As featured on Carte Blanche, CNN, BBC, Sky News, Oprah and even Ellen. The fourth year of the annual RAK campaign kicks off today… and this years theme is ‘Just Be Kind’.
What started as a simple idea to try an better one persons day, has turned into a global event carried out by millions of people. The ‘RAK initiative’ is all about giving back & helping those in need.
It all started on 1 February 2014 when Brent Lindeque, a young South African, turned the reckless drinking game Neknominations on its head – by using his nomination to instead perform a random act of kindness.
By giving a homeless man a R20 meal, and using the power of social media to “pay-it-forward” his nomination went viral and to date has been featured locally on Carte Blanche, Espresso, 5Fm, eNCA, News24, Radio702 and internationally on Mashable, Huffington Post, CNN, BBC, Sky News, Oprah and even Ellen Degeneres to name a few.
Lindeque saw himself becoming a LeadSA Hero, was selected as one of Africa’s most promising Entrepreneurs and also chosen as one of the prestigious Mail & Guardian Top 200 Young South Africans.
More importantly, his small act of kindness spawned hundreds and thousands of similar videos, reaching and physically improving millions of lives and in addition creating 3 dedicated feeding schemes in Canada, the USA and Ireland that are still running to this day.
While the act of being charitable, and doing good, is a natural one for most of us, it is often simply too difficult to fit into our daily work life.
The beauty of the #RAK movement, is its genuine simplicity.
By Changing One Thing we all have the power to Change Everything, and started with a simple, small act that changes your own daily reality, even slightly, is as simple as paying for someones coffee, or parting with a pair of old shoes you never wear.
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The campaign kicks off every year on the 1 February to coincide with international ‘Random Acts of Kindness month’.
And the concept is simple… do something, even if it’s just one thing in the month of February to help someone else. You could even take up the challenge to do one thing everyday. But it really doesn’t matter how much you do, as long as you ‘Just Be Kind’.
Put fruit in your car to give to a homeless person, talk to the petrol pump attendant while your car is being filled up, donate old clothing, visit an animal shelter… the list is endless!
“Forget about the hashtags and the online videos and the social media stuff… this year RAK needs to be about the essence of doing good and thats why we’ve chosen to ‘Just be Kind’.
“Go out there and be kind to one another.”
“See each other for what we are… human. Understand that not everyone is on the same journey, and some people might need a little help, a little love and a little kindness just to make it through the day.”
A website has been created to inspire you and help get you involved in good things!
There is a section with hundreds of ‘acts of kindness’ if you need some help as well as a downloadable RAK card park… where you can do something good & leave the card for others to do the same!
The new website also features a ‘donate your event’ section where you can choose your own charity and then send to all your guests to donate to a worthy cause instead of buying you gifts!
Furthermore, users can post their charity or community events for people to get involved in their RAK’s too!
Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can! You’ll soon find that your one small RAK has the power to change the entire world.
“We need to stay motivated, we need to inspire others. We’re in this together & the only way we’ll get through this is together…”
You can also watch Lindeque’s “Suits & Sneakers” talk below where he takes you through his RAK journey:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oONNuB0pwkM&t=10s
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Great idea