Cape Town, October, 2019 - In a bid to improve access to mental health services throughout South Africa (and beyond), TherapyRoute.com has announced opening its online - free to list - mental health service directory to all qualified mental professionals and service providers including non-profits, community clinics, and private practices. TherapyRoute believes that opening their platform, to both private and non-profit services, is an example of how private and community organisations can collaborate to achieve mutual aims more efficiently. For example, equipping the public to locate and access mental health services and professionals like psychologists, registered counsellors, and social workers. Just this year (2019), TherapyRoute served hundreds of thousands of page views (USA, UK, ZA, and AU) and linked thousands of visitors to mental health professionals and services providers. Registering on the platform improves access to services by placing links to these services in front of the people seeking them. It also allows registered organisations and professionals to access tools that they can use to grow their profiles into informative websites and publish high-quality mental-health-related content. Mindful that barriers to access can extend beyond availability and affordability; TherapyRoute includes socially relevant filters (e.g. Black, LGBT+, Armenian speaking, etc.) that help visitors find the best fit mental health professionals for them. The platform also caters for people who are unsure of what to search for by automatically displaying nearby services. According to Enzo Sinisi (founder) "one challenge to improving access is that providers focus on delivery and sometimes lack the resources to ensure that their services, and often even their contact details, are accurately presented online". TherapyRoute recently led a project that saw 1000 hours donated to collecting, verifying, and adding well over 100 low-fee and no-fee South African …
SA Forestry Sector Makes Chainsaw Training Safer With Virtual Reality
JOHANNESBURG, 10 SEPTEMBER 2019 ? In a world first, trainee chainsaw operators will soon be able to use a virtual reality (VR) application to test their theoretical knowledge and hone their skill in a simulated timber plantation. Developed by Forestry South Africa (FSA), the Fibre Processing and Manufacturing Sector Education and Training Authority (FP&M Seta) and industry partners, this solution trains chainsaw operators in a safe, simulated environment before they test their skills in this high-risk activity in timber plantations. While the number of chainsaw operators employed in large commercial plantations has declined in recent years, the opposite is true in small-scale and community forestry, where suitably trained chainsaw operators need to be equipped with this scarce and critical skill. Although forestry has used simulators over the past decade, their use in the training of chainsaw operators is an innovative development. Mobile, cost-effective, learner-adaptable and injury-free The cost of practical training has risen substantially. The sector sought a solution that would not only provide a cost-effective coaching medium with minimal risk, but a means whereby trainee operators could gain a feel for their equipment before taking their first steps into the field or forest. Safety concerns have proved to be a limiting factor in the training of chainsaw operators. Other constraints include unwieldy class sizes and a limited number of trees available for practical instruction. “Besides the obvious benefits that our industry stands to gain from this project, VR is the future of skills development and training. It transports learners into the environment for which they are being trained, promotes interactivity and improves the retention of information through experience,” says FSA business development director Norman Dlamini. “I am holding the very first real chainsaw in the world that has been wired with sensors and can transport a …
Forestry South Africa celebrates women in forestry with its profile series
JOHANNESBURG, AUGUST 8, 2019 – This month, Forestry South Africa (FSA) is celebrating women in forestry. Over the next few weeks, FSA will be publishing the stories of 24 women in a series of profiles on www.forestryexplained.co.za. With more than 320 years experience among them in a variety of roles, these women show that no job is off limits as long as you have the passion and dedication required. “Some have dedicated their lives to the sector, others are just at the start of their career, but all have one thing in common – the wish to dispel the myth that forestry is a man’s world,” says Michael Peter, executive director of FSA. "Their success is testament to how our sector has embraced and benefited from the skills and qualities women bring to the industry." In turn, the forestry sector gives women the opportunity to contribute to a challenging and ever-evolving industry that produces essential everyday items – from furniture to face wash, pencils to paper and a myriad of novel products all made from the wood of locally farmed trees. It is an industry where there is always room to grow, where you are part of a globally recognised community and have the opportunity to work outdoors with leaders in multiple fields. Khosi Mavimbela, executive director of the Forest Sector Charter Council, says, “It is little wonder why women in forestry are proud of what they do and all they have achieved. These women want to plant a seed of inspiration in the mind of others, who many not have thought about a career in forestry, but could greatly benefit from one.” By sharing their story of triumph and growth within the industry, FSA hopes other women will follow in their footsteps and the myth that forestry is a male-only workforce will be busted once and for all. “Women like myself operate machines and there is scope to learn and improve. I started out as a general worker, so forestry definitely provides opportunities for growth.” Ephine Mogakane, SAFCOL – Senior …
126 million litres of milk consumed “loose” in South Africa every year
126 million litres of milk consumed “loose” in South Africa every year This twentieth World Milk Day on June 1, a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) day, once again encouraged milk and dairy consumption as part of a daily diet. Milk and dairy are important sources of nutrition for many of Africa’s inhabitants yet, in South Africa where more than 1,7 billion litres are produced annually, more than 126 million litres of milk are consumed untreated and unpacked, also known as loose milk, according to BMi Research. “Loose milk cannot be guaranteed safe,” says Stefan Fägerang, MD of Tetra Pak Southern Africa. Milk contains nutritional elements, such as calcium and vitamin D, that help bone and teeth development and strength. It contains a lot of water and is excellent for rehydration, which is why athletes favour it as a post-workout drink. Yet, loose milk, which is poured directly from the milkman’s container into a jar or plastic bag, likely contains harmful bacteria and additives. Just being exposed to light and oxygen either kills some of the nutritional content of milk or fosters growth of pathogens, which are germs that are harmful to humans. “Many people believe that boiling milk sterilises it,” says Fägerang. “But that’s not true. The temperature isn’t high enough to destroy the micro-organisms and bacteria and boiling it for too long destroys the nutrients. That’s why it’s important to use a scientifically-proven process that raises the temperature high enough to kill the pathogens but for a short enough time that the natural product’s nutrients survive intact through the packaging process.” Ultra-high temperature (UHT) milk is heated to between 135 and 140 degrees Celsius for just four seconds before it is immediately cooled. The process takes place in a sealed and commercially-sterile environment. “Our carton packs have six layers to keep the product safe during transportation, when it’s on shelves, and once it’s in …
Jordy Smith A Top Contender for the Corona JBay Open 2019
Jordy Smith A Top Contender for the Corona JBay Open 2019 JBay – the Corona JBay Open, South Africa’s only World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) event is fast approaching, and the best competitive surfers in the world are starting to make their respective moves for the 2019 world title race. The Corona JBay Open is a pivotal event, coming in mid-way through the year-long tour, and a win in JBay could very easily set a competitor up for a world title going into the back half of the year. Currently rated sixth on the Jeep Leaderboard – the rankings board for the Men’s Championship Tour – Durban-born Jordy Smith is looking like a very strong contender for a big result in JBay. Jordy has been in serious focus for 18 months now, working on fitness, diet and technique, in a serious bid for a world title, and his form is evident that he has what it takes to secure a win in JBay. He also has an excellent record at JBay. In his first event as a CT rookie in 2006 Jordy was unstoppable and it looked likely to be a rookie victory, a rare feat in the world of professional surfing. Surfing against Taj Burrow in the semi-final, Jordy needed good score to oust Taj, and he picked up a bomb towards the end of the heat. Nerves got to him however, and he fell on his last turn, losing to the Australian by 0.5 of a point, and placing third in the final results. In 2010 he pushed it further and took the win, defeating Australian Adam Melling in the final with some huge aerial turns in small surf. He repeated this in 2011, this time beating four times event champion and three times world champion Mick Fanning from Australia in the process. Last year Jordy looked like he was lining up for another victory, with some amazing performances throughout the day, but Wade Carmichael from Australia eliminated him in the semi-finals. Jordy has often stated that JBay is his favourite wave, and the town is his favourite stops on the tour, and he always enjoys vocal …
Theo Erlangsen Wins 2019 SA Downhill Mountain Biking National Championships.
Theo Erlangsen Wins 2019 SA Downhill Mountain Biking National Championships. Afriski, Lesotho – Theo Erlangsen is the two times SA Downhill Mountain Biking Champion, after taking this year's win on the weekend. The National Championships took place during Round Two of the SA National Cup Series, and a very happy Erlangsen banked his second SA Downhill Champion title in a row. The event took place at Afriski, Lesotho, and it was chilly at times, with a fresh wind blowing down the mountainside. Afriski is located at high altitude, and this added to the fresh conditions. Great for racing however, as Erlangsen can attest to with his win. He was first to cross the finish line with a time of 02:14.22, beating more established guys like Johan Potgieter (02:16.81) and Stefan Garlicki (02:17.21), who took second and third place respectively. "It was a challenge competing at Afriski, as it is 3222 meters above sea level," said a stoked Erlangsen on his win. "Even a walk up a flight of stairs is super tiring with such little oxygen, so you have to be really efficient with your energy, and not waste any of it." It was a fairly difficult track to traverse as well. "The track freezes overnight, so in the morning it's still pretty wet even though it hasn't rained," said Erlangsen. "We had been waiting for it to dry for our practice days, and going at about eleven in the morning, but on the competition day we raced quite early in the morning, so it was still a bit damp. It was hard to tell how grippy it was going to be, so we just had to feel our way down." Erlangsen was a very thankful two-time winner. "The first year is obviously really hard to get a win as the proverbial underdog," said Erlangsen on last year's victory. "It seems however that getting a second win is possibly harder, as you now have a target on your back, and everyone is watching you. I was a bit nervous, but that all turned out well." The Europen racing season is about to open, and Erlangsen …
Surfing: Monster Combo Online Video Contest Kicking Off
The Monster Combo is really getting going, with 25 entries for the month of April alone as it goes into the fourth month of competition. April has been a good month for waves and clips, and the clips have been dropping non-stop! There's an entry from Matt McGillivray, a couple from Dale Staples, Shane Sykes, Eli Beukes, Josh Redman, Davey Van Zyl, and there's even an entry from Warwick Wright! Can Josh do it? is Dale the man? Check out the latest entries here: April Entries ekse. Hail Mary’s Are so Last Year One Turn Wonders are so last year: Combos are in. We don’t just want to see how you landed a full roat, we wanna see how you got there. We want to see multiple big manoeuvres on one wave! We want to see big turns, big airs and big barrels all on one wave. Give to us! And deliver it upsized. Waves and Surfers From All Corners of South Africa South Africa has an abundance of waves. Yet we often see imagery from surf zone hubs. We’d like to see content from underground surfers who exist off the beaten track. Maybe we’ll even see an entry from someone on an asymmetrical board at The Ledge or maybe even a longboarder at Pipe in PE. Who knows! Anything is possible. The Prizes are Dank: R20 000 cash. Channel Islands Surfboard for every month. A free surf trip. R10 000 for the winning videographer. Christmas come early baby, and the forecast looks surfy AF! CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za. More Info on Surfing: Monster Combo Online Video Contest Kicking Off here: …
JBay Winterfest – Kelly Slater and John John Florence To Return To Corona JBay Open
JBay Winterfest – Two times world champion John John Florence from Hawaii and eleven times world champion Kelly Slater from America will both be competing in the Corona JBay Open this year. With thirteen world titles between them, the surfers were absent from the perfect waves of Supertubes for one of the last two years as a result of serious injuries at the time, but both are now fully recovered and are surfing with all the skill, talent and passion that they are known for. Last week saw the Rip Curl Pro take place at Bells Beach in Victoria, Australia. The surf was positively huge, but what was most noticeable was the rejuvenation of Kelly Slater, and that of a rampant John John Florence. Slater defeated Australian favourite Julian Wilson early on in the event, and ended up a very credible fifth place, a result that saw him shoot up the rankings by 19 spots to rest at 14th on the Jeep Leaderboard. Florence on the other hand went all the way to the final, where he came up against a fired-up Filipe Toledo from Brazil. In the giant and perfect surf, it was the Hawaiian who came out on top and is now leading the Championship Tour rankings, with a look about him that he is very interested in another world title. On that subject, South Africa’s very own Championship Tour surfer and two times Corona JBay Open champion Jordy Smith ended up a very solid third place at Bells Beach. Smith is currently sitting at 3rd place on the world tour rankings and is another surfer who is having a look at a world title. The Durban-born surfer has yet to win a world title but has finished in the runner-up position twice. Brazilian Filipe Toledo, who came second to John John at Bells is also an interested party at this year’s Corona JBay Open. He is sitting 4th on the current world tour rankings, which puts him very much in the 2019 world title race conversation. He also has the distinction of winning the previous two Corona JBay Open contests, and will come into this year’s …
Nic Von Rupp: XXL Nominee On Surfing The Left At Mavericks
The legendary wave at Mavericks is a notorious beast, where some of the most famous rides in history have been claimed off the Northern Californian coast. Heading to tame the infamous wave, Nic Von Rupp lined up a trip of his dreams and along the way managed to pull of a historical feat that few before him have conquered. Mavericks is a raging A-frame wave with a chunky lip that is challenging and fast, even for the world’s best big wave surfers. Famously a left, the cold-water spot can produce a rare left and it was this challenge that Nic set his sights: “On my way to Mavericks, the only thing I could think of was going left out there.. that wave has so much potential, probably the meanest, biggest paddle approachable slab around. After 3 sessions out there, I quickly saw my dream of slipping into one of these beasts diminishing. So much risk involved.. you gotta be under it, dodging 20ft sets.. seems like all the energy of the right bends into the left and dumps into edge of the ledge. You get pounded, you go to deep dark places, scraping for your life. What about trying to knife a 9.9 into a steep ledge like this. But that’s what makes it special.”- Nic Von Rupp YouTube: https://youtu.be/AQHXXw_prlA CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za. …
Making it Easy to Find Therapists and Nearby Mental Health Services
Cape Town, March, 14, 2019: There are many barriers to mental health services throughout the world. Stigma (awkwardness at approaching doctors), limited public awareness, lack of resources, prohibitive costs, and challenges around finding the right service, and even phone number, are real. The internet has helped many by offering a private way to reach out that sidesteps the need first to overcome one's reluctance to share embarrassing and personal details with your doctor. Unsurprisingly, more and more people turn to the internet to find nearby therapists and clinics. Unfortunately, many of the directories and online resource lists available are plagued by problems. They are often managed by people outside of the mental health profession and hence are prone to misrepresenting critical aspects of the field. Others prove unreliable in that they contain outdated information or run on ancient technology that renders them difficult to navigate. TherapyRoute.com, a South African start-up, is changing this by developing a sophisticated online global platform that automatically displays your nearest therapists and other mental health service providers. The database includes clinicians and providers from all around the world. Search results are cleverly listed by distance from the visitor and are easily refined. TherapyRoute.com founder, Enzo Sinisi notes that "many people looking for services don’t know what kind of help they need. Reaching out can be confusing, and this is why we have placed a huge focus on developing an easy and relevant search that does not offer a ton of intimidating options". Results can be refined by the kind of therapist, the client group, issues treated and, perhaps most importantly, language. Communicating in your mother tongue can make therapy less daunting. The site also indicates which providers offer online services and allows users to filter results by private and non-profit facilities. According to Sinisi, "for a directory to truly …