Sometimes giving something ‘one last shot’ is the best shot you end up taking. For Bin to Beauty a wildcard of kindness, deciding it ain’t over ‘till it’s over’ and determination have all turned things around for the small upcycling business, and we couldn’t be more thrilled!

Johannesburg, South Africa (11 October 2024) — Ever felt down on your luck? Like you’ve got this great idea but just seem to be in the wrong place for it to really take off? Considered that your business might end up less of a dream and more of a memory? Kudakwashe Chigariro knows the feeling. In fact, just a few short months ago, she and her small upcycling business, Bin to Beauty, faced all of the above.

Things weren’t looking good for Kuda’s dream. In fact, at the end of July, she had to tell her team that it was time to close shop for good after 5 years of hard work.

It was a heartbreaking moment. Bin to Beauty was the bread and butter for the women part of the team. Together, they were all dedicated to upcycling recyclable materials into fabulous new products like purses, backpacks and accessories. It helped them help the environment and put food on the table. But at the time, it seemed like a breakthrough for the business was becoming impossible, and the business could no longer afford to keep going.

‘But upcycling is all the rage!’ You might protest. While it might be true that sustainable fashion (of which upcycling is a big part) has taken the world by storm, it’s also important to consider that when your resources are limited, so too can be your reach.

Despite coming to terms with the end of Bin to Beauty, life had other plans for Kuda and her team.

Dana Druion from the Rosebank Sunday Market learned of Kuda’s story and immediately knew she needed to get involved.

Dana gave Kuda her ‘last shot’ by offering her a free stall at one of Joburg’s top markets. Beyond this, Dana went above and beyond in trying to connect businesses that produce wrapper waste to Kuda.

When Good Things Guy shared the news of the relaunch, we were all at the edge of our seats.

As Kuda told us at the time, “We are just praying that we have been in the wrong place and praying that we are going to the right place.”

A few months later and the verdict was in: the tables had turned!

“We have been in the wrong place,” Kuda informed us. Those words alone were enough to make our team’s hearts sing.

Kuda added that her client base has expanded to other parts of South Africa thanks to people who learnt about her business through Good Things Guy, and further, that getting to operate at the market is “like a dream”.

While the journey continues for the little business that could, several lessons shine through for all of us: don’t count yourself out until the curtains have truly closed. Be ready to take help when it is given, and if you’re given a ‘last shot’, make it the best damn shot of them all.

Life can certainly feel like being inside a bin at time, but it can also very quickly turn to a thing of beauty.

You can support Bin to Beauty here, or at the Rosebank Market.

Sources: Email Submission

Don’t ever miss the Good Things. Download the Good Things Guy App now on Apple or Google. 

Do you have something to add to this story? Please share it in the comments or follow GoodThingsGuy on Facebook & Twitter to keep up to date with good news as it happens, or share your good news with us by clicking here or click the link below to listen to the Good Things Guy Podcast with Brent Lindeque – South Africa’s very own Good Things Guy. He’s on a mission to change what the world pays attention to, and he truly believes there’s good news around us. In the Good Things Guy podcast, you’ll meet these everyday heroes & hear their incredible stories:

Or watch an episode of Good Things TV below, a show created to offer South Africans balance in a world with what feels like constant bad news. We’re here to remind you that there are still so many good things happening in South Africa & we’ll leave you feeling a little more proudly South African.

The post Bin to Beauty: From Down and Out to Blossoming Business appeared first on Good Things Guy.

In just two days, South Africans raised essential funds for wheelchair rugby player Musa to get a new wheelchair! A campaign started by his coach Ilan, who feared Musa’s chair would fall apart any day now, the effort has been nothing short of a whirlwind success:

Johannesburg, South Africa (11 October 2024) — A young man named Musa can usually be found beaming with an infectious smile. A rugby lover, enthusiastic character and dedicated teammate, it’s almost easy to forget that Musa’s life has been fledged with difficulty.

Musa is wheelchair-bound due to polio. An orphan who has never been to school, he also does not know the joy of reading or writing. Finding work, too, is a struggle for him, on top of all the day-to-day difficulties that come with a world on wheels. But his happiness comes from the same place it does for many South Africans—rugby.

Musa is a member of a wheelchair rugby team in Mandeville, where he plays under the dedicated guidance of coach Ilan Guest.

Susan Schaum, who put the story on Good Things Guy’s radar, said that Ilan has been coaching the team for many years. Ilan also understands Musa’s plight in a personal way due to his own brother being wheelchair-bound.

“He is a selfless and generous individual,” Susan tells Good Things Guy.

Ilan explains that despite all of Musa’s challenges, he still pushes the 10km round trip on busy roads to get to practice every week. Missing practice is a rare thing for Musa, even with a wheelchair that is on its last wheels.

Musa’s wheelchair was broken. As Ilan explained, “The frame is cracked. No welding can salvage it. At some stage it will collapse with him in it, heaven forbid on a busy road and far from help.”

Inspired by Musa and determined to lighten his load, Ilan initiated a crowdfunding campaign to help get Musa ‘the best chair he has ever had’.

And, in a remarkable turn for Musa, this crowdfunding campaign was met with overwhelming support. In just two days, Musa’s campaign was fully funded by people all over South Africa, many of whom shared love, support and words of encouragement.

But the momentum didn’t stop there. Musa’s campaign kept going, to the point where in 3 days, it has surpassed its target at a current total of R42,150 (the original goal was R30,000).

This means that Musa will now have extra funds that will be aimed at adult-based learning and other essentials like shoes, a backpack, axles and tyres.

The way South Africa came together for Musa is nothing short of remarkable and goes down as a feat akin to any Springbok victory in our books!

Sources: Email Submission; BackaBuddy

Don’t ever miss the Good Things. Download the Good Things Guy App now on Apple or Google. 

Do you have something to add to this story? Please share it in the comments or follow GoodThingsGuy on Facebook & Twitter to keep up to date with good news as it happens, or share your good news with us by clicking here or click the link below to listen to the Good Things Guy Podcast with Brent Lindeque – South Africa’s very own Good Things Guy. He’s on a mission to change what the world pays attention to, and he truly believes there’s good news around us. In the Good Things Guy podcast, you’ll meet these everyday heroes & hear their incredible stories:

Or watch an episode of Good Things TV below, a show created to offer South Africans balance in a world with what feels like constant bad news. We’re here to remind you that there are still so many good things happening in South Africa & we’ll leave you feeling a little more proudly South African.

The post South Africa Unites for Musa’s New Wheelchair; Success in Just 2 Days! appeared first on Good Things Guy.

Cape Town hero Brandon Janeka selflessly braved rough seas along the Table View coastline to save a woman from drowning as well as a man who had attempted to help her.

Table View, South Africa (09 October 2024) — Brandon Janeka has been hailed a Cape Town hero after he selflessly saved both a woman from drowning as well as the man who had attempted to help her before ending up needing help himself.

The heroic events occurred this past Saturday when Heideveld local Brandon and his family decided to enjoy a beach day along with the rest of Cape Town.

They headed off to the Table View coastline’s Blouberg Beach. But as Brandon recalls in an interview with EWN’s Lester Kietwit, the beach’s conditions seemed ‘weird’, making mention of the clashing waves as well as the strong pull of the tide.

Brandon noticed that a woman had been floating for quite some time in the sea. Most thought she was simply enjoying the water by means of floating, but when bigger waves came and the woman didn’t react, Brandon knew something was wrong.

An unnamed beachgoer and Brandon decided to do something about it. However, when Brandon’s sidekick lost grip of the pink rescue buoy (something Brandon rightly believes deserves its own praise), he ended up in trouble himself as he had continued swimming to the woman without it; exhausting himself in the process.

Brandon stepped up with a splash and braved the tugging waters and strong currents to get the rescue buoy to the man in the water. But, because the man was so tired from treading water, he needed more help.

Brandon ended up pulling the two through the water despite the fear he had for his own life in the process due to the powerful sea pulling him down.

Nonetheless, he managed to pull them both close enough to get out, at which point the people on the beach helped see the rescue through.

“The City commends Brandon for his bravery in selflessly swimming into rough seas to rescue a woman from drowning. The community of Heideveld and all Capetonians can be extremely proud of this young man who risked his own life to save another,” praised Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.

The mayor also thanked the other beachgoers who played a big role in helping with Brandon’s rescue.

“It is incredible that these ordinary beachgoers staged this heroic rescue without thinking twice, and saved a life in the process.”

Sources: City of Cape Town; EWN; Greater Table View Action Forum 

Don’t ever miss the Good Things. Download the Good Things Guy App now on Apple or Google. 

Do you have something to add to this story? Please share it in the comments or follow GoodThingsGuy on Facebook & Twitter to keep up to date with good news as it happens, or share your good news with us by clicking here or click the link below to listen to the Good Things Guy Podcast with Brent Lindeque – South Africa’s very own Good Things Guy. He’s on a mission to change what the world pays attention to, and he truly believes there’s good news around us. In the Good Things Guy podcast, you’ll meet these everyday heroes & hear their incredible stories:

Or watch an episode of Good Things TV below, a show created to offer South Africans balance in a world with what feels like constant bad news. We’re here to remind you that there are still so many good things happening in South Africa & we’ll leave you feeling a little more proudly South African.

The post Cape Town Hero Selflessly Saves Two People From Serious Sea Trouble appeared first on Good Things Guy.

Holy Rosary School for Girls began the year with a successful ‘phone-free’ campaign to combat digital addiction. Keeping the momentum going, they followed this challenge with another time-warping mission: giving their students old-school phones to live like it’s 1999!

Johannesburg, South Africa (09 October 2024) — It’s hardly surprising anymore to see a tiny tot—barely capable of stringing together a coherent sentence—glued to a smartphone or iPad. It’s a reflection of the world we live in today, one filled with relentless and seemingly unapologetic digital addictions. From toddlers to school students and many, many adults, digital addiction is both the most obvious addiction and the most overlooked. But is anyone doing anything about it? And what can actually be done?

Digital Detox Challenge

Holy Rosary School for Girls has been on a mission in 2024 to combat digital addiction in a hands-on fashion. Beginning the year with their successful ‘Phone-Free 40 Days Campaign’, the school knew that even if the results from that effort were positive (and they were), they needed to keep the momentum going.

In another bold move to combat digital addiction, delay smartphone ownership and build healthier mental health habits, the school decided on another challenge—80-Days: Phone like its 1999 Smartphone-Free Challenge!

Phone Like It’s 1999

Beginning in May, primary and high school students, as well as staff members, surrendered their smartphones to the school. In exchange, they received ‘feature phones’ (AKA, old school phones) to take them back in time to the 90s, when cell phones were primarily used for, well, phone calls!

Because the devices have limited functionality (calls, SMSes and maybe a few extremely basic games), they directly combat accessing social media—the biggest fueler of digital addiction. At the same time, they still allow for communication with parents and family members.

The challenge was driven by Principal Natalie Meerholz, who shared that the second challenge yielded positive results. 

“We are exceptionally proud of everyone who took part in our second challenge. Some of our girls have completed both challenges and been without their phones for 120 days, which is really impressive, proving it’s possible to break free from the digital trap. We were exceptionally excited that despite major fear of missing out and plenty of peer pressure, eight of our participants were in matric.”

Nearly 89% of participants completed the challenge in full.

The Positives

Both challenges have been part of a bigger mission for the school, which is dubbed The Smart Age for Smartphone initiative.

Principal Meerholz also participated in the challenge. “Navigating my own digital detox journey as an adult has proven challenging but I feel more focused, less distracted, and have tried out a range of new activities.”

For the kids, the benefits were similar. Some reported much better sleep, feeling less distracted and feeling more present.

A big win for everyone who participated was the sensation of feeling as though they had more free time. This helped prop up the other legs of the challenge, which included community service. Several fundraising events were integrated into the challenge, including a massive crocheting charity event that drew over 6,000 attendees and raised R60,000 to contribute to paediatric cardiac surgery.

Becoming a Movement

Other educational institutions have also started drawing inspiration from the initiatives in a bid to seek guidance on implementing similar campaigns of their own.

“Our ‘Phone-Free 40 Days’ and ’80 Days: Phone Like It’s 1999’ challenges are more than just school initiatives—they’re catalysts for a broader movement,” Principal Meerholz says.

Principal Meerholz deems it “a collective awakening,” adding that the link to the deteriorating mental and physical well-being of today’s young people has become irrefutable.

“By encouraging our pupils to disconnect from their devices and engage with the world around them, we’re nurturing the growth of capable, confident and happy adults.”

Sources: Email Submission

Don’t ever miss the Good Things. Download the Good Things Guy App now on Apple or Google. 

Do you have something to add to this story? Please share it in the comments or follow GoodThingsGuy on Facebook & Twitter to keep up to date with good news as it happens, or share your good news with us by clicking here or click the link below to listen to the Good Things Guy Podcast with Brent Lindeque – South Africa’s very own Good Things Guy. He’s on a mission to change what the world pays attention to, and he truly believes there’s good news around us. In the Good Things Guy podcast, you’ll meet these everyday heroes & hear their incredible stories:

Or watch an episode of Good Things TV below, a show created to offer South Africans balance in a world with what feels like constant bad news. We’re here to remind you that there are still so many good things happening in South Africa & we’ll leave you feeling a little more proudly South African.

The post School Travels Back in Time to Combat Digital Addiction!  appeared first on Good Things Guy.

Once a park people were cautioned about visiting, today The Wilds enjoys a gorgeous reputation; blossoming with community spirit, creativity and hope for Johannesburg. But how did this massive change happen? Well, it all started when James Delaney’s dog Pablo needed to go for a walk:

Johannesburg, South Africa (08 October 2024) — If you visited The Wilds today, it would take some mental gymnastics to fathom that there was once a time when the well-loved park, now brimming with life and community, was actually a neglected space.

It’s hard to consider that over a decade ago, this was a place people would look at you sideways for visiting. In fact, they’d urge you to reconsider. But, if one man hadn’t ignored all the cautionary glares and ventured into the then ‘no-go’ green, The Wilds as we know it today wouldn’t exist. That man is James Delaney.

In a recent Tedx Talk, James shared the story of how he found The Wilds and turned it into the place we know and love today.

It’s a story about taking matters into your own hands. Challenging a narrative through creativity. And uniting a community through the simple idea that things get better when you decide they should.

Pablo the Dog Needs a Walk

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by The Wilds Nature Reserve (@thewilds.jozi)

James had moved into an apartment that just so happened to overlook The Wilds. While it sounds ideal now, it certainly wasn’t back then.

“I thought, ‘This is crazy. I live next to this big green space and I can’t go there’,” James recalls.

Down but not out, James decided to go exploring anyway. After all, he had a dog (Pablo) to walk!

What he ended up finding in this sworn-off place was something of a wonderland in the rough. A place that just needed someone to care about it. Luckily for The Wilds, James was just the person for that.

A lover of plants, James started taking small steps to manicure the vast space. Some trimming here, some fixing up there. Soon, these actions grew into bigger ones as each weekend passed. If James was lucky, people would brave The Wilds and join him. Soon, a hopeful new chapter for the park began.

Art Starts to Offer Hope

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by The Wilds Nature Reserve (@thewilds.jozi)

James explains that the more work this small group did, the more it seemed there was to do. And before long, it became clear that they needed more hands on deck.

After adopting the space from City Parks, James realised that to get more people to fall in love with the Wilds like he had, he had to shift their perspectives on its poor reputation.

Using his creative talents, he came up with an idea to make the space more inviting with unique art installations. Fittingly, the first of these installations were 67 colourful owls for Mandela Day.

“I realised art can play a strong role in reimagining public space,” he says, remembering how for the first time he saw the car park full with those curious to see Owl Forest.

But there was a problem. People were coming for the art and not necessarily staying to explore the rest of the wilds. It was then that James realised he could use his creations to act as breadcrumbs—leading people down the rabbit hole of all the Wilds had to offer with more animal sculpture installations.

Help Needed, Please!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by The Wilds Nature Reserve (@thewilds.jozi)

Now that word of The Wilds not being a fearsome space was starting to spread, a lot more good work lay ahead of James and those helping him transform it.

It was time to start a Facebook page to recruit volunteers—something James didn’t have much faith in people joining at the time. However, to his surprise, the page began to blossom with thousands of people—each with something unique to offer to the growth of the park.

James credits the volunteers as a huge turning point in The Wilds’ story. What some lacked in ideas, they made up for in labour. What some lacked in labour, they made up for in ideas. It had started to become clear, as James puts it, that people had started to see the Wild not as someone else’s park or the City’s but as their own.

Sometimes Change Requires a Little Rebellion

In a kickass moment for the rebirth of The Wilds, James and a team of builders risked getting arrested for building a universal access path that had gotten the red light. Despite a face-off with police, the team pursued the idea that would help a myriad of more people enjoy the park and continued building the middle of the night.

This would play a massive role not only in the park’s accessibility but in doing what was best for the community, even if it was at great risk.

Little by Little

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by The Wilds Nature Reserve (@thewilds.jozi)

In between then and now, there have been countless moments of improvement. From restored pathways to indigenous plants flourishing once more and, most importantly, people trusting the space—all of it has taken little action by little action to burgeon impressive change.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by The Wilds Nature Reserve (@thewilds.jozi)

One of Joburg’s Best-Loved Parks

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by The Wilds Nature Reserve (@thewilds.jozi)

After learning about this story, it becomes evident that this isn’t so much a story about a park that got a makeover and called it a day. It’s actually a story about people who chose to believe in something beyond themselves and perhaps found themselves in that process.

All these years later The Wilds is one of Joburg’s top-visited parks. You’ll find it on a host of ‘What to Do in Joburg Guides’ and in a plethora of natural spaces to visit in Gauteng listicles. You’ll be recommended to go there on dates, with your kids or even by yourself for a breath of fresh air in the bustling city.

It’s described as breathtaking, peaceful, soothing, and every other adjective you’d associate with a marvellous outdoor space in all the places it was once described as fearsome. And, all because someone decided to care and then got other people to care too.

A Challenge

To this day, James still spends considerable amounts of time in The Wilds.

“It’s this wonderful space which gives me great hope and great joy,” he says before offering us all a challenge.

I challenge each of you to go into your city, our city. Find a neglected space. And give it your energy and your time and your love. You won’t just transform a space and give community interaction and hope. It will bring you benefits that you never imagined.”

You can watch James’ full talk here:

Sources: TEDxJohannesburgSalon/YouTube 

Don’t ever miss the Good Things. Download the Good Things Guy App now on Apple or Google. 

Do you have something to add to this story? Please share it in the comments or follow GoodThingsGuy on Facebook & Twitter to keep up to date with good news as it happens, or share your good news with us by clicking here or click the link below to listen to the Good Things Guy Podcast with Brent Lindeque – South Africa’s very own Good Things Guy. He’s on a mission to change what the world pays attention to, and he truly believes there’s good news around us. In the Good Things Guy podcast, you’ll meet these everyday heroes & hear their incredible stories:

Or watch an episode of Good Things TV below, a show created to offer South Africans balance in a world with what feels like constant bad news. We’re here to remind you that there are still so many good things happening in South Africa & we’ll leave you feeling a little more proudly South African.

The post Into The Wilds: From a Forgotten Space to Top Joburg Park appeared first on Good Things Guy.

Angela Yeung is at her mountain expeditions once again, this time with Ama Dablam on her radar in a height-defying effort to raise awareness on gender-based violence femicide:

Koshi Province, Nepal (02 October 2024) — Angela Yeung, the legend who made history as the first South African to climb Mount Manaslu at a striking height of 8,163 metres and founder of the Impilo Collection Foundation, is preparing herself for another test of altitudes and endurance with the South African flag on her back—climbing Ama Dablam.

Situated in the eastern Himalayan range of Koshi Province in Nepal, Angela’s climb is set to be another one for the books. But, it’ll also be a climb in which she carries the spirit of others—namely those who have been impacted by the gender-based violence femicide (GBVF).

Angela will be climbing the height of 6,812 metres all to raise awareness about the harrowing world that is GBVF—a mountain many women have to climb by no choice of their own. The brave climber hopes that her efforts will channel funds toward an education program that will empower and uplift women.

“I am ready to face the mountain we are all climbing; one that symbolises the path to a young woman’s voice, and her ultimate empowerment through education,” says Angela of climb set to take place from 9 October to 3 November.

“This journey is only but a small stepping stone to the same independence and self-reliance we are all fighting for.”

The Impilo Collection Foundation extends Angela’s hopes, largely through its #EmpowerHer campaign. The collection of nearly 9,000 bras was a representation of of the height of Mount Everest—a unique pursuit of activists everywhere who stand loudly and proudly against GBVF. The campaign’s display of thousands of bras at Joburg’s Constitution Hill, along with their distribution to GBV shelters two years prior left a huge impact—an impact Angela hopes will be felt once again atop Ama Dablam.

“Ama Dablam means ‘mother’s necklace which has been very much part of my inspiration to climb for my cause; the long ridges on each side are like the arms of a mother (Ama) protecting her child, and the hanging glacier is thought of as Dablam, which is the traditional double-pendant containing pictures of the gods, worn by Sherpa women,” Angela explains.

“Our quest for anti-GBVF demands the collective efforts of supporters, followers, climbers, and allies. My gratitude goes out to all those that are helping us raise mountains together. Collectively, we will make this vision for good an impactful reality, I know it!”

Those who become benefactors of Angela’s climb will be commemorated with a special keepsake of their solidarity that symbolises the metaphorical mountains, scaled together.

Everyone who wants to take a stand against GBVF is encouraged to support the campaign (you can find it here).

Sources: Supplied 

Don’t ever miss the Good Things. Download the Good Things Guy App now on Apple or Google. 

Do you have something to add to this story? Please share it in the comments or follow GoodThingsGuy on Facebook & Twitter to keep up to date with good news as it happens, or share your good news with us by clicking here or click the link below to listen to the Good Things Guy Podcast with Brent Lindeque – South Africa’s very own Good Things Guy. He’s on a mission to change what the world pays attention to, and he truly believes there’s good news around us. In the Good Things Guy podcast, you’ll meet these everyday heroes & hear their incredible stories:

Or watch an episode of Good Things TV below, a show created to offer South Africans balance in a world with what feels like constant bad news. We’re here to remind you that there are still so many good things happening in South Africa & we’ll leave you feeling a little more proudly South African.

The post Angela Yeung Climbs Ama Dablam to Raise Awareness about GBVF appeared first on Good Things Guy.

At 14 years old, chess player Caleb Levitan has made history for our country and become the youngest champ to represent South Africa at the World Cup of Chess—the Chess Olympiad:

Global (30 September 2024) — Caleb Levitan has carved his spot in South Africa’s history books after he became the youngest chess player ever to have represented South Africa at the World Cup of Chess—the Chess Olympiad!

For the 14-year-old King David Linksfield learner and FIDE Master, the opportunity was nothing short of an honour and a dream realised.

“It’s every chess player’s dream to compete at the Chess Olympiad,” he remarked when the news was shared of his upcoming chance to compete.

While what he shared might be true, unlike Caleb, most chess players don’t get the chance to head off and compete with their country’s national team of chess giants while they’re only in Grade 8.

Along with a decorated squad of local chess stars (International Master (IM) Daniel Cawdery, FIDE Master (FM) Daniel Barrish, IM Jan Karsten and FM Banele Mhango), Caleb journeyed off to Budapest where the competition of competitions would unfold.

Caleb made a fantastic debut, earning respect from fellow international players and several victories.

As his school shares, he won five of his games and drew one against a Phillippines master before competing in the finals against Nicaragua. Five hours later, Caleb secured his win and helped earn South Africa a top 3 spot for the continent, as well as qualification for the 2025 competition!

Needless to say, the chess world will be keeping tabs on Caleb while South Africa celebrates yet another moment to be proud of.

Sources: King David High School Linksfield; GTG 

Don’t ever miss the Good Things. Download the Good Things Guy App now on Apple or Google. 

Do you have something to add to this story? Please share it in the comments or follow GoodThingsGuy on Facebook & Twitter to keep up to date with good news as it happens, or share your good news with us by clicking here or click the link below to listen to the Good Things Guy Podcast with Brent Lindeque – South Africa’s very own Good Things Guy. He’s on a mission to change what the world pays attention to, and he truly believes there’s good news around us. In the Good Things Guy podcast, you’ll meet these everyday heroes & hear their incredible stories:

Or watch an episode of Good Things TV below, a show created to offer South Africans balance in a world with what feels like constant bad news. We’re here to remind you that there are still so many good things happening in South Africa & we’ll leave you feeling a little more proudly South African.

The post Chess Player Caleb Makes History for SA for ‘World Cup’ Debut appeared first on Good Things Guy.

Activists with disabilities are raising awareness about climate change

Johannesburg (25 September 2024) — On a warm afternoon in Tembisa, local resident Phillip Masitenyane can be found knee deep inside a garbage skip sifting for recyclable materials.

Masitenyane is visually impaired and has hearing loss. He uses his hands to feel for different materials in the rubbish – paper, plastic, metal tins and glass.

“Because I have to use my hands to touch and feel for items I don’t wear gloves, so it can sometimes be a bit dangerous if there is a sharp item or object inside here,” said Masitenyane.

Masitenyane is part of the Visually Impaired Community Development Organisation (VICDO) an NGO founded in 1995 and run by visually impaired activists in the Tembisa area.

VICDO, which advocates for the rights of people with disabilities, has recently involved itself in an environmental awareness program to promote the voices of people with disabilities in conversations on climate change.

Minah Funani (left) with Phillip Masitenyane (right) at a waste collection site at the back of a local school.

The organisation has partnered with four local schools, where the schools’ waste is sorted into recyclable materials. Members of VICDO go to the schools daily.

When they have collected a reasonable quantity of material, they take it to a local facility to process and recycle.

Visually impaired activists use their hands to feel for recyclable objects.

Minah Funani, a founding member of VICDO, said, “We are trying to learn more about these climate issues and its impact on us as people with disabilities. We are also trying to share our knowledge with other people so that we can take collective action.”

Funani recently advocated for facilities for the visually impaired to be installed at her local library. She now has access to a braille printer to produce information pamphlets about climate change, which she distributes to other visually impaired people in the township.

She also organises workshops bringing together environmental activists with members of VICDO so that knowledge can be shared.

“We need to raise awareness and educate ourselves and others in our community about these issues, because this is something that affects all of us,” said Funani.

Members of VICDO from left, Minah Funani, Mita Mukwevho, Johannes Magaela, Johannes Moseki and Phillip Masitenyane

Sources: GroundUp

Don’t ever miss the Good Things. Download the Good Things Guy App now on Apple or Google. 

Do you have something to add to this story? Please share it in the comments or follow GoodThingsGuy on Facebook & Twitter to keep up to date with good news as it happens, or share your good news with us by clicking here or click the link below to listen to the Good Things Guy Podcast with Brent Lindeque – South Africa’s very own Good Things Guy. He’s on a mission to change what the world pays attention to, and he truly believes there’s good news around us. In the Good Things Guy podcast, you’ll meet these everyday heroes & hear their incredible stories:

Or watch an episode of Good Things TV below, a show created to offer South Africans balance in a world with what feels like constant bad news. We’re here to remind you that there are still so many good things happening in South Africa & we’ll leave you feeling a little more proudly South African.

The post Visually Impaired Recyclers Help the Planet appeared first on Good Things Guy.

Emile Conrad has made South Africa blaze with pride thanks to his bronze win at the World Firefighter Games where he ranked in the top 20 of the World’s Toughest Firefighter Alive list! 

Global (25 September 2024) — Representing the Garden Route and South Africa at the World Firefighter Games earlier this month was the ever-brave and famously fierce Emile Conrad.

At the games, held in Denmark this year, firefighters from around the world unite to harness their skills with medals and moments of victory in mind. The games welcome all kinds of heroes, including volunteer firefighters, full-time veterans, bush firefighters and military personnel amongst others, who all compete in different challenges from stair running to indoor rowing.

No stranger to the games or glory, Emile has won the title of South African Toughest Firefighter Alive numerous times before (he still holds the title) and has represented SA in the World Firefighting Games, too.

This year, Emile made South Africa blaze with pride thanks to his bronze win at the Games! Emile competed in the 40-44 age category and came hot in third, claiming bronze for his exceptional performance that also placed him in the top 20 of the World’s toughest Firefighter Alive ranking (he placed 14th!).

“By the grace of God and strength, I could improve on my personal best times and achieved one Gold medal in my age category, as well as being placed the third best overall of 2:57 for the 1000m row,” remarked Emile. 

“The challenge demanded skill, strength, and endurance to push through against the best competitors in the World in a rapidly growing sport,” he shared.

The senior firefighter has returned home to an immensely proud country where he continues to inspire future generations of firefighters.

Sources: Garden Route District Municipality 

Don’t ever miss the Good Things. Download the Good Things Guy App now on Apple or Google. 

Do you have something to add to this story? Please share it in the comments or follow GoodThingsGuy on Facebook & Twitter to keep up to date with good news as it happens, or share your good news with us by clicking here or click the link below to listen to the Good Things Guy Podcast with Brent Lindeque – South Africa’s very own Good Things Guy. He’s on a mission to change what the world pays attention to, and he truly believes there’s good news around us. In the Good Things Guy podcast, you’ll meet these everyday heroes & hear their incredible stories:

Or watch an episode of Good Things TV below, a show created to offer South Africans balance in a world with what feels like constant bad news. We’re here to remind you that there are still so many good things happening in South Africa & we’ll leave you feeling a little more proudly South African.

The post Bravery in Bronze: Emile Conrad’s Success at World Firefighter Games  appeared first on Good Things Guy.

Letchen du Plessis hasn’t just earned gold at the Adaptive CrossFit Games. She’s overcome incredible adversity that included the loss of functioning in her leg, multiple surgeries, rehabilitation and most importantly, resilience:

San Antonio, Texas (25 September 2024) — Over the weekend, Letchen du Plessis made South Africa enormously proud when she won gold in the ‘Moderate Neurological Impairment’ category at the Adaptive CrossFit Games—a challenge that tests both physical power and discipline but also gives the spotlight to champions who have shown how much resilience can achieve.

Here, Letchen shone for South Africa with the culmination of years of effort and a story that’ll remind you why never giving up matters.

What began as an injury on the netball court years ago would eventually reveal itself as the catalyst that changed Letchen’s life forever.

An avid netball and water polo player, Letchen decided to take netball on more professionally and was offered a scholarship to play the sport at North-West University. The young athlete was training hard and often. However, an injury that put her hip out at the end of practice became a much bigger problem a few weeks down the line, and it was eventually discovered during a procedure to heal what had been damaged that her bone was not receiving blood.

Letchen was told that she needed to make a big choice to either receive a hip replacement or undergo experimental surgery. Choosing the latter, one surgery became many after she found herself struggling to handle basic actions like putting on her socks. Under the surface, this was not just a byproduct of post-op recovery. In actuality, she was dealing with something much more serious—her left leg was no longer responding due to nerve trauma, and she was diagnosed with complex regional pain syndrome and dystonia.

In spite of her surgical successes, doctors were led to understand that the trauma of her hip dislocation and the surgeries could’ve provoked her leg to essentially be perceived as an enemy to her brain—meaning she had adverse reactions to basic sensations like water on her leg, plus a lack of responsiveness.

For someone who considered themselves an athlete for so much of their life, the shock of her new reality was heart-wrenching. But, the resilience her life in sport had taught her was still very much alive.

By 2019, she had received a spinal cord stimulator and understood herself as ‘semi-bionic’. CrossFit became an important part of her rehabilitation and, soon, her passion.

It wasn’t long until the long and gruelling road to learning how to live with her ‘new’ leg inspired her to compete in the 2021 CrossFit Games, where she absolutely killed it despite some hiccups.

“Letchen faced daunting challenges that many might have found insurmountable,” says Motley Crew CrossFit coach Jason Solomon, who has trained her. “However, with her characteristic grit, she refused to let her condition define her future.”

Of the 2021 NOBULL Cross Fit Games, Jason shares that it was monumental for the athlete.

“That first day [of the Games] tested her in ways she hadn’t expected—told to run three miles, something her body wasn’t physically prepared for, she made the decision to hop and skip her way through the entire course,” he explains. It was there that footage captured her struggle; footage that inspired Fraser Allen and Sean Adams to help develop a unique brace just for her.

This custom brace enabled her to engage muscles she had not been able to use in years.

“For the first time in a long while, she could run without crutches—an emotional milestone that set her on the path to success in her sport,” Jason shares.

By 2022, Letchen was competing powerfully at the 2022 CrossFit Games. And to see this followed with the 2024 success was not just a win for her and all who have supported her, but the entire country and all the people who have been told before that they’d reached the end of the road.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Letchen du Plessis (@letchen_dp)

For Letchen, it’s all about focusing on what you can control instead of obsessing over what you can’t. She’s gone on not only to solidify her place as a CrossFit champion but has tackled other athletic endeavours like the formidable Robben Island Crossing.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Letchen du Plessis (@letchen_dp)

Adds an immensely proud Jason:

“Letchen has shown the world that, despite challenges, anything is possible with the right mindset. As she says ‘it’s not your disability stopping you but your mind most of the time.’

“Today, Letchen du Plessis is more than just an athlete—she’s a symbol of hope, determination, and the power of the human spirit. Whether she’s lifting in the gym, running through a CrossFit course, or inspiring the next generation of athletes, one this is certain: her story is far from over.”

Sources: Email Submission; CrossFit Games 

Don’t ever miss the Good Things. Download the Good Things Guy App now on Apple or Google. 

Do you have something to add to this story? Please share it in the comments or follow GoodThingsGuy on Facebook & Twitter to keep up to date with good news as it happens, or share your good news with us by clicking here or click the link below to listen to the Good Things Guy Podcast with Brent Lindeque – South Africa’s very own Good Things Guy. He’s on a mission to change what the world pays attention to, and he truly believes there’s good news around us. In the Good Things Guy podcast, you’ll meet these everyday heroes & hear their incredible stories:

Or watch an episode of Good Things TV below, a show created to offer South Africans balance in a world with what feels like constant bad news. We’re here to remind you that there are still so many good things happening in South Africa & we’ll leave you feeling a little more proudly South African.

The post Letchen du Plessis Makes SA So Proud at the Adaptive CrossFit Games appeared first on Good Things Guy.