By Loyiso Sidimba May 27, 2020

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Johannesburg - Hundreds of black-owned small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) across the country are set to benefit from the multimillion-rand procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

National Treasury director-general Dondo Mogajane has amended an earlier instruction that prescribed the emergency procurement of Covid-19 PPE items and cloth masks to ease supply by SMMEs and create an environment for the stimulation of local supply and manufacturing.

Institutions are encouraged to use suppliers/manufacturers falling in a designated group in terms of the Preferential Procurement Regulations 2017, reads Mogajanes new instruction, dated May 20.

According to the regulations, designated groups refer to black designated groups, black people, women, people with disabilities or small enterprise.

Earlier this month, the Treasury issued an instruction stating that there had been concerns about the procurement process excluding a number of domestic suppliers and covering too wide an array of goods, especially those that could be manufactured locally.

The Treasury also reiterated its commitment to fair, equitable, transparent, competitive and cost-effective procurement processes. It has assured the country that it wants these processes to be compliant with the countrys imperatives of promoting structural transformation and broadening participation in the economy, to strengthen economic development and empowerment of previously disadvantaged groups and individuals.

The list of suppliers identified by Mogajane include more than 700 companies who manufacture PPE items such as cloth masks, aprons, gowns and other protective clothing.

The companies are registered with the Department of Small Business Developments supplier database.

There is also another list of over 400 suppliers able to produce between 500 and 500 000 fabric cloth masks a week provided by the National Bargaining Council for the Clothing Industry, and more than a dozen companies who are part of the National Treasurys transversal contract to supply and deliver clothing to the government.

Business for South Africa (B4SA), which was set up by organised business to support the governments efforts to mitigate the health, labour market and economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, is looking for a broad-based black economic empowerment- compliant lead logistics provider to distribute PPE in a fast and price-efficient manner.

B4SA has already secured emergency supplies of PPE for the public and private sectors for the first eight weeks of the pandemic and monthly afterwards.

About R1 billion has already been spent on buying PPE using funding donated to the Covid-19 Solidarity Fund established by President Cyril Ramaphosa including millions of N95 and surgical masks for health-care workers and patients, sterile gloves, face shields, gowns, sanitisers and ventilators.

Unions representing health workers at the forefront of the fight against Covid-19 have complained about the lack of PPE and have even advised their members to demand it before performing their duties before working in dangerous, unhealthy, unsafe and unconducive work conditions.

Political Bureau

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Covid-19 in SA: Black-owned companies to benefit from making protective items - IOL

The business world may have changed forever because of COVID-19. But how are different sectors reacting and what do leaders think the future will look like?

To answer these searching questions, Business Leader brought together a high-calibre panel of business leaders.

The aim of the debate was to look at how business leaders are responding to the challenges presented by COVID-19.

The panel:

Dr Oliver Prill Tide Bank

Paul Beach Arbuthnot Latham

Asma Bashir Centuro Global

Johnny Palmer SXS Events

Paresh Modi Vodafone

Andrea Reynolds Swoop Funding

Gary Fletcher Gallagher

Jackie Fast entrepreneur and investor

John Stapleton entrepreneur and investor

Pat Lynes Sullivan and Stanley

The first question asked was, How is COVID-19 affecting your business and your clients?

Asma Bashir, who has run various businesses in her career, kicked off the debate by saying: We have several businesses in our portfolio and were able to react very quickly. As soon as the government announced we were going into lockdown, we were able to respond efficiently due to the technology infrastructure we had in place.

In regards to the shift to remote working, there was a high-level of excitement in the first couple of weeks, with working from home being a new experience and people feeling united with their families, but gradually it is starting to wear on people and the excitement has waned.

From an external perspective, the impact on our clients has been varied. For the start-up clients we deal with, they are being challenged by cashflow, their business runway in terms of funding and also how they navigate the various government schemes.

For our larger customers, we have had challenges with their expat population and people being stuck in other countries and weve been trying to support them with crisis management and getting them the advice and support they need.

On how Vodafone is responding, Paresh Modi, comments: We have 100,000 employees across the world and 95% are now working from home.

We have also seen a 50% increase in broadband traffic and, somehow, we have managed to keep the networks going by using our technology to push bandwidth levels at short notices through clarified structures. In our business we are having 40,000 virtual calls happening every day in our employee base. Keeping that up and running was a monumental task.

We have also been quick to support our customers, by shortening our payment terms to give them cashflow and also by setting up affordable business accounts and infrastructure for companies that may not be used to remote working.

Paul Beach has a large client base consisting of entrepreneurs and private businesses. On how they are being impacted, he said: Our private clients have been looking at how the wealth they have created is being impacted by the volatile nature of the global oil and equity markets. Its an uncertain time and naturally this client base is seeking advice and clarity.

For our entrepreneurial clients, it has been interesting to see how they have been innovating and pivoting during this time. For example, we work with a business called Seven Cherries an ethical catering firm who have moved into home deliveries across London.

Another business, Twipes, has also responded by moving their whole business online and into a B2C model, where they can deliver disposable wet wipes to UK households.

One sector that has certainly been impacted by COVID-19 is events. Johnny Palmer has looked to try and find opportunities though, as he has explained: Our industry (events) has been affected more than any other and it does not exist now. This made us look at our priorities which are our clients and employees and for the former we have been looking at how we can host their events virtually and also help them with advice around venue contracts and ticket prices.

In response to COVID-19 we have also developed our own education learning platform called Intelligo, and we have also launched a new online platform to host conferences. As a business, we are reacting where we can.

One of the biggest challenges for many businesses during COVID-19 has been accessing vital funding and navigating new government structures and systems.

To get an insight into the pressures this is putting leaders under, Dr Oliver Prill was asked to give his thoughts on the current funding context.

He said: At Tide, we have 150,000 SME business customers, which is one in 40 of all UK SMEs, so this allows us to see the whole spectrum and it is very tough for them now. The sad story is that the UK governments business response is well intentioned as from a Conservative Government this is unheard-of generosity but the execution has been found wanting, as large parts of the government machine are not working at the level that they are required to work.

This is in part because they have never had to work to this scale, but they too also have high rates of absenteeism which makes things difficult. We are trying to be supportive of government when representing our members but we also need to pick out these execution gaps.

The grants on offer only apply for one fifth of all SMEs because many small firms do not pay rates; and the loans have been an absolute disaster, as only 1% of SMEs have been able to access one.

Many companies are going to go into hibernation unless funding kicks in and investors will only inject funding if they see a light at the end of the tunnel and a coherent plan.

Andrea Reynolds sits on a fintech consortium which is talking to government about the challenges businesses are facing. On this subject, she said: We have seen a 1000% increase in customer demand and we are also seeing lots more mature and traditional businesses looking for funding, which we didnt see before COVID-19.

Businesses heard amazing things from the Chancellor, such as the 330bn fund, and if youre in business you assume it will be available to you, but the navigation has been very difficult. There is a huge disconnect between the announcement and reality and you have a situation where the lenders are inundated with demand and the business is stuck in the middle.

The system should be centralised so businesses can see who they can receive a loan from because now they going to their bank, being rejected, and not seeing the other lenders that are available.

The bandwidth for execution is not there and although government is moving at a faster pace than they ever have in their history, it is just not fast enough for business.

Individual investors, like large funders, are vitally important to the business eco-system and COVID-19 has naturally shaken portfolios.

To find out more, Jackie Fast, explained: I own a wine business and that is dead at the moment, but what you are seeing in this space is that Sommeliers and high-profile people within the drinks industry are building their own personal profiles with events like wine tasting and cocktail masterclasses.

They are building their profiles, rather than thinking only in a commercial sense.

What has surprised me is that in one of my companies a luxury handbag brand business is booming. It must be that people are sitting at home and happy to drop a large amount of money on a handbag, as they are not spending it elsewhere.

John Stapleton, who is also an active investor particularly in the food and drinks sector added this when talking about investor sentiment and how the sector is being impacted.

He said: There are positives and negatives from COVID-19, depending on the industry you operate in, what your route to market is and what stage of growth your business is at. In food and drink you have of course seen many companies diversifying and moving supply online where they can, as this is where there is now an opportunity.

I am also seeing an investment mismatch, where investors think valuations should be coming down given the challenges businesses face but business owners argue that this is just temporary and theyre saying come back to me later in the Summer as Im holding my valuation.

Going forward, I feel there will be a boom in investments once we begin to come out of this as there is pent-up deal flow and where businesses can demonstrate momentum they can attract investors and reasonable valuations.

Generally, the fundamentals of your business need to kick back in. Hold tight, conserve your cash, get in what you are owned and do not spend where you dont need to. Try to return to momentum and focus on making the second half of your year successful by preparing for the new normal. You need to turn uncertainty today into competitive advantage tomorrow.

The debate then moved onto remote working in more detail. To find out how organisations are responding to remote working, we spoke to Gary Fletcher.

He said: Our business is spread over seventy offices and prior to COVID-19, we didnt operate with many of our staff remote working. But we are robust as an organisation and we had a well-tested business continuity plan in place in the event of something like this happening. We did not expect to have to move our entire estate in one go but we did it; and the implementation has been very successful.

We are proud of what we have achieved, as we did not expect to have to do this on such a big scale. For our customers were also proud to be giving them business as usual service and investing throughout this period to support them. They are talking to us about cyber risk, unoccupied premises and other matters and we are working hard to be by their side.

Back to our people, the challenge has not been the move, but its been about how we communicate with them. This is important from a wellbeing perspective and keeping our culture going is our focus now.

Inspiring remote works is all about strong leadership. To find out how COVID-19 is changing the way we think about leadership, Pat Lynes gave his thoughts.

He said: Many businesses are hibernating, cutting costs to the bone and retreating but I think the ones which will come out stronger from this will do the opposite reset, reorganise and reinvent; and this comes down to strong leadership and a clear vision for the future.

This challenge has given us a free pass to assess how we operate as leaders and to rethink how we want our organisations to be. COVID-19 has sped up the future of work as it has ripped off the band-aid for the industrial world of work, moving away from hierarchy and control to a more servant style of leadership, based on trust, collaboration and empowerment.

Most executives and change experts Ive spoken to do not want to go back to death by business case, analysis paralysis and slow decision-making indicative of hierarchical structures. So, Im hoping to see less time and activity-based management to more inspiring leadership with a product and services-based outcome, which is focused on the delivery of value to customers and the bottom line.

The recent World Economic Forum at Davos predicted that the businesses who will thrive in this decade will be those that embrace change as a constant and bring learning back into their organisations.

Pat added: I believe that the leaders who put change at the heart of their agenda and capability will be the organisations that succeed.

The debate then looked at mergers and acquisition activity and whether this will increase going forward, as stronger companies look to acquire weaker ones.

Paul Beach said: I think that could increase in the future but, initially, the concerns are around funding companies and investors. The number of deals has fallen very low in the last few weeks and possibly as low as 2014 numbers.

Some deals are still going ahead though and there is some positivity out there. Investors are taking longer to go through the deals though and there is less money involved and lots of deals are going into follow on deals.

Asma Bashir added: I relate it to 2008 and the recession back then. We were approached to be acquired and, because of the challenging conditions, I considered it, but I stood my ground and we waited it out. Rather than focus on activity in the UK, we pivoted into new markets and became a global business. This decision in 2008 changed the landscape of our business and we became a large company off the back of it.

I would say if you can survive without being bought, Id hang on and look at how you can enter new markets and how you can innovate. If you can get through this, it transforms you as a leader and it can inspire people. Difficult times are the real test that can show your resilience as a leader.

Overall, M&A activity is there but if a company is just looking at this as a way to resolve cash flow, there may be other things they can do to solve this issue.

John Stapleton also said: Being an entrepreneur is all about taking advantage of tough situations. It is not just about being prepared, its about being more prepared than the other guy and thats about developing a competitive advantage.

I remember the 1990 recession well, as we had set up New Convent Garden just before. We were scared at what might happen to our early-stage business, but our sales rose during the economic downturn. In recession, consumer behaviour shows that people trade up and they trade down simultaneously. They trade down from going out, but they eat in much more, so our sales of New Convent Garden Soup rocketed. And they traded up to consumption of premium products in the home consumers dont want to eat staples all of the time. Were undoubtedly heading into a recession following this first Covid wave. Those who understand their consumer base and have an insight to how their behaviour will likely change post Covid, will be ahead of the game of survival come the recession.

The debate concluded by talking about how leaders themselves can stay mentally resilient during this period. When asked how he keeps himself motivated during this time, Johnny Palmer said: The first thing I did was launch a campaign called Boss Take it First. In the early days of this crisis, when people were not behaving well and putting their own shareholders and dividends ahead of their staff, I felt that leaders needed to be practically and visibly taking the first hit. The boss needs to get paid less and the boss net worth needs to get hit first.

This is about strong leadership and a statement to your staff. You also need to work on your mental and physical fitness as a leader, to make sure you can look after everybody else.

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'COVID-19 has ripped off the band-aid for the old way of working' - BLM roundtable brings together leaders to discuss CV19 impact - Business Leader

Services and studies

Asbury United Methodist Church The church has suspended in-person worship and will have an online service each Sunday morning. You may view the weekly video at http://www.asburycolumbus.org/latest-worship

A new Asbury Kids video is available each Wednesday. Follow the link: http://www.asburycolumbus.org/latest-asbury-kids

Look for our Asbury Kids Facebook page for fun and fellowship for kids of all ages! Follow the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/699946243533189/

The church is located at 1751 27th St., Columbus.

Cornerstone Outreach Ministries A nondenominational ministry at 1229 California St., Columbus. Sunday worship services are at 10 a.m.

Bible study is on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

For more information, call 812-375-4502.

Dayspring Church Apostolic Worship begins at 11:15 a.m. at the church, 2127 Doctors Park Drive, Columbus. Every visitor will receive a free gift.

The Sunday Education Session starts at 10 a.m.

Bible Study is Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. and is a group session sponsored by Heart Changers International, LLC on Depression, Perfection and Anger with hand out questions. These help build our Personal Empowerment and walk.

Our Prayer of Power starts at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday and is preceded with requests and instructions on prayer.

Ignite is the Youth Growth Session that happens every third Friday.

For more information, call 812-372-9336, or email dayspringchurch@att.net.

East Columbus United Methodist East Columbus United Methodist Church in-person services and Bible studies are canceled due to the pandemic.

East Columbus United Methodist will only be offering on-line services until further notice.

Fairlawn Presbyterian Weekly worship service on Sundays at 9:30 a.m. via Zoom (links and numbers below or folks can check fairlawnpc.net or visit our Facebook page for login and phone information).

Please use Zoom to call in by phone and/or login online.

Join the Online Zoom Meeting at https://zoom.us/j/431070245 with the Meeting ID of 431 070 245.

Dial in using landline or cell phone: +1 253 215 8782 US; +1 301 715 8592 US; Meeting ID: 431 070 245.

For more information, visit Fairlawns Facebook page or website (fairlawnpc.net), email office@fairlawnpc.net or call 812-372-3882.

All are welcome! Please call or email the church office for most up to date information at 812-372-3882 or office@ fairlawnpc.net

The church is located at 2611 Fairlawn Drive, Columbus.

Faith Lutheran The church has suspended all in-person activities until further notice. Wednesday and Sunday worship services are streaming live on Facebook: Faith Lutheran Church Columbus, as well as times for prayer each day at 9 a.m., 6:30 p.m., and 9 p.m.

More information is at Faithontheweb.org or call 812-342-3587.

The church is located at 6000 W. State Road 46, Columbus.

First Christian Church The church will only be having an online service at 10:30 a.m. on Facebook (www.facebook.com/FCCOC) and at http://www.fccoc.org/sunday/watch-now.

Details at http://www.fccoc.org

First Baptist Columbus will not be holding public worship gatherings at present. The church does offer a live stream worship connection at 9:30 a.m. on Sundays.

First Presbyterian First Presbyterian Church has canceled all in-person gatherings, including worship and committee meetings, and the office is closed until further notice. If you need to be in touch, please call 812-372-3783 and leave a message, and the church will be back in touch with you as soon as possible.

Streaming of worship services is available here https://www.facebook.com/groups/56933406910/ each Sunday, until the church is meeting back in person. Join the church as we worship together through technology!

Please know that we are praying for our church, our community and the world in this time of crisis, and we encourage you to join us in prayer. God bless you.

Information: fpccolumbus.org

First United Methodist Until further notice, First United Methodist Church will continue to live stream worship services instead of congregating in person. On Sunday, May 24, Rev. Howard Boles will deliver the message Where Do We Look For Jesus? The scripture will be Acts 1:1-11.

The service will be live streamed at 10 a.m. on the church Facebook page. Services and sermons will be available on our website as well http://www.fumccolumbus.org

Information: 812-372-2851 or fumccolumbus.org

Flintwood Wesleyan The church is located at 5300 E. 25th St.

In response to the current Covid-19 (coronavirus) situation, Flintwood Wesleyan Church is canceling all midweek services and activities.

Sunday worship services resumed with the implementation of the recommended in-person worship guidelines.

Please remember to check our various communication spaces Facebook, Website, Mobile App for updates. Your Flintwood staff will be doing everything possible to keep our congregation encouraged. We need to do all we can to keep our staff encouraged. Above all pray!

For further information about services or our ministries, please call 812.379.4287 or email flintwoodoffice@gmail.com. Church office hours are Tuesday, Thursday and Friday: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Our website is http://www.flintwood.org.

Garden City Church of Christ Garden City Church of Christ will continue to honor the Indiana stay-at-home order and has suspended all in-person gatherings including Sunday services, Bible studies, youth & childrens activities, and meetings. Please visit our website or Facebook page for updates.

Weekly sermons can be viewed at http://www.garden citychurch.com/media/ listen-to-sermons by 10 a.m. each Sunday. Weekly packets go out to families with grade school age children that include a family devotion, video, and activities. The Youth Group and the College and Career group are meeting via video chat.

In absence of our weekly gatherings, you are encouraged to continue giving your tithes and offerings through the website and the GivePlus app.

Garden City Church of Christ is located at 3245 Jonesville Road, Columbus.

For more information or to get connected, email us at gccc@gardencitychurch.com or call 812-372-1766.

Grace Lutheran Worship is at 9 a.m. and can be livestreamed at http://www.gracecolumbus.org/livestream.

All services will be live streamed but if you miss it, they are all available as recordings at the same location.

The church is located at 3201 Central Ave., Columbus.

North Christian Church Gather with the church for virtual worship! Services are regularly uploaded to our YouTube channel on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. YouTube: North Christian Church Columbus, IN

Find supplemental worship materials and resources at http://www.northchristianchurch.com. Follow them on Facebook for updates.

The staff continues to work remotely. No building access is available at this time. The church will continue to monitor this ever-changing situation, and update their response as appropriate.

Information: 812-372-1531

The church is located at 850 Tipton Lane, Columbus.

Old Union United Church of Christ Scriptures for the 10 a.m. Sunday service with social distancing will include Acts 10:34-43, Colossians 3:1-4, and John 20:1-18. The message will be What Happened in the Garden?

Though the church couldnt this past April, they are celebrating Holy Weeks Easter Sunday.

The church is located at 12703 N. County Road 50W, Edinburgh.

Petersville United Methodist Church The church continues to post Pastor Stormy Scherer-Berrys sermons on Facebook each week; the title for Sunday, May 24 will be Trouble in My Heart.

On separate posts, scriptures will be shared by Joe and Kathy Bush from Psalms 31:5, 15-16, and John 14:1-2, and Teresa Covert will give the childrens message.

In-person services at the church will not be held for a few more weeks.

Information: 812-546-4438; 574-780-2379.

Sandy Hook United Methodist Sandy Hook United Methodist Church has cancelled all public worship services and meetings. Weekly messages are available on our Facebook Page or the Pastor Stephen W. Austin Youtube channel.

The church is located at 1610 Taylor Road, Columbus.

St. Pauls Episcopal Church All in-person activities at the church are suspended until further notice. Sunday Eucharist is being hosted on ZOOM at 10:15 a.m. each Sunday morning.

The First Thursday Ladies Lunch will also be on ZOOM, May 7 at 11:30 a.m. (see website for ZOOM meeting ID).

St. Paul Lutheran In person communion worship services will resume Sunday at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 6045 E. State St., at 8, 9:30 and 11 a.m. following all CDC guidelines for social distancing.

Pastor Doug Baumans message is entitled Celebration of Ascension: Mission Accomplished? based on Luke 24:44-53.

The Spanish Worship service will be at 11 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. High school and college graduates will be recognized.

Christian Education classes will not meet. The Sunday worship services and the children and youth Sunday School lessons will be posted online Saturday morning, May 23 at http://www.stpaulcolumbus.org and at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnNwPk8yYCeX_bAnyMsXEsA

Radio Worship Service every Sunday at 8 a.m. on 1010 AM and 98.1 FM.

Open enrollment for the 2020-2021 pre-school class registrations continues for students who are 3 & 4 years old by Aug. 1. Information: 812-528-0168.

Information: 812-376-6504.

Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbus At this time, the church has postponed in-person gatherings until further notice. Please join the church virtually! Follow the church on Facebook or visit uucci.org for more information.

The church is at 7850 W. Goeller Blvd., Columbus.

Information: 812-342-6230.

Westside Community Until further notice, all in-person and onsite activities, including Sunday worship, are suspended. Please visit http://www.WCCShareJesus.com for recorded sermons, as well as Facebook for daily Points to Ponder by Pastor Dennis Aud.

When able, WCC has plans to host a community-wide garage sale. Be on the lookout for more details in the upcoming weeks. If interested in participating, while you are stuck at home this might be a good time to clean out your basements, closets, garages, etc.

For more information on studies or small groups that meet throughout the week, contact the church office at 812-342-8464.

Events

Eckankar of Southern Indiana All Eckankar events in Indiana are suspended through May 31, 2020. This is to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. This includes the monthly Eckankar Spiritual Discussion held the third Sunday of the month at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation building in Columbus, Indiana.

Check http://www.eck-indiana.org for the latest update on events in Indiana, and you are invited to browse the main Eckankar website for videos and reading material at http://www.Eckankar.org.

North Christian Church The church is temporarily suspending all church activities, effective immediately and for the foreseeable future due to caution concerning the coronavirus outbreak. The offices of the pastor and staff members will be closed as well. The church will reopen as soon as recommended by health officials.

South Central Indiana Christian Mens Fellowship The SCICMF meeting for May 26 will be held via Zoom at 7:15 p.m.

The program will be led by Ryan Croft, Hilltop Christian Camp Director. The theme is Vision 2020 and Beyond and the theme song is Be Thou My Vision.

To join the Zoom Meeting, click https://us04web.zoom.us/j/7565567429?pwd=VVZJMDhxREhwVTBtRnNyTkY1Y0thUT09

Meeting ID: 7565567429; Password: 61984

A second way to join the meeting is by calling in with your phone. You can dial 312-626-6799, then put in Meeting ID 7565567429 followed by # , there is not a participate ID, so simply press # , then, you will be asked to enter the password 061984 followed by #. This should get you into the meeting.

On your computer you may need to first download the zoom program from: zoom.us

Make sure your sound and video are working before joining the meeting.

The rest is here:
Religion news May 23 - The Republic

COVID-19 has had a major impact on our personal and business lives but now, with the easing of restrictions, were starting to look at our lives post-lockdown. You may be running a business or thinking of starting one up and a new podcast released today looks at this topic exactly how to kick start your business after lockdown.

The two women on the podcast are international bestselling author and life coach, Sharon Pearson, and she talks with Sydney publicist now turned empowering businesswoman and mentor, Tory Archbold, in her new Perspectives podcast The Power of Passion.

Both of these inspiring businesswomen believe life and work can become better than ever after our COVID-19 lockdown, with new priorities, connections and goals.

In the podcast, the pair talk about all the topics you want to hear about right now:

Archbold made her name with her own company, Torstar a global PR firm whose A-list clients included Zara, David Jones, Nespresso and Drew Barrymore. These days shes launched her own personal empowerment and mentoring business Powerful Steps.

Like Archbold, Pearson is a trailblazing entrepreneur. In 2004 she founded the award winning The Coaching Institute one of the worlds largest life coaching schools. She coaches international CEOs and students alike, and launched her latest book Ultimate You at New Yorks Barnes and Noble bookstore last year.

Since COVID-19, The Coaching Institute has become a purely online company and is doing record business, while Powerful Steps is expanding and has never been more relevant with its message of advancement and fulfilling dreams. Both of these successful women are thriving in these times, not surviving.

This free podcast, The Power of Passion is out on platforms including YouTube, Spotify and iTunes today. Listen in here or below:

View original post here:
Life Coach Sharon Pearson's New Podcast On Kick Starting Your Business - Women Love Tech

DALLAS--(Antara/BUSINESS WIRE)-- Mary Kay Inc. continues its support of female entrepreneurship, empowerment and thought leadership as a premier sponsor for the 2020 International Women's Forum (IWF) Virtual Cornerstone Conference. Originally scheduled to take place May 13-15, in London, the conference has shifted to a digital format due to the COVID-19 pandemic; much of the same great content and speakers will be broadcast globally in a series of virtual sessions shared weekly at https://www.iwforum.org/.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200519005709/en/

On May 21, Mary Kay will participate in a virtual session entitled A Conversation with TIMES UP UK discussing important issues such as #MeToo and how the ensuing TIMES UP movement has led to re-thinking womens safety on film and television sets, as well as other industries around the world. Carolyn Passey, General Manager of Mary Kay UK and Ireland, will open the session focusing on changes TIMES UP UK is seeking to implement, navigating the line between personal and professional, and aiding those who frequently find themselves vulnerable and exploited while filming.

At Mary Kay, we advocate for womens empowerment and gender equality and we partner with organizations whose mission is to do the same, said Passey. Today, as the COVID-19 crisis is exacerbating women's vulnerabilities and gender inequality1, we know trust and safety are more critical than ever for women to thrive. The workplace should be a safe and dignified place for all of us. How can we ensureand demandthis happens? I look forward to the discussion on the topic with thought leaders from around the world.

Speakers at the session include:

Dame Heather Rabbatts, TIMES UP UK Chair Managing Director of Cove Pictures; Chair of Soho Theatre and non-executive board member for Arts Alliance. Ita OBrien, the UKs leading Intimacy Coordinator and founder of Intimacy on Set, her company through which she has been developing best practices regarding intimacy and nudity in film, television and theatre and through which she trains Intimacy Coordinators all over the world.

Now, more than ever, it is crucial to continue the conversation around safe and equal working conditions for women within the entertainment industry and beyond, said Stephanie OKeefe, CEO of IWF. As the world develops a new way to work in the context of COVID-19, I am hopeful that there will be strategies in place to ensure women can re-enter the physical workplace with confidence they will be safe and treated equally. Mary Kay is a long-time supporter of gender equality, and we are thrilled to continue this fight with them to ensure a more gender-equal world.

A link to watch the event will be available on the IWF website and its YouTube page May 26: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdLPNS7ai1_XHaqgEnhEjtg

1 United Nations Secretary-Generals Policy Brief on The Impact of COVID-19 on Women, April 9, 2020 https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/policy_brief_on_covid_impact_on_women_9_apr_2020_updated.pdf and - Blog article by United Nations Foundation, Blog article from Michelle Milford Morse and Grace Anderson, April 14, 2020 https://unfoundation.org/blog/post/shadow-pandemic-how-covid19-crisis-exacerbating-gender-inequality/

About Mary Kay One of the original glass ceiling breakers, Mary Kay Ash founded her beauty company more than 56 years ago with three goals: develop rewarding opportunities for women, offer irresistible products, and make the world a better place. That dream has blossomed into a multibillion-dollar company with millions of independent sales force members in nearly 40 countries. Mary Kay is dedicated to investing in the science behind beauty and manufacturing cutting-edge skin care, color cosmetics, nutritional supplements and fragrances. Mary Kay is committed to empowering women and their families by partnering with organizations from around the world, focusing on supporting cancer research, protecting survivors from domestic abuse, beautifying our communities, and encouraging children to follow their dreams. Mary Kay Ashs original vision continues to shineone lipstick at a time. Learn more at MaryKay.com.

About International Womens Forum (IWF) and the Leadership Foundation IWF is an invitation-only membership organization of more than 7,000 diverse and accomplished women from 33 nations on six continents. IWF advances womens leadership and champions equality worldwide by connecting accomplished women both globally and locally. Members include Fortune 500 executives, government leaders from the local to sovereign level, international nonprofit leaders, and luminaries from the academy, arts and sciences. For more information, please visit http://www.iwforum.org.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200519005709/en/

Contacts Mary Kay Inc. Corporate Communications marykay.com/newsroom 972.687.5332 or media@mkcorp.com

Source: Mary Kay Inc.

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Mary Kay Inc. continues its support of womens empowerment at the International Womens Forum TIMES UP Virtual Conference - ANTARA

Carolyn Passey, General Manager, Mary Kay United Kingdom & Ireland (Photo: Mary Kay Inc.)

Mary Kay Inc. continues its support of female entrepreneurship, empowerment and thought leadership as a premier sponsor for the 2020 International Women's Forum (IWF) Virtual Cornerstone Conference. Originally scheduled to take place May 13-15, in London, the conference has shifted to a digital format due to the COVID-19 pandemic; much of the same great content and speakers will be broadcast globally in a series of virtual sessions shared weekly at https://www.iwforum.org/.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200519005709/en/

On May 21, Mary Kay will participate in a virtual session entitled A Conversation with TIMES UP UK discussing important issues such as #MeToo and how the ensuing TIMES UP movement has led to re-thinking womens safety on film and television sets, as well as other industries around the world. Carolyn Passey, General Manager of Mary Kay UK and Ireland, will open the session focusing on changes TIMES UP UK is seeking to implement, navigating the line between personal and professional, and aiding those who frequently find themselves vulnerable and exploited while filming.

At Mary Kay, we advocate for womens empowerment and gender equality and we partner with organizations whose mission is to do the same, said Passey. Today, as the COVID-19 crisis is exacerbating women's vulnerabilities and gender inequality, we know trust and safety are more critical than ever for women to thrive. The workplace should be a safe and dignified place for all of us. How can we ensureand demandthis happens? I look forward to the discussion on the topic with thought leaders from around the world.

Speakers at the session include:

Now, more than ever, it is crucial to continue the conversation around safe and equal working conditions for women within the entertainment industry and beyond, said Stephanie OKeefe, CEO of IWF. As the world develops a new way to work in the context of COVID-19, I am hopeful that there will be strategies in place to ensure women can re-enter the physical workplace with confidence they will be safe and treated equally. Mary Kay is a long-time supporter of gender equality, and we are thrilled to continue this fight with them to ensure a more gender-equal world.

A link to watch the event will be available on the IWF website and its YouTube page May 26: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdLPNS7ai1_XHaqgEnhEjtg

United Nations Secretary-Generals Policy Brief on The Impact of COVID-19 on Women, April 9, 2020 https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/policy_brief_on_covid_impact_on_women_9_apr_2020_updated.pdf and - Blog article by United Nations Foundation, Blog article from Michelle Milford Morse and Grace Anderson, April 14, 2020 https://unfoundation.org/blog/post/shadow-pandemic-how-covid19-crisis-exacerbating-gender-inequality/

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Mary Kay Inc. Continues Its Support of Women's Empowerment at the International Women's Forum TIME'S UP Virtual Conference - ITWeb

In 2016, world leaders, United Nations (UN) agencies, and humanitarian agencies came together to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of humanitarian action resulting in 51 commitments known as the Grand Bargain. The global COVID-19 pandemic has already highlighted the gendered impacts of the virus: an exacerbated burden of unpaid care work on women, negative impacts on womens economic empowerment, likely leading to reduced livelihoods and income opportunities, increased gender-based violence (GBV) and protection risks, and interrupted access to sexual and reproductive healthcare. Cash and voucher assistance (CVA) continues to be scaled in humanitarian responses and is an increasingly useful tool at this time of quarantine and social distancing. It is more imperative than ever before to ensure that the commitments made toward mainstreaming gender in cash and voucher responses are front and centre.

We, representatives of donors, UN agencies, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, and international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) comprising the Grand Bargain Cash Workstreams Subgroup on Gender and Cash, call on all Grand Bargain signatories to use all means at their disposal to take the following actions:

Ensure that response analysis for CVA is gendered and disaggregated by age and disability as much as possible: This crisis impacts women, men, girls, and boys differently. CVA response analysis must reflect overlapping and unique needs, priorities, and capacities. In market assessments, actors are urged to assess physical access to markets (e.g. basic goods) and services (e.g. health, labour) using a gendered analysis. Assessment teams should be as gender-balanced at the design, collection, and analysis stages. Community consultations, whether using in-person or remote data collection methods, should include women of various ages and adolescent girls, noting that women may not be the most visible market actor informants. Vulnerabilities may shift over time and pre-crisis assessment data may not adequately capture current post-COVID-19 vulnerabilities; decisions about assistance modality should be made using updated data collection and analysis. Lastly, feasibility of CVA and potential delivery mechanisms should be examined from the perspectives of women and men, taking into account intersecting identity characteristics such as age and ability.

Strengthen partnerships with local actors and womens organisations for gender sensitive CVA: Prioritize partnerships with local and national organisations, including local womens organizations. Reinforce national and local capacities as needed to support well-analysed, appropriate, and timely implementation of a humanitarian CVA response linked with national systems and/or Cash Working Groups.

Systematically undertake GBV risk mitigation analysis for all projects with CVA: GBV is prevalent across humanitarian crises. Many signposts indicate that GBV risks and incidence are on the rise during COVID19 with surges upwards of 25% in some cases. GBV case management and services is limited due to quarantines, mobility restrictions, and social distancing. Therefore, it is imperative to identify GBV risks associated with CVA based on current scenarios and mitigate these risks through protective program design. Updated GBV referral pathway information should be a part of information sharing for agencies implementing CVA.Version 14 May 2020 Design CVA that is gender sensitive based on the challenges and opportunities of the crisis: CVA outcomes should have the different needs and priorities of women, men, girls, and boys in mind. In particular, the gendered needs that CVA can support including food security, health, WASH, protection, nutrition, and shelter (including items like fuel) should influence not only the objectives, but also the design of transfers. Womens needs and priorities, especially those of female-headed households, must be meaningfully considered in the design of CVA (e.g. outcome, transfer value, frequency and duration, and accompanying services). Delivery mechanisms, sensitisation, and complementary services should be designed in a manner accessible to diverse women and men (e.g. the elderly, people with disabilities).

Agencies should ensure that social protection and recovery and development programming with CVA components are gender sensitive, striving for gender-transformative approaches post-crisis. Contribute to gender sensitive CVA in social protection systems: Globally, governments are introducing, adapting, and expanding social protection programmes that use cash transfers in response to COVID-19. Many countries where humanitarian responses to COVID-19 are being planned and implemented have existing or emerging government cash transfer schemes whilst others are rapidly establishing such mechanisms. Wherever possible, coordination to and linkages with these schemes will assist national governments to better respond to the crisis. Lessons learned on how these processes can be more gendersensitive and even gender-transformative are critical to improving the way humanitarian response is delivered.

Combine CVA with other modalities of assistance to enhance the economic resilience of women and men: Unconditional cash transfers allow the greatest flexibility for women to resume economic activities when it is safe for them to do so. However, cash transfers can only do so much. Globally, combinations of in-kind, service delivery through awareness-raising like discussion groups or training and community level activities like community asset-building, savings and lending groups, have been shown to be the most promising for lasting impact. When working to build womens economic resilience, men must be involved in the process as agents of change.

Look for opportunities for womens financial inclusion through CVA: Globally, women are increasingly able to access mobile phones, mobile money, and financial services. However, even in places where there are small digital gaps, many women as well as men still cannot access, have control over, or manage with ease these technologies regularly. The opportunities that e-transfers provide to bridge gaps should be seized and CVA design should support enhanced access. Coordination and collaboration with government service providers on digital messaging is critical to support womens full access to government schemes that address economic impacts of the outbreak. Agencies should look to partner with and build the capacity of informal social networks, such as womens groups, community groups, civil society organisations, and womens rights organisations to contribute to market assessments that feed into livelihoods and income generation opportunities.

Collect sex-, age-, and disability-disaggregated data (SADDD) about CVA in the COVID-19 response: Following best practice, practitioners should systematically collect SADDD across the program cycle, including, but not limited to, Post Distribution Monitoring, other monitoring tools, feedback mechanisms, and evaluation. Agencies should publish gender-focused learnings from this response to highlight and scale promising practices and to better inform CVA response in epidemics and market recovery moving ahead. Confidentiality and protection of personal data should not be neglected during the COVID crisis, particularly as women may face additional risks if they are known to be receiving CVA.

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The importance of acting on grand bargain commitments for a meaningful focus on gender in cash and voucher assistance responses to the Covid-19...

Maria Brink, photo by Amy Harris

Beyond the Boys Club is a monthly column from journalist and radio host Anne Erickson, focusing on women in the heavy music genres, as they offer their perspectives on the music industry and discuss their personal experiences. This months piece features an interview with Maria Brink of In This Moment.

In This Moment reinvent themselves from album to album, so its no surprise that the bands latest record, Mother, has a fresh style and feel. Their previous LP, 2017s Ritual, was a concept album of sorts, centering around the Salem Witch Trials. Mother is a deeply personal and serious album lyrically, with solid rock riffing, experimental electronics, and singer Maria Brinks soulful vocals.

Mother was released in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the band choosing not to postpone the album. In This Moment were also set to promote the new studio effort with a headlining spring outing, but like all other tours, its been put on hold.

While isolating at home, Maria Brink spoke with Heavy Consequence for the latest Beyond the Boys Club column. She discussed the new album, how the pandemic is affecting musicians, what advice she offers young women looking to get into the music world, and more. Read the full interview below.

On how Mother stands apart from previous In This Moment albums

Its a great escape with everything going on right now, and were always trying to experiment. Were definitely an experimental band, and this album has a more mature sound to it. Its a more empowering, serious tone. Sometimes in the past, Ive been campy and have fun with certain plays on things, but this one had a more serious, empowering energy to it.

On why Mother carries a serious tone

I think everything I was going through in life and where I am in my life brought the serious tone. Ive been experiencing some real things and loss and some sad things and some new life, Thats where I was with everything. I was in a serious place. Its always based on your personal experiences.

On why In This Moment favor dramatic, theatrical shows

Theres something really cool about bringing performing arts and a different visual that you dont always see in the active rock and metal world. You see it sometimes, like with Alice Cooper, you see theatrics, but I wanted to bring some performing arts where the visuals youre seeing can evoke emotions, as well as the music. So, even if you were to pause the music but watch the show, what youre visually looking at is still inspiring and evoking those things, and then when you combine them both, you get double that impact.

On covering Queens We Will Rock You with Lzzy Hale and Taylor Momsen

I know Lzzy, and shes so amazing. Ive gotten to tour with her a lot. I was acquaintances with Taylor and got to know her and am now her friend. Theyre both such powerful symbols for empowering women in this scene. Theyre both such queens but really diverse and different from each other, and they both are the strong faces of the community right now. I thought it would be cool for us three to join forces and show people that we were working together, as an empowerment thing. Sometimes you have to join superpowers! (Laughs) It was an honor to work with them. Theyre both so talented and amazing, and thats the only way we could even cover that Queen song. I love Freddie Mercury and Queen. I grew up on them, because my mom loved them so much. I think it was the perfect song with those women coming together. I wouldnt cover that song myself.

On how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the music industry

Its crazy. Were all living in a movie right now. History is being made, and were all just watching it every day and seeing it on television. I live on the outskirts of New York, so were definitely in the thick of it, and its tragic and heartbreaking beyond words, seeing the sacrifices that people like the doctors and nurses and workers are making, Im moved to tears almost every day. People are suffering. The whole world is impacted by it, but definitely the bigger crowd industries sports, musicians, concerts, all performing arts theyre gong to be impacted really hard because of the mass gatherings. But, I think were going to get through it. I think they just have to come up with, even before the vaccination, something that can treat it. As soon as they can come up with something for treatment for this, we can all start going back to normal. Meanwhile, we have to be patient and pray for people and try to not go crazy in our houses!

Everything at this point is so uncertain for anybody. When were told that were allowed to tour and its safe and were not putting anyone at risk, Im praying that all the dates line up, and we can tour and see everybody can be safe together. So, Im praying that happens. In the meantime, people are coming up with innovative ways to stay connected with fans. Im trying to brainstorm some things, because Im a really private person, and I dont do a lot of press. I dont really do live Instagram stuff or things like that, but I might have to push myself out of it to not be so hidden and to make sure Im connecting with everyone. Because, everyone needs to connect through this time.

On how fans can support their favorite artists during the coronavirus crisis

Our crew is our family, and we just released a shirt where all proceeds go to them, and we re trying to do other things. People are going to have to start being innovative, and I dont know what its going to look like, but were probably going to start seeing strange things weve never seen before and have a lot of new realities for how people approach music and connect with fans out there. Im trying to brainstorm ideas, too. Its insane. Its history in the making.

On what female musicians she was drawn to early on in life

A lot of that had to do with the fact my mom was a rocker and flower child and had me at 16, so she took me to all the lawn concerts. Wed not actually be at the concerts, but wed be outside and listen in our cars. So, I grew up on Stevie Nicks and Tina Turner and Joan Jett and Janis Joplin. My mom loved all that, and we went to the concerts, so I really think that was my first inspiring thing that really moved me. Me, as a young girl, being subjected to all that through my mom was my biggest inspiration.

On how the rock and metal world has changed for women since she first started out

Its becoming not abnormal. Its more empowering. Women are also not afraid to be feminine. When I first started out, including myself, it was much more hard-edged in the metal community with women. It was hard and not soft. I would still wear these Alice in Wonderland dresses and had my little feminine ways, but a lot of of the women around me were more hard. But, now youre seeing women in the metal world being not afraid to be a women and being soft and powerful and strong and heavy. They can all co-exist.

On her personal experience as a woman in the hard rock and heavy metal world

For the most part, its been amazing. Its been a powerful and moving experience. I went from a girl to a woman in this scene, so I got to learn so much within myself. Of course, there have been some difficult things as a woman, especially early on, but I think things like that are powerful things that happened to me that I dont regret, because they taught me how to be strong and deal with situations and have control over a crowd. It gave me grit. I have no regrets. No matter who you are, the music scene is a hard scene to break. I think everything has its pros and cons, and when you put your mind to it, no matter who you are or where you come from, you succeed at it. Dont let things hold you back.

On what advice she would give young women looking to go into music

Do what you love, especially if youre passionate about it. If something moves you and you have a dream, do it. Dont let anybody get in your way or tell you what you cant be. Become the impossible. Always push, believe in what you can do and dont let anybody second guess you. Work on your craft. What is it about you that stands out? If I were to line you up with 100 bands, what makes you stand out? Were all rare and have that beautiful, rare thing, so find that and push that through to make you stick out.

Our thanks to Maria Brink for taking the time to speak with us. Pick up In This Moments new album, Mother, here, and support the bands road crew with this special Stay at Home t-shirt.

Editors Note: If youre a fan of our content, consider supporting Consequence of Sound and Heavy Consequence by visiting our newly launched web store and picking upone of our custom face masks. A portion of the proceeds will benefit MusiCares COVID-19 Artist Relief Fund.

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Beyond the Boys Club: Maria Brink of In This Moment - Consequence of Sound

Blending old and new

Rahul V Mathew, a Bengaluru-based artist, has been making digital collages using the paintings of Raja Ravi Varma to send a message about the Covid-19 pandemic.

He juxtaposed the paintings with stock images for the series. He chose six paintings based on how the character would interact with the current environment. Each of them is posted on his Instagram page, and is accompanied by a note that expands on a different theme. Ahalya, for example, has been used by Mathew to drive a point against panic buying. The caption reads, You should prepare for the coronavirus but dont buy more than what you need. He also talks about the importance of taking care of ones mental health, social distancing and maintaining personal hygiene.

The Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology graduate was inspired by a project he had worked on previously Varma Printing Press in Mumbai, using the royal artists work. The idea came to Mathew when he visited Hasta Shilpa Heritage Village in Manipal.

It is not just the fact that Ravi Varmadepicted Indian deities that made Mathew choose his works, but also the fact that he made art accessible to the underprivileged sections. I wanted my art and the message I am trying to send across to be accessible to everyone, he says. However, using the artwork of someone who is already established, he says, comes with its own challenges.

Contemporary artist Rehaman Patel, who hails from Kalaburagi district, created a painting to urge people to stay home.

He was perturbedby the callousness with which many people were violating the lockdown.The only option left, he says, is to lock their feet; a sentiment he portrays in his artwork. Titled The Last Option, the painting shows a pair of slippers that have been locked. The sandals have been arranged in the shape of a V, symbolising victory.

Patel has always used his art as a medium to discuss current socio-cultural topics such as education, women empowerment and unity in diversity.

Srishti Guptaroy is a fashion designer, visual artist and illustrator based out of Bengaluru. The idea of my art has always been to spread joy, she says. Her style is maximal, colourful and intricate.The first Covid-19 related post she made on her Instagram was on March 7. It was just a fun poke on people wearing masks and how its thesocial requirement to be in public, she says.Making art on something that is so all encompassing seemed, to her, like the most natural thing to do. She was later commissioned by Myntra to make 30 illustrations surrounding lockdown, quarantine and Covid-19. I was a little overwhelmed initially. But as I started working on it, I realised that this global predicament we are in can actually create thousands of concepts and artworks, she explains.

Her art is not focused on creating awareness, her aim is to create relatable content that can be shared for a laugh. The light and often sarcastic illustrations depict Zoom interactions, the rise in Instagram Lives and even the comeback of Ludo. She says that art is what is really getting us through in a way. I know that it comes from a certain place ofprivilege, but once basic requirements are met, everyone has turned to some form of art for solace, she concludes.

Seen on every street corner, rangolis are probably the most visible form of everyday art we have. So its no surprise that they have been used to spread awareness.

The idea came from a consortium of 12 child rights organisations. They have been working with young girls who are victims of child marriage and those who might be part of the Devadasi system.

Rangolis seemed to be the best way to involve girls in a community awareness initiative, says Vasudeva Sharma, a child rights activist, who is part of the initiative.

More than 300 girls from places like Bengaluru, Belagavi, Chikkaballapura, Bidar participated in this initiative. The colourful work depicted the virus with slogans asking people to practice safety, showing the importance of handwashing and using sanitisers and promoting the use of masks.

It was not without roadblocks, their work was not paid attention to in the beginning with some families even refusing to allow them to draw in front of their houses. It was the age-old belief that what you draw outside will come inside, says Vasudeva with a laugh. But there were many who not just appreciated but helped the girls in designing and procuring colours. Thisawareness drive is led by two collaborative projects, Initiative for Married Adolescent Girls Empowerment and Getting Out of Devadasi System.

Aakansha Menon is an illustrator and designer who loves illustrating the world around her. She describes her work as minimal and raw. I want to convey a story with as few words as possible, she says.

The artist had never worked from home before the lockdown and the changes that came with it were extremely unusual for her. Art was her way to process it. Everyone else also seemed to be going through the same situation, so for people to relate to my work and find a sense of comfort kept me going, she says.

She has both message-oriented art that deals with the importance of handwashing and social distancing in addition to work that stems from her experiences such as video calls with her mother.

Our only source of contact with each other is through social media, so I find that it becomes more important to connect through it. Sharing positive messages through easily consumable and shareable mediums like art is reassuring to people who are going through a tough time. It tells them that theyre not alone, she explains.

Excerpt from:
Art to create awareness about the pandemic - Deccan Herald

If you really want to feel the anguish of a consumer who has experienced the economic impact of the national lockdown, ask Chumani Sigcau [name changed].

I dont know if Ill even afford petrol for the commute to work when the lockdown is over, she says.

Sigcau is a media practitioner in Johannesburg whose salary has been slashed by 45% because business operations in SA have been halted.

My life has changed drastically, Sigcau says.

Prior to the pandemic, she could afford a middle-class, decent lifestyle and was able to pay off her debt now that is a far-fetched dream.

I could pay for my bills and spoil myself here and there; now I cant. It all goes to bills.

She says with her new salary, she can only afford to pay off some bills. Some debit orders are just left to bounce in her account.

As a result, she had to think on her feet for an alternative to fill the financial gap she is now faced with.

I cant ask a friend or a family member to help me pay my bills, its [financially] rough on everyone, Sigcau says.

She decided to start selling home-cooked meals such as curry mince rotis, panini with beef stir-fry and beef or chicken stew around her complex, as well as for friends and family. While the money she earns this way is still not enough to pay for her rent and vehicle, she is hoping it will be enough to at least help her survive until things get back to normal.

Not alone

She is not the only one who is finding herself cash-strapped during this pandemic. Taxi drivers were without commuters for over a month; now they can only have a limited number of people in their taxis to transport.

Right now my six taxis make about R150 a day, said one taxi driver in Midrand who is a breadwinner with two children.

Read: How can employees get paid during SouthAfricas Covid-19 lockdown?

There are many who have not worked at all during lockdown, and grants and Unemployement Insurance Fund (UIF) payments if one qualifies to receive them only go so far.

One thing thats common among most South Africans is that paying off existing bills will become problematic and its even worse for those who were already struggling prior to the country going into lockdown.

Its going to get worse

Johann van Tonder, economist and researcher of financial wellness at Momentum, says the economic impact of Covid-19 is already being felt and its only going to get worse from here on as the economy drastically loses momentum during the lockdown.

The reality is, household financial wellness is closely connected to economic growth, so [even] a recession takes an unquestionable toll on our financial wellness as well as our financial success. But if we make the right adjustments, we can recover, Van Tonder says.

According to the Momentum/Unisa Household Financial Wellness Index, only 25% of South African households are classified as financially well.

Van Tonder says the pandemic is going to affect consumers through their assets, income, personal empowerment and also how people view their education status.

Assets will be the first to feel the impact, he says. This specifically relates to the value of financial assets invested on the stock exchange and fixed securities as many households scramble to cash out their investments.

He adds that as the spread of the virus slows and is brought under control, the losses will be erased gradually.However, it will take time to bounce back.

Van Tonder says thatas businesses close, households will struggle to earn an income, spend and save.

The full impact of this is yet to make its way through the economy and will only truly be felt within the next three to six months. However, thanks to governments measures and the assistance of companies, the impact will be softer than initially feared.

Move up retirement age

He advises that employers consider moving the retirement age of their employees up by at least a year, to give households the time to recover from the effects of the coming market crash on their retirement investments.

He emphasises the need for households to understand that their long-term goals will be affected by the pandemic.

In these unprecedented and unpredictable times, dont let your anxiety rule your decision making, Van Tonder says.

Now is not the time to be emotional

Carla Oberholzer, debt advisor at DebtSafe, agrees that people need to step away from loaded emotion and know that this pandemic and its financial implications are out of their control.

They should not be so hard on themselves. The burden is already hard enough out there no need to be their own worst supporter.

She advises households to become innovative, creative and proactive when it comes to their finances, financial situation or debt.

Oberholzer says those who are currently receiving their full salary should avoid luxury purchases.

Tuck savings away in your emergency fund for example, a few rands that would have normally been used for fuel or transport . Keep the entire household up to date with the financial situation so that everybody can work together to deal with or play their part during the situation.

She says those who are receiving part of their salary should ensure that they are in regular communication with their employer or human resource department to see if the organisation has applied for the UIF Ters (Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme) benefit.

Read:

Employers angry, frustrated, horrified by Tersprocess

Significant improvement to UIF relief scheme

Payment holidays

Oberholzer says experts may recommend payment holidays for those who are in a crisis and need a short-term solution. However, this requires careful consideration.

Read:

If this is a case for a consumer, I would suggest that they still do their homework well, [asking themselves] What are the terms and conditions?, Will I incur interest in the long run? she says.

Consumers should pay bills where they can and ask creditors if there is another alternative if they are struggling, before opting for a payment holiday.

All options should be explored before consumers try and just jump in to take onpayment holidaysfrom, for example the bank, as the only solution to be considered, Oberholzer says.

Personal finance journalist Maya Fisher-French shares these sentiments.

They are not free and will extend the term of your loan. Rather tighten your belts than extend your debts.

She emphasises the importance of having a Covid-19 budget.

You cant manage your expenses if you dont know what they are. The upside is that with lockdown there are many things we are not spending money on especially non-essentials.

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The impact of Covid-19 on households - Moneyweb.co.za