WATCH: Make some noise for those out there

Have you been hearing pots beating, cars hooting, vuvuzelas blowing and hands clapping at night during the national lockdown?

Glen Marais couple Nicole and Douglas Gillan have created a Facebook group, #clapforessentialserviceproviders to thank those working during the lockdown. Fellow Kemptonian Kieran Young was a co-creator.

The time to do this is at 8pm every evening so join in.

For Nicole Douglas, the idea came from UK and India-inspired projects that have started this thanksgiving practice.

“We work in the payment industry and are also part of essential services, although we are able to work from home. Kieran is one of our colleagues.”

Nicole’s son is an emergency first responder for Gaumed. She knows what it’s like to worry about having a loved one out there while they are relatively safe at home.

“Kieran has helped a lot as he’s younger and a bit more tech-savvy than I am.”

In her suburb, Nicole hears a lot of noise at 8pm. “We hear pots, whistles, drums, vuvuzelas, and one of the boys down the road even plays his electric guitar.”

She was asked whether she believed the clapping would continue after the lockdown.

“Our idea is to change the direction of the group to make it a community social responsibility group. We are brainstorming about ideas at the moment,” said Nicole.

The group is reaching people all over the country, as well as people in other countries.

“We have people from the food industry, logistics, doctors, nurses and first responders. We would love to be able to get in our cars and take them for a hot meal or some coffee every day, but we can’t do that. We just want them to know that we are thinking of them and how much we appreciate what they do and the sacrifices they make.”

Since its creation on March 26, the group has grown to nearly 7 500 members in just one week.

So tonight around 8pm, do grab pans, pots, drums, spoons, empty cans or even your hands.

#clapforessentialserviceproviders.