Nadia Bhayat

I am so grateful that I get to call you my sister. You are so deeply missed.
Happy Birthday Nerina!

At ACTION IN AUTISM we take the utmost care to make sure we’re giving you the very best information and guidance. Our team of experts provide the latest research and translate complex information into user-friendly courses designed just for you.

We are constantly updating our services to ensure that information we offer is fully aligned with the fast-paced world of understanding Autistic people through a neuro-affirming lens.

Making the pivot to a neuro-affirmative approach can be confusing so the good news is that we’ve done this already to deliver information in the most practical and user-friendly manner. We have been doing this for over 10 years so that we can help, train and support you to do what you do best!

Autism has been framed in a negative light. This is because most of us have labelled people for being different. It is time to DISABLE LABELS!

To address this inaccurate portrayal of Autistic people we need to narrow the gap between assumptions and realities. Our training is built upon the Neurodiversity framework. We must move beyond outdated and stereotypical thinking.

Ultimately, we must celebrate the richness of human variation, recognising that autism is just one aspect of a person’s identity and that everyone deserves respect, dignity, and opportunities for growth and fulfilment.

AIA continues to work towards creating a more supportive and inclusive society that serves all.

A BELATED CHRISTMAS TO ALL !!!

Everything changes & nothing stands still !!!

It’s all about TRANSITION !!! Change is extremely hard for most of us but it is necessary, it’s a mindset. Nothing gets transformed in your life until your mind is transformed !!!

Nadia Bhayat, a Neuro Rehab Specialist & Fathima Fayers, an Occupational Therapist are on air soon !!!

At 21h00 join Nadia & Fathima with our favourite host, Faizel MJ Suleman …the TRANSFORMATION TEAM.

Audio Stream
www.radioalansaar.org.za

This is an interactive show so please WhatsApp your questions & comments to +27 60 904 1056

Poster & Content Credit ~ Nerina Bhayat for Glow Getter Global
www.instagram.com/glow_getter_global

“May we extend ourselves & one another some extra grace through all transition phases.”

The world is forever changing, & you will need to embrace change.

Have you ever wondered why life
transitions suck so much? Why do you often feel lost, confused, angry, unseen or empty. Don't confuse these times of transition as a forever state of being broken. You are breaking away from what is creating space to welcome what will be.

Transitions are hard. Doing things differently are much more difficult than what you were doing before. It takes energy to change, don’t be afraid & try to avoid change because life is not static it’s about transformation & beautiful are those who strive to be the change in the world.

Remember …”Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became butterfly.”

No one can make changes for you but you don’t need to do it alone. Two phenomenal women, Fathima Fayers, an Occupational Therapist & Nadia Bhayat, a Neuro Rehab Therapist join forces to help & provide you with comfort & ease so you can welcome transitions rather then dreading them.

Fathima & Nadia will discuss why it is important to accept change & how to accept change in order to reshape your life. They will spread a message of encouragement, love, support & guidance to children of all ages & adults both ladies & gents.

Fathima, Nadia & host Faizel MJ Suleman will be on air on LETS CHAT on Radio Al Ansaar tomorrow evening, 22nd December 2023 at 21h30 to discuss this topic.

Make a point of joining the TRANSITION TEAM !!!

Audio Stream
www.radioalansaar.org.za

This is an interactive show so please WhatsApp your questions & comments to +27 60 904 1056

Poster & Content Credit ~ Nerina Bhayat for Glow Getter Global
www.instagram.com/glow_getter_global

It’s been awhile since Faizel & Nadia have been together. But they are back on air tonight & will be discussing, THE GIFT OF GIVING, those little treasures, those little gems that transcends materialism, that peace of knowing you have fulfilled your purpose on earth.

We really believe the more you give of yourself, the more you find of yourself.

Truly giving from the heart fills your life with joy & nourishes your soul. Giving provides an intrinsic reward that’s far more valuable than the gift. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “To find yourself, lose yourself in the service of others.”

Giving takes you out of yourself & allows you to expand beyond earthly limitations. True joy lies in the act of giving without an expectation of receiving something in return. Research has shown that you achieve meaning, fulfillment, & happiness in life comes from making others happy, & not from being self-centred.

Mother Teresa is a famous example. She found fulfillment in giving of herself to others. She helped change the expression on dying people’s faces from distress and fear to calmness and serenity. She made their undeniable pain a little easier to bear.

Giving is a superpower, give with all your heart & all your soul, you will be surprised that when you do so, the universe rewards you & blesses you with & more than you can ever imagine.

Listen out tonight to LET’S CHAT show with Faizel MJ Suleman on Radio Al Ansaar at 21h00.?

Audio Stream
www.radioalansaar.org.za

This is an interactive show so please WhatsApp your questions & comments to +27 60 904 1056.

Poster & Content Credit ~ Nerina Bhayat for Glow Getter Global

IT’S THE SEASON TO BE JOLLY

As Director for Action in Autism, Nadia invites everyone to make merry & have a jolly good time at the school’s CHRISTMAS CARNIVAL on the 5th December 2023, when one & all will also celebrate the International Day of those with Disabilities.

Nadia is looking forward to your bright smiles, your festive faces and your incredible support !!!

Mum, Zora & Nadia’s (Class of 1983) sister, Nerina (Class of 1984) shed tears of joy on this day. Nadia was asked to be Guest Speaker at the Speech & Awards Day. Her speech was so inspirational & she had the crowd of 800 + guests mesmerised. She also presented awards & gifted the Matric Class of 2023 with a very special book, Our Joyful Light as Epworth celebrated 125 years, 1898 to present day. Nadia is also featured in the book, we will share this with you in our next post.

Nadia's speech is in the previous post, I'm sure you'd like to read it. It may make you change the way you think, & feel. This is your one precious life, so go on, be bold, be bad, be happy, love & be loved. Carpe Diem !!!

Nadia you are A Woman Of Worth. We love you ♥️♥️♥️

MY SISTER IS A PHENOMENAL WOMAN, A REAL TRAILBLAZER SO NEVER CEASES TO AMAZE US.

It was such a proud moment for my Mum and I to see Nadia on stage on last Friday.

Nadia & I went to Epworth School, a private school in Pietermaritzburg in the apartheid era.

Nadia mentored the class of 2023. She was then elected president of the Epworthians Past Girls, Class of 1983. The cherry on the top was when she was asked to be the Guest Speaker at the Prizing Giving and Speech Day where Epworth celebrated the 125 years and especially the Class of 2023.

This was her speech. She delivered with confidence and was charming.
She really wowed the 800 guests.

NADIA’S SPEECH

Epworth Family !!!

It is my great honour and privilege to celebrate 125 glorious years of Epworth with you !!!

Prepare yourself for this, it may come as a bit of a shock …today as I stand in front of you celebrating this moment with you, let me tell you we will not go back to ‘normal.’ Never was our pre-covid existence ‘normal’ other then we normalised greed, inequality, disconnection, confusion, rage, hate & lack. We will not return to a world where we are shamed, named, teased, seen as unpretty or inferior. The fact is the world differentiated people based on almost anything – beliefs, rituals, colour and values. We labelled one a racist, anothe a supremacist, another atypical and yet another neurodivergent. We can discriminate people in as many sprinkles as there are on a chocolate cake.

The world lost many things that sharing, embracing, and caring could bring, thinking that they were doing the right thing, choosing hypocrisy and not bothering to bolster uniqueness. In all our attempts nobody could put their finger on the simple truth, we had normalised unkindness and forgot the power of love. I remember for many years just wanting to be ‘normal’ and blend into the crowd, being different was difficult and I didn’t want to draw attention to myself. I longed to be truly seen and fully accepted. Now that I think of it, I am guessing that my wants were the wants of all mankind.

We have been given an opportunity to honour our dissimilarities in ourselves and others. To embrace Ubuntu – I am because you are. We have the chance to stitch a new garment, to forge a new reality, to use the tools that Epworth inspired in us – FAITH / COMPASSION & COURAGE. It is an opportunity that fits all of humanity and nature.

My girls you gotta be BAD, you gotta be bold, you gotta be wiser, you gotta hard, you gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger. You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm, you gotta stay together, you got to believe that love will save the day.

My initial memories of walking onto the grounds of Epworth as one of the first girls of colour was awe - awe of this place. To me you all seemed to be so confident and I a shy young girl found her voice too. I saw commitment to values has helped me navigate three continents with guts and with grace. But most of all I saw integrity in action, humbleness and kindness and I realized that Epworth was a very special, giving place. When you walk into Epworth you are handed this precious gift a gift to any girl who is willing to open her mind and heart to it. The class of 2023 you may not think so right now, you maybe wanting to quickly close this chapter so you can chase the next.

There will come times when life weighs you down, when you are having to constantly justify why you should have a seat at the table, then always remember that as an Epworth girl, you are blessed !!! Let me tell you why :

Those values that that the world has lost, are fundamental to Epworth, where the uniqueness of every Epworth girl is nurtured. Epworth girls are not complacent, we rise against injustice we live lives of passion and compassion. We draw deeply on friendships and relationships. The two most important things that we now know we cannot live without. Epworth develops the internal flame that is within us - this is our spirit; this is our soul and our light. It is best to surround ourselves with friends who rejoice when our light shines brightly. When the announcement of my presidency as Epworthian Past GIrls Society was announced I was so warmed by the responses – ‘We are with you every step of the way, we are cheering you on !!!’ This is our tribe that says, ‘WOW, what a beautiful light.’ When we see the brightness in others we in turn get to feed that light, ‘YAY, what a beautiful light !!!’ In this world we must surround ourselves with friends who protect our light. But we also want at all costs to avoid the ‘candle blower outers.’ Those that say things like, ‘Really, I would have done this.’ Remember that your light belongs to you and you want to keep those who hold space for you, close. It’s up to you too to keep that flame burning. At times you will have to be brave and explore darkness. It’s not an easy task, it’s not for the faint hearted. Sometimes we must brave the wilderness to reignite our light - our North Star again. Epworth fuels that light and passes it on to every
Epworth girl, past, present & future.
Now as I am older, I realise that Epworth also prepared us to do hard things, encouraged us to be gentle with ourselves and above all else, taught us to believe that we can do no extraordinary things but ordinary things with great love and light. Epworth gave me many things, an excellent education in beautiful surroundings, memories in abundance but it also wired me for struggle, boarding was the first real struggle for me.

As you journey onwards, you have real work to do. Do your best to connect with yourself, believe me it is a process !!! Get to know yourself & love yourself warts and all. Remember you may be hard wired for struggle but so worthy of love and belonging. If you take nothing else but this from today always keep in mind that nobody is going to come along & fill your cup – that my dear ones, is your job. Sweethearts, you won’t find love, friendship, or happiness if you have don’t develop a deep connection with yourself. So, get to know & really love yourself, date yourself. Live wild, live juicy. Fall in love, treasure your families and practice gratitude. Learn to knit, nap a lot. Drink in sunsets and feel the peace. It’s quite alright if you hit rock bottom because as we all know, the only way is up. Be utterly ridiculous. Find your tribe. It’s very important to have girlfriends. They are your support and the ones to comfort you when your heart is breaking. Know that men maybe complicated but there are many gentlemen out there. People will show you their true colours, let you down and mess you around, when they show you their true colours, honey learn the lesson the first time not 100th time – or you will keep breaking your heart. Know that every hurt can be healed by learning the lesson – As my sister says ‘temper heart and mind’ or you will never be liberated. Denise an Epworthian and my wingman says, ‘Nadia remember that making mistakes is just like paying school fees – you will always learn life lessons’ – this is where all wisdom comes from. It take a long time to find your truth. Marriage and motherhood won’t fill your cup either, your cup must be overflowing before you make serious commitments. Remember most things are an inside out job.

Be vulnerable, tell your story we all have a story to tell. Let me take this opportunity to share some of my story with you. My dad was strict, but he gave me wings to fly. He believed that you seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave. My Mum is the gentlest soul, who was not allowed to finish high school, but she also knew that knowledge was power. She taught us to read before we went to school. She also showed me the joy of play from the tiny sandwiches she made for my tea parties to dancing in the kitchen. She taught me to value myself and told me that my best would always be good enough. I am forever grateful for these solid foundations. I realised that this has held me in good stead and helped me to navigate a very complicated world that seems to have lost so much of its goodness. Epworth helped me learn to use my voice – you maybe girls today but being your authentic self makes you Women of Worth tomorrow !!! The most important lessons are not learnt in a classroom; we had lessons under the trees in summer and in the common room drinking hot chocolate in winter. Looking back, I think of how privileged I was to be surrounded by educators who gave me firm foundations to become a divergent thinker, when most people of colour were being suffocated. One of my greatest challenges came when my dad died and I was forced to step into the unknown. My safety net was gone and it was a sink or swim moment. From walking 5kms to work in the bitterly cold rain in Europe, I made my way to the sandy, ultra conservative desert.

I am not perfect, like everyone I’m flawed. I’m quick to react & respond. I am learning to practice the pause, to take the emotion out of it before responding. I am quick to assist others, being solution orientated – don’t help others without their permission. Sometimes we want to fix things that they don’t consider broken. Maya Angelou said it best, ‘People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but peopl will never forget how you made them feel.’ Asking for help doesn’t come easily for me but I’m learning that asking isn’t a weakness, the worst that could happen is that they say no. Forget about being judged or ridiculed, lives are messy, the puzzle pieces don’t fit together and you are under no obligation to make sense to anyone. The world is super imperfect, we need to stop finding the need to put people in boxes and to compartmentalise everything. Do yourself a favour, don’t strive for perfection you will only let yourself down. Be grateful for your time here. Epworth prepares us to walk through flames & face our fears. There will always be people who dislike you, just say God bless them still & walk away. Not everything is your business. There will be people who hold a different version of you, accept that. Forgive quickly & starting today to understand that people are just doing their best from their level of awareness.

Just the other day I heard a quote: ‘The past was about muscle, today it is about brain and knowledge, but the future will be all about heart’ – the activators & accelerators, the change makers and challenge takers; those who boldly create at the forefront and define the future. As much as Epworth has given us IQ, it perhaps unknowingly prepared us for the future by giving us EQ - Emotional Intelligence. Hearts that are wide open, compassionate, empathic and most of all the ability to light up any room. In life to whom much is given, much is required. My mantra for all time is : ‘I would love my life to be an affirmation of love & and compassion and where it isn’t that’s where my work lies !!!’

This is a defining moment for me, standing up here to is such an honour, who would have thought. As your time at Epworth is coming to an end and you may not have things figured out …by trying to decide what your purpose and your passion is …start with serving others and this will lead you to your passion. We all grapple for years with those two seemingly simple questions, ‘What is my passion and what is my purpose ???’ I’d like to share this you, something that took me 50 years to learn …when we do what we love that’s a passion, when our passion serves others that’s purpose.

Thank you, Epworth, for feeding my light. My friends it is indeed a momentous milestone - 125 years !!! So, rejoice, be joyous, go out there and colour the world wonderful.