by admin | Aug 19, 2026 | St Francis
Kouga Local Municipality is calling on residents to nominate extraordinary local women for its second annual StrongHer Award.
The award recognises women whose dedication and community work make a lasting difference in the lives of vulnerable people across Kouga.
Recognising Women Who Make A Difference
Now in its second year, the StrongHer Award forms part of the international partnership between Kouga Local Municipality and the City of Birmingham, Alabama, USA.
The initiative celebrates women who work behind the scenes to uplift others, strengthen communities and bring hope to people who need it most.
Kouga Executive Mayor Hattingh Bornman said many communities were stronger because of women who gave their time and energy to helping others.
“Many of our communities are stronger because of women who dedicate their time, energy and hearts to serving others without expecting recognition,” said Bornman.
“The StrongHer Award is our opportunity to honour these remarkable women and celebrate the difference they make in the lives of vulnerable residents every single day.”
StrongHer Award Goes Beyond Recognition
The award focuses on women who demonstrate leadership, kindness and resilience through ongoing community service.
Their work may involve children, elderly residents, people with disabilities, victims of abuse or struggling families. It may also involve other vulnerable groups within the community.
The winner will have her story and community project featured in the City of Birmingham’s StrongHer publication.
In addition, a team from Grace Klein Community in Alabama will visit the winning project. The team will also connect the winner with an expert involved in similar work. This could provide valuable guidance, mentorship and support for the project.
Who Can Be Nominated?
Nominees must live within the Kouga municipal area and be actively involved in ongoing community work.
They should demonstrate integrity, compassion and authentic leadership. Their work should also have made a meaningful and lasting difference to vulnerable community members.
The award particularly aims to recognise women whose contributions have not yet received widespread public recognition.
How To Submit A Nomination
Residents need to provide the nominee’s full name, age and town of residence. They should also include the name of her organisation, project or initiative, where applicable.
A brief motivation explaining how the nominee has positively affected the lives of others must accompany the nomination.
Residents can nominate more than one woman. However, they must complete a separate nomination form for each nominee.
Nominations close on 19 August 2026. Forms can be completed through the official StrongHer online nomination forms.
by admin | Jul 28, 2026 | St Francis, Surf Editorial
When winter starts to feel endless, there is a simple solution. Point yourself towards Mauritius, where sunshine replaces cold fronts and every day begins with the promise of warm seas, gentle breezes and absolutely nowhere you need to be.
Also, modern life has become exhausting.
Every day comes with another challenge, another notification and another expert telling you to optimise your morning routine. Count your steps. Count your calories. Drink green juice. Lift heavier things. Sleep better. Work harder.
Or…
Go to a resort in Mauritius.
Wake up whenever you feel like it. Wander to breakfast in your sandals. Have another croissant because nobody has ever returned from Mauritius wishing they had eaten less pastry.
By 11 am, order a strong cocktail. It is holiday o’clock. There are no meetings. No deadlines. No smartwatch telling you to stand up because you’ve been sitting too long. Sitting is exactly what you came for.
Move slowly to the pool. Or don’t. The beach is also an excellent place to achieve absolutely nothing. Find a lounger, apply sunscreen with great commitment, then spend the next four hours admiring the ocean, reading three pages of a novel and wondering if it is too early for lunch.
It isn’t.
Lunch should be long. Dessert should be compulsory. The seafood should be fresh. The portions should be generous. The only thing getting a workout should be the buffet.
After lunch, have a massage. Then recover from the massage with a nap. Wake up just in time for another swim, another cocktail and another spectacular sunset that asks nothing of you except to sit still and enjoy it.
Dinner is another excuse to eat far more than you planned. Try everything. Go back for seconds. Pretend calories cannot swim across the Indian Ocean.
Tomorrow you can do it all again.
You do not need to become a better version of yourself every single day. Sometimes the best version of yourself is the one lying on a beach, slightly sunburnt, completely relaxed and wondering whether to order another mojito or simply stay exactly where you are.
Mauritius has an answer.
Why not both?
by admin | May 5, 2026 | Notes From The Editor, St Francis, Surf Editorial
The year opened at full pace. Deadlines stacked up. Messages came in waves. Each day ran tight, with little space between one task and the next. Then Indonesia introduced a different tempo through jam karet.
You can’t fight time, and you won’t beat it. Arguing with it gets you nowhere. It just keeps moving, steady and indifferent. We have already lost friends and loved ones to time this year, and time is linear. There’s no going back.
That realisation has been sitting with me here, watching time march forward and the days move on. The sun rises, and we walk around, and we surf, and we eat things, and then the sun sets. Accepting time for what it is feels like one of the keys to finding a bit of calm. Stop pushing against it, and things begin to settle.
It is inexorable and impassive, yet in yielding to its rhythm rather than resisting it, the day begins to carry you with a quieter, more deliberate ease.
Time That Stretches
Jam karet translates as “rubber time.” In practice, it means that schedules hold lightly. A ten o’clock start might drift. A plan adjusts as the day unfolds. At first, that approach feels slightly off balance. The instinct is to check the time, to measure, to manage.
However, the longer the days unfold here, the clearer it becomes that everything still happens. It simply happens with less pressure.
Ferry Times and Perspective
Ferry schedules offer a perfect example. A departure listed on paper suggests precision. In reality, timing varies with conditions, loading, and the day’s general rhythm. The ferry leaves when it is ready. Everyone seems to understand this, and the system continues to work.
That small adjustment carries through into everything else. Waiting becomes part of the process rather than a disruption. As a result, the day still flows, feels less fragmented and more continuous.
A Useful Reset
Sitting in a warung with my son, waiting for a meal that arrives when it is ready, the value of this approach becomes clear. The gaps in the day start to feel constructive. Conversations stretch. Meals take their time. The need to optimise every hour fades.
This shift has helped ease the pace after a busy start to the year. The mind settles. Focus returns in a quieter, steadier way. There is still structure, but it feels more flexible and far easier to carry.
A Different Kind of Efficiency
Jam karet does not remove productivity. It reframes it. The day still moves forward, just without constant urgency. That change brings a sense of balance that is easy to appreciate and worth holding onto long after the ferry finally leaves.
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Read more:
– Cheese Tea and Avocado Cheesecake in Indonesia – Notes From The Editor
– Long Haul, Light Feet: From St Francis to Lakey Peak via Half the Planet- Notes From The Editor
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