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August 1, 2020Rubicon Shows It Cares
The day the world stopped
On 26 March 2020, life as we know it ended. South Africans had been watching a pandemic sweeping the northern hemisphere, relentlessly devastating countries in its deadly wake. Although little was understood about this unique virus at the time, one worrying feature soon emerged: it was particularly fatal to older communities – and it was heading our way.
In that sense, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decisive action and swift lockdown measures came as a relief, as it was understood that this virus would stop at nothing. Yet, although it is meant to protect the most vulnerable, social isolation comes at price, as it puts older adults at greater risk of depression and anxiety.
Rubicon’s general manager, Driekie Heiberg, instantly understood that this incomprehensible and bewildering global situation would hit home and present the residents with additional mental challenges. She sprang into action. “We had to keep the lockdown blues at bay,” she explains.
Already pro-active in her approach in keeping residents meaningfully occupied, a care project was launched to keep idle hands busy and minds focused: Rubicon got busy knitting! By 10 July, just in time for Mandela Day on the 18th, six exquisite heirloom blankets and piles of scarves were delivered to Silver Dae, Ons Tuiste, a home for fellow elderly residents in Waterval-Boven.
She had hopes but didn’t quite expect it to take off like it did. Once word was out, donations of wool started pouring in and was distributed among the team of enthusiastic knitters. Overall, it was a hugely positive experience on many different levels. “New friendships were formed over wool and ideas were flowing. Some women hadn’t knitted for 30 years but pulled out their needles and got busy,” Driekie laughs.
The anything-goes blankets, with their mad mix of colours and textures, are symbolic of a once-familiar world and life which has been thrown upside down, Driekie explains.
In the end, a total of 1 480 squares were stitched together into the six blankets. Everybody became involved: hundreds of leftover blocks were made into scarves by residents, personnel and cleaning staff. And the knitters were discerning: no sub-standard work was accepted. “The blocks I knitted were rejected by the ‘connoisseurs’,” Driekie laughs.
The decision to share the blankets with fellow seniors under lockdown was unanimous. What started out as a simple plan to keep hands and minds busy, turned into a Mandela Day project. The project is a global call to action that celebrates the idea that everyone has the power to transform the world, and the ability to make an impact. People are asked to dedicate 67 minutes in service of someone else, representing the years Madiba fought for social justice. Rubicon residents certainly made an impact this year.
“The project really turned into a blessing and had such a beautiful twist in the end,” Driekie says simply. “It showed how much Rubicon cares – and we’re planning many more 67 minutes of caring!”
“People can make a small gesture of solidarity with humanity and a step towards a global movement for good.”
Nelson Mandela
