Good News

BULLETIN 23 July 2 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Good News:

# The Eastern Cape Health Department, through the Frere Hospital in East London, is collaborating with the Smile Foundation to provide life-changing procedures for children with facial abnormalities and burn injuries. This is part of Smile Week. Fifteen children have been booked for corrective procedures. The department’s spokesperson, Siyanda Manana, says the procedures include cleft lip and palate surgeries, and specialised burn treatments, aimed to restore not only physical appearance but also confidence and well-being:

# Project Flamingo successfully completed 39 breast cancer surgeries in a single day across five Eastern and Western Cape public hospitals. The initiative, powered by volunteer medical teams, tackled surgery backlogs at Groote Schuur, Tygerberg, George Regional, Livingstone, and Cecilia Makiwane hospitals. This milestone marks over one-thousand-800 surgeries performed by the non-profit organisation. The effort also launched the Make Room for Her campaign, highlighting the urgent need for equitable women’s healthcare and ongoing donor support.

# Two students from the Witwatersrand University participated in this year’s conference on student Student Engagement and Youth Leadership Conference in Vilnius, Lithuania. More than 40 student community builders from various parts of the world attended. A third-year Psychology and Ethnology student, Ntlahla Sikwana, showcased her literacy-focused project, Hand in Hand for Hope. A third-year Law student, Tessa Tshuma, showcased the Jan Hofmeyer Community Services Project, which uplifts disadvantaged communities.

# University of Fort Hare Master of Fine Arts graduand, Avuzwa Noko, was recently appointed as an Associate Art Auctioneer with Park West Gallery. This is the world’s largest art dealer, which is based in Michigan, US. Park West is known for operating galleries aboard luxury cruise ships, and has brought the experience of collecting fine art to more than three-million customers. Noko made a name for himself earlier this year when his solo exhibition was displayed at the Ann Bryant Gallery in East London.

# And finally, the wildly popular Pokemon franchise will open its first permanent theme park in the Japanese capital of Tokyo in the spring of 2026. The announcement was made by a subsidiary of Japanese gaming giant Nintendo, Pokemon Company. Japan has welcomed a record influx of visitors in recent months, boosting demand for tourist attractions, including a “Making of Harry Potter” film-studio park that opened in Tokyo in 2023. Named “PokePark Kanto,” the new 2.6-hectare area will be located within the city’s largest amusement park, Yomiuri Land.

Stay tuned for more news………….