Good News

BULLETIN 3 February 

Good afternoon, here is your Good News:

# South African flautist, composer, and producer, Wouter Kellerman, has won a Grammy Award in the Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album category. This is for his album Triveni, a meditative and spiritual collaboration with Japanese cellist Eru Matsumoto and Indian vocalist Chandrika Tandon. Kellerman is the only South African solo artist ever to have received five Grammy nominations. In his acceptance speech, Kellerman, who now has won three Grammys, says winning is amazing:

# Stellenbosch University’s Rare Disease Genomics Research Group is hosting an online charity art auction featuring original works by artist Cumine van Tonder to raise funds for rare disease patients. The auction aims to support treatment, testing, and care. Van Tonder’s A1 canvas prints explore the intersection of anatomy and nature, with proceeds directly benefiting genetic testing and diagnostic services. The auction ends on 15 February, coinciding with Rare Disease Month. A concert will also be held at the Endler Hall on that same day.

# The University of Limpopo has reached another transformative milestone with the launch of its state-of-the-art Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Centre laboratory. The lab is equipped with cutting-edge facilities focused on drone technology, mobile device repair, and other STEM-related activities. The university says the facility will provide both practical training and entrepreneurial pathways, to support the next generation of innovators and leaders. It adds that the lab marks a significant step towards bridging South Africa’s digital divide.

# A versatile dance studio and non-profit organisation in Mamelodi, Gauteng, Tha Kuad Dance Studio, is focused on the development of dance, building a dance academy for the community, and training dancers for the profession. The studio offers teaching from contemporary to jazz and amapiano dances for free. Co-founder, choreographer and dancer Ntsatsaile Mapheto says the studio is all about sharing talent, learning from each other, but most importantly, keeping Mamelodi’s children away from the streets, crime and drugs.

# And finally: A six-year-old Yorkshire Terrier named Mia has made a successful recovery after receiving a tracheal stent at the University of Pretoria’s Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital. Mia had been suffering from a severe case of tracheal collapse, which occurs when the trachea becomes flattened, obstructing airflow and leading to symptoms like coughing, cyanosis, and faint. Under general anaesthesia, Mia’s trachea was carefully measured using X-rays. The appropriate stent size was ordered from the USA, as these specialised devices are not kept on hand at UP due to their cost and infrequent use.

Stay tuned for more news………….