If you haven’t read our Annual Report yet, what are you waiting for?! If you’re just looking for the highlights, though – here’s our year in review…
The 2021/2022 year was Sweet Life’s 10th anniversary, and the year we grew up as a non-profit. We are seen as a powerful voice for diabetes in SA, and a connector of people and organisations in the South African diabetes space. Here are just a few of the highlights from a very productive year: some of Sweet Life’s non-profit work.
Sweet Life on the international stage
Our co-founder, Bridget, was invited to be a panelist at the WHO Global Diabetes Summit in April 2021, speaking on operationalising meaningful engagement of people living with diabetes. She was also interviewed for an article in The Economist Impact: Enabling telemedicine for people living with diabetes: Focus on South Africa in July 2021. And moderated the International Diabetes Federation webinar on the WHO Diabetes Targets in May 2022.
Healthy Food Guide
We ran numerous diabetes education projects and campaigns in 2021/2022.
Some of the highlights include the revised Healthy Food Guide, updated with feedback from public clinics, behavioural scientist Dr. Brendan Maughan-Brown, and Director of Nutrition at National Dept of Health, Rebone Ntsie.
The revised version is a simple guide to how to eat well with diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol or if you want to lose weight.
After much discussion, we have decided to continue distributing the guide independently, as we are assured it is going directly into the hands of those who request it.
We have distributed over 30,000 print copies nationwide, directly into the hands of dieticians and doctors in public clinics. 100,000 copies were also delivered to underserved schools through Pick n Pay School Club, to be given to children to take home to their families.
Diabetes Journal
Our other big print project for 2022 was the Diabetes Journal – a beautiful book created for those with Type 1 diabetes, and focusing on behaviour change.
All 15,000 copies were snapped up in a month, and we hope to be able to print more of the 2023 version.
South Africans with Diabetes podcast
The South Africans with Diabetes podcast season 2 was really well received – the theme was awkward conversations, and it focused on all the things we should be talking about with diabetes, with some of South Africa’s top diabetes experts.
We also launched the first Wear Blue for Diabetes campaign, to support kids with diabetes at school on World Diabetes Day, by encouraging schools to wear blue for diabetes awareness.
And, of course, we continue to build South Africa’s largest online diabetes community – through daily social media connection, finding expert answers to the questions we’re asked every day, holding Ask Me Anything (AMA) events, masterclasses with experts, and even our first real life event – held in Cape Town for an influential group of Type 1s. This is where our advocacy, education and community work combine.
Sweet Life’s non-profit work is an essential part of who we are, and the role we play in our community.
What to read next?
The Type 1 Diabetes Guidebook – for parents. This practical, helpful guide was written to help parents whose children have just been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, packed with advice from other parents who understand.
Free Healthy Food Guide: how to eat healthy with diabetes or to lose weight. This Healthy Food Guide shows you exactly which foods to choose (and which to avoid), as well as sharing which portions to eat.
Discover more from South Africans with Diabetes
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