mother.Growing up, you always hear moms saying having a

baby is the most beautiful thing and I always thought

it was just a cliché. However, when a colleague of mine

saw that I was pregnant even before I knew, I quickly

learned what the true meaning of becoming a mom was. By Amina Gallant

Mixed emotions of joy and anxiety overwhelmed me when the sister at

the pathology lab confirmed my pregnancy. The thought that I would

soon become a mother brought tears to my eyes. Immediately I was

anxious and rushed to buy vitamins and lots of fruit. I immediately became

health conscious and my mind was filled with pregnancy butterflies. However, I

soon learnt that pregnancy was not all sunshine and roses.

Well into my third trimester, I woke up feeling nauseous and I constantly had

a full bladder. I slowly started to feel my centre of gravity shift; it felt like objects

were bumping into me. I giggled at myself when I walked; it felt like I was rolling.

I felt like a water buffalo that had swallowed a balloon. And my previous health-

conscious mind quickly took a break as I developed cravings for pasta and

chicken; it felt like I was always hungry, even after I had just eaten. I kept waiting

for the infamous “pregnancy glow” to start, but all I got was pimples and a

flushed face. And then there was the water retention I felt like a cactus in the

Kalahari Desert. I really didn’t know my body would become so foreign to me.

All these changes taking place scared me and I wanted to scream and cry, and

sometimes I did (at my husband!). On television they paint perfect pictures

of perfect moms gracefully being pregnant, advertising all sorts of products

telling us what pregnancy is all about and how it should be. In reality no one

can prepare you for the most spontaneous, fast, exciting, scary and irrevocably

love-infused experience occurring every single day inside your very own belly.

So I stopped reading superficial baby magazines full of moms that have been

Photoshopped. I wore my XL tracksuit pants with dignity and ate the occasional

Better Together Magazine 26

Your Stories

“In reality no one can prepare you for the most

spontaneous, fast, exciting, scary

and irrevocably love-infused

experience…”

big slab of chocolate with pride. After all, I was

about to become a mother and I was housing

another human life inside of me. I was doing the

toughest job ever. I deserved a medal! All moms

should get medals – well that’s what I think anyway

and we should have a Mother’s Month at the very least,

not just Mother’s Day. It felt like a revolution taking over my body. I was

for the first time ever experiencing what mothers go through to carry

their children; just like my mom did with me when I was in her womb; just

like all mothers do. And even though you have never met or seen your

unborn baby, you love that little person more than anything in the world.

As my due date drew nearer, new feelings of fear overtook me. I was

admitted to hospital sooner than expected. I spent what seemed like endless

nights beings checked on and examined by nurses and doctors as I prepared

for the birth of my baby. And then one day the man in the white coat said it

was time. I felt my heart beating a million beats, I was about to meet my baby.

Off to the labour ward I went! All I remember was lights, blue coats and blurry

voices. And when everything was over, I lay anxiously waiting to hear that little

voice for the first time. The wait seemed like an eternity – tick tock, tick tock,

nothing but silence – and then I heard the sweetest cry ever. My little baby girl

was here: born into this world; healthy. I’ve never experience joy like I did at

that moment. At that point all the aches, pains, fatigue and pregnancy wobbles

were worth it – every second of it. I was blessed with an angel, her tiny finger

immediately wrapping around mine. Her feeble eyes trying to open, then closing

again. Feeling the warmth of her fragile body against mine. I felt alive; inspired; I

had a little extension of me. I was now a mom and in my heart I thought: THANK

YOU MOM!

Better Together Magazine 28

Send us your Quick Quiz answers and you could win R500! All correct entries will be entered into a draw and the first entry picked will be the winner.

Quick Quiz Questions for Issue 17

1. From which country does the rice dish paella come?

2. In which country do red onions originate?

3. Who declared the 2014 Commonwealth Games open?

4. How many minutes does an average soccer game last?

5. What animal is on the South African R2 coin?

6. Who is the current governor of the Reserve Bank in South Africa?

7. What is the national tree of South Africa?

8. Who invented the scissors and the parachute?

9. Kwaito is a music genre that originated in which country?

10. Which acid causes the sourness of green apples?

Congratulations to our Quick Quiz winner for the March 2014 issue:

LOREM IPSUM LOREM IPSUM LOREM IPSUM

Answers Issue 15. Quick Quiz1. Heel2. Chlorophyll3. Vanilla orchids4. Spanish5. Golf iron6. Green Point, Cape Town7. Glasgow, Scotland8. Blue 9. India

Better Together Magazine25