Good News

BULLETIN 20 May 

Good afternoon, here is your Good News:

# Operation Smile South Africa has concluded a successful surgical programme in Mbombela, partnering with the provincial Health Department, MySchool MyVillageMyPlanet, and volunteers. Over 24 surgeries were performed, including dental procedures for adults, all at no cost. One mother, Promise Thembelihle Mathebula, expressed immense gratitude after her son, Mpelo, received life-changing surgery. The programme also provided dental care to 81 children. A dedicated volunteer, Dr. Marius van der Walt, highlighted the joy of transforming lives through compassionate care.

# The University of Pretoria says having establishing a research-dedicated freezer at the institution, they aim to expand the knowledge on how various medications can affect breastfed babies. Yesterday was International Breastmilk Donation Day. The World Health Organization notes that nearly one million infant lives could be saved annually through optimal breastfeeding practices. The university has collaborated with the South African Breastmilk Reserve to highlight significant health benefits of breastmilk, including significantly reducing infant mortality.

# The Mangosuthu University of Technology says what Gift of the Givers has been able to do for students over the years has been unbelievable. The organisation donated dry and canned food and clothes to university students since 2016 when the institution was battered by heavy floods. Last week, it donated food parcels to more than 200 students at the main campus, Black H Warden. The institution’s Mbali Mkhize says Gift of the Givers is driven by a need to help the most vulnerable.

# Tshwane University of Technology is leading a project to introduce special pathways for bicycles in Zanzibar, especially in the Stone Town area. The project is funded by the African Development Bank and is led by the South African Research chairperson in Spatial Transformation and professor in Architecture at TUT, Amira Osman. She says the project is about achieving context-specific solutions to make African cities work. Osman adds it is important to give cyclists legitimacy and dignity by having their pathways and not having to compete for routes with traffic.

# And finally: Today is World Bee Day, to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the threats they face, and their contribution to sustainable development. This year’s theme is Bee Engaged with Youth, highlighting the importance of involving young people in beekeeping and pollinator conservation efforts. The United Nations says the goal is to strengthen measures to protect bees and other pollinators, which would significantly contribute to solving problems related to the global food supply.

Stay tuned for more news………….