It's raining nappies in October and November with Nappy Run!
South Africans are all too familiar with the concept of charitable fundraising events in aid of countless worthy causes. However a national campaign to receive donations of nappies is a first for the country. This new initiative was launched on 5 October as the first of an annual national campaign under the banner of "Nappy Run" and will run until 5 November.
Presented by the National Council for Persons with Physical Disabilities in South Africa (NCPPDSA) and Association of Round Table of Southern Africa (ARTSA), the idea was born from the heartfelt recognition of the dire and widespread need for nappies for children and teenagers with disabilities.
According to Therina Wentzel of the NCPPDSA, bowel and urinary incontinence is a common and integral reality synonymous with many types of disabilities in children. While the general public is ill-informed on this subject, possibly due to the stigma attached to incontinence challenges, this can definitely be changed.
"Society's response to the circumstances and needs of children with disabilities, in poor communities especially, is vastly inadequate. People can't care and they can't get involved if they don't know and don't understand. We want to change this lack of public awareness with Nappy Run as much as we want public donations of nappies," said Wentzel.
As a month-long awareness and nappy raising campaign, Nappy Run will be an annual campaign which will take place during the month of October, which is Children's Month. A Nappy Run will be a family fun run/walk with a pack of nappies as the entrance fee and the request that all runners/walkers wear a cloth nappy to show their support!
The organizers concede that not everyone will be so brave to run/walk dressed in only a nappy and will accept as the dress code any way of displaying a nappy with the hope that participants will use their initiative by using the nappy in an interesting and quirky way.
The Nappy Run will take place in the following towns on the 5th November 2011:
Johannesburg - Lenasia & Wits University , Kimberley, East London, Port Elizabeth, Bloemfontein, Jeffreys Bay, Bedford, Polokwane, Nelspruit, Potchefstroom , Pretoria - SAPS, Durban , Grahamstown , Rosebay, Cape Town , and the University of Zululand.
For more information email the NCPPDSA at az.gro.nuryppan@ofni and or go www.nappyrun.org.za.
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