$250 raised from Soy Candles helps Maternity Services in the Congo
January 14, 2009
January 2009
Those of you who purchased Candles from Zulu’s Candles for Community at the end of 2008 will be pleased to know that over $250 was raised – with $1.50 from each candle pack sold donated to Lucy Hobgood Brown and Handup Congo.
Others also donated directly to Lucy – and we THANK YOU for your support and generosity with helping us raise awareness for HandUp Congo and contributed to community projects in this very troubled country.
SUPPORTING MATERNITY SERVICES IN THE CONGO – LUCY’S REPORT
As you know Sue, I was born in the Congo and my father was also born and raised in Lotumbe.
I return at least every 18 months to work on a range of capacity building projects with a Congolese women’s NGO. This community based organisation focuses on women and children, and provides such basic necessities as insecticide treated mosquito nets, new baby outfits and free pre-natal checks for women who give birth at the hospital (or in canoes!). The NGO makes a huge difference to infant survival rates, reports Lucy, adding, “Mum and babies are doing well.”
Birth on the river - woman gives birth to twins in a canoe in the Congo
You will be pleased to know that the funds raised through Zulu’s Community will go towards Lotumbe’s maternity ward.
Located in a remote village more than 200 km from the provincial capital of Mbandaka, Equatorial Province (Democratic Republic of Congo), this maternity ward is only accessible on foot over jungle paths or by dugout canoe.
Birth on the River
Under the scorching African sun, I saw a woman give birth to twins…in a canoe. I heard the excited chatter of village children who happened to be swimming nearby when the canoe was paddled to shore.
The children told the woman’s husband where the hospital was located, and as he ran for help the woman lay stoically in the bottom of a dugout canoe, shielding her eyes from the sun’s glare. Her husband returned with a midwife, who helped deliver the babies.
What a miracle that the mum and babies survived the canoe trip and the filthy birthing conditions!
ABOUT LUCY HOBGOOD BROWN and HandUp Congo
Lucy lives in Sydney and is a co-founder of HandUp Congo (www.handupcongo.org). She and her colleagues Anne Zolnor, Betsy Brill and Roma Mehta work pro bono on a variety of DRC projects.
Read more about Lucy’s activites in the Congo – in Zulu’s Community
Zulu's pen – the pen of choice
January 14, 2009
Just further to a previous story about the power of the Zulu pen
Noel Foley and his pen of choice from Zulu
Whilst up on Lihir Island in PNG recently, and going about my work for client NCS, I was touching base with the General Manager of Lihir Gold Limited, Mr Noel Foley.
I took Noel a little by surprise with our meeting ( ie- I didn’t have an official appointment and he had NO time to prepare….) and out comes the Zulu Communications PEN!
Forget the Mont Blanc, – Zulu’s pen is the pen of choice!! It even comes in “safety” orange – very important for our work up on Lihir!
Free Basketballs for Kids in need
October 31, 2008
One of Zulu’s Community long time supporters, who wishes to remain nameless – (but let’s just call him Michael) has generously donated 50 Basketballs to Zulu’s Community left over from a promotion.
Basketballs for kids in need
“Michael” and Zulu’s Community would like to donate these basketballs to projects or organisations that support children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds – either in Australia or overseas. So, If know of or a re connected to a project or cause who would LOVE to have some of these basketballs, please send me an email and tell me about your organisation and your kids. First in – best dressed!
- Limit of 10 balls per organisation – they are flat and need to be inflated.
- Collect from Balmain by Friday 14 November
Sue's AMAZING Winged creature photos
September 30, 2008
Check out these photos that I took in PNG and Lao!
Orange Dragonfly - Lao -July 2008
Moth and fly - can you see the fly? Hidden Valley, PNG - September 2008
Red Dragonfly - Lao - July 2008
Crossing the swollen Mumeng River on the way to Hidden Valley
September 27, 2008
Here’s the story about crossing the Mumeng River in Papua New Guinea.
- Watching the morning river crossing is a major spectator sport for the villagers
During my September trip to PNG and on one of our travel days – we were on the road at 7:30am to travel the 3-4 hours of mountain roads up to one of our mine sites – Hidden Valley.
The journey promised to be exciting and the day long – as we planned to visit two sites this day – which required us to cross the swollen Mumeng River about an hour out of town.
It had been raining hard all night and steadily spitting with rain in the morning as we left Lae.
As we crossed over the bridges on the way – we felt that it was a fair expectation that the river would be up and this major crossing where there was no bridge.
Arriving at Mumeng
When we arrived at 9:00am- we joined a queue of 4WDs and trucks on our side of the river – and got out to survey the scene. We watched the trucks and vehicles crossing and decided to give it a go and fang it across the river.
Hairy scarey or WHAT! We crossed – went up to Hidden Valley mine site – and were back on the nose of 2pm – racing the rain clouds in the mountain – to cross back over before the afternoon rains from the mountains made it to this part of the river, making the crossing impossible.
- The big diggers are trying to build up the bed of the river so that the vehicles can cross
Surveying the scene and deciding whether to cross
- I stepped the wrong way – ended up ankle deep in mud – and entertained the locals….
Winter white as a ghost – I make small children cry!
September 27, 2008
I need to work on taking the glare off my very Sydney winter white skin, because on my recent trip to Lihir, I was making small children cry – mistaken as a GHOST.
I have only ever been mistaken for a “white” person once before – in Zimbabwe in Africa… and now here in PNG – it seems there is only black and white with no other shades or colours in between.
On my drive around the island of Lihir – we stopped half way around to visit a village on the beach who had just finished their church service.
I stepped out of our vehicle – and immediately spotted some children playing on the black sand beach.
I followed the kids down the beach – with my camera and was followed by more kids and we had ourselves a little photo session – most of them were fascinated!
One of the little boys in the group started to cry- and I was then told that he was scared because I am WHITE and he thinks I am a ghost. They don’t see any other people in this part of the island – so I am considered white and frightening.
Can you spot the ghost?
Here are some of the photos from my very short time with this village.
YOUR BOOBS – an issue close to my heart in OCTOBER
September 18, 2008
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month – if anyone has a right to get on the Breast Cancer band waggon, it’s me.
Every October – I am faced with the issue of Breast Cancer as I remember my dear mother, Lynette – who passed away on 12 October 1993 at the age of 52 after a five-year battle with the disease.
I am considered “High Risk” for breast cancer because of my “significant family history ” with this disease . Two of my mother’s sisters have also had breast cancer, my auntie Marilyn losing her 17-year battle in 2005. Because of this history and having gone through my own breast-related issues/treatment over a period of years, I am monitored annually by the Hereditary Cancer Clinic and am part of the high-risk group the at Prince of Wales Hospital.
KEEP ABREAST OF BREAST CANCER
In particular – Women aged 50-69 should have a mammogram every two years. Just because you are not of this age group does NOT mean that you should not know what to be looking out for! To ALL women (and men too) – particularly young women who may think that Breast Cancer is not a topic they need to think about right now – please take the time to find out a bit more about this disease – that affects 1:8 women in Australia.
FREE INFORMATION POSTERS
Here are some FREE information posters that I produced for Breast Cancer Awareness month in 2007 for my client St George Private Hospital – who I thank for allowing me to use them here at Zulu.
Please do forward this post to your friends.
ALL THE VERY “BREAST” to you this month
Something funny happened on the way to New Guinea…………
August 17, 2008
Well – it wasn’t really FUNNY -HAHA. But at the end of the day – I sure had to have a sense of humour and an easy going attitude to get me through.
On route to Lihir Island, Papua New Guinea with my client early this month – a few things happened which would certainly stop most people in their tracks.
On arrival at Sydney Airport at 6:00am – I was informed that PNG’s national carrier had changed planes ( smaller plane) and that I didn’t have a seat on it. My client Marcus was already though immigration and in the Qantas Club having the ONLY real coffee we were going to get for 5 days……………………………
I was told that only after check-in closed would I know if I had a seat on the plane. There were 5 of us standing by the check-in counter in a quiet panic.
No amount of jumping up and down and panic stricken phone calls was going to make a hill of beans of difference in this situation. Long story short – we made it on the flight – getting our boarding passes one by one ( I was last) 15 minutes before the flight was scheduled to depart.
As punishment for getting on the plane – about – 20 of us didn’t receive our luggage at the other end.
So – I had arrived on a tropical island after a very long day of travel and set for 4 more days of intensive work – “sans luggage”.
Marcus had called ahead to let the crew know that I need to have in my room ” all the things that a woman needs”. They were told to prepare for a “small” woman.
When I arrived – there were indeed – all the toiletries in the world that a woman could want – AND more……….. and a pile of small clothes ( not a small pile of clothes – a pile of small clothes) on the bed. The girls had done their best at the local market.
They had also lovingly put a fruit and cheese platter in the fridge – SO thoughtful. That’s “rockstar” service if you ask me!
YOU’RE NOT SMALL……………..
Never have three words had so much impact on me – or made me laugh so much.
The first thing Tarama ( the girl whose task it was to create my room) said was – after looking me up and down :” You’re not small – they told me you were small – you’re not small”
To which I replied : ” I would have said medium myself”
I was introduced from then on as: “This is Sue. She’s NOT small”
SO here’s how it panned out:
- the clothes very thoughtfully selected for me ( from a limited local market selection mind you) and washed and ironed – would have fit a 16 year old girl – either that or I would have looked like a hooker wearing them.
- one very thoughtful staff member bought me a t-shirt and copped an absolute ribbing from the bosses for it. ( It was very sweet – you guys are SO mean)
- I was given a new pair of steel capped work boots to save killing my new leather boots on the rocky paths. TWO sizes too big tho – so I clomped around like “olive oyl” for a few days – the steel caps doing absolutely NO good if I had have tripped over and face planted the road.
- my luggage finally arrived Sydney -via Brisbane- Via Port Moresby – Via Rabaul -to Lihir afternoon of the 3rd day. I left at the break of day on day 5. Thanks Air Nugini……………………. NOT
Thanks though to NCS for such care and “rock star” treatment. I truly had a ball up on Lihir and can’t wait to come back!
And your reward is…………… A CHICKEN!
August 17, 2008
One of the most heartwarming experiences during my recent trip with my client NCS to their flag-ship camp operation on Lihir Island in Papua New Guinea, was being an observer at their monthly staff meeting.
Gathered together were perhaps 250 local workers who were on shift at that time to, amongst other things – find out who the employee of the month award winners were…………………………
STAFF CHICKEN AWARDS
That’s right – the employees of the month win a chicken!
The staff chicken awards are a serious incentive and reward program – not a joke! Most local employees live in village environment where food and supplies have to stretch across many people. A chicken reward is JUST what the “doctor ordered”!
I’ve never seen people so proud and happy to receive a chicken, and it’s so very, very simple, appropriate, relevant, meaningful, practical AND appreciated!
Giving: Zulu regularly gives special gourmet sauce as a gift – and most people receive a funky Zulu pen – and although small and low-priced items, both have big impact and is sincerely appreciated and remembered by all those who receive it!
Receiving: I often receive movie vouchers and scratchies, and one of Zulu’s associates has given gifts of LARGE boxes of handmade, delicious gourmet chocolates for successful referrals. I LOVE IT! One gift helps me switch off and be entertained, one gift could make me rich and one gift is sure to keep me happy during my 3:00pm slump!
So what works and what doesn’t work?
- What do you give as acknowledgements, incentives and rewards to your client or staff?
- What kinds of things have you received from your clients, associates or employers?
- Does the value of the spend need to equate to or reflect the level of appreciation?
I’d love to know what you think! Leave a comment on by blog!!
PS: The chickens are frozen by the way…. not live……………………..
Great little book on Confidence
July 22, 2008
I found this little gem on my travels.
a Thousand Paths to confidence by David Baird – ISBN978-1-84601-206-8
Here’s one little gem:
“Every moment of our life is absolutely precious and is not to be wasted in self-doubt. The wish to be confident and to live life with confidence is the vital first step. If you are prepared to take it, congratulate yourself – you have begun your journey on the path to confidence”.
I will share the other 999 paths to confidence as we go along. If you can’t wait – try and grab yourself a copy!
There is also “a thousand paths to creativity” by David Baird that is also worth seeking out… cover looks the same – just say’s creativity and not confidence.
