There is a lot to be distressed about in the world right now, but there is also so much that can be celebrated. In the words of Marcus Aurelius, “Life is neither good or evil, but only a place for good and evil.” It is important that in the midst of disaster, we look to the aspects that make life more bearable by acknowledging the advances in the world that were once thought of as too far-fetched. Welcome to your one-stop, good news corner!
- No DNA, just RSA!
At the brightest arc of our rainbow lies the people’s princess, Tyla, who made history by being the first South African to win a National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Image Award for “Is It” as the Outstanding International Song. Tyla has continuously shown her pride in her South African heritage and has put South Africa on the artistic map. Not only does she make chart-topping songs, but she gives credit where it is due by honouring South African artists and genres, showing her authenticity as an artist. If there is one thing you can take from Tyla, it is to be proud of who you are and where you come from.
- Breaking Trends: Hope for Employment
With unemployment being one of the biggest problems faced in South Africa, the Nelson Mandela Bay Engineering Programme comes closer to minimising that problem and celebrates a 100% employment rate for all students that had been enrolled in the programme. To provide more insight, this is a programme based in the Eastern Cape that supports high school learners with the potential to become engineers with training opportunities and continued academic support in their university careers. The skills acquired from this programme have led participants to employability, and for the programme’s ten-year anniversary, they have acknowledged their prodigies. The Eastern Cape is recorded as the province with the highest unemployment rate of 42.5%, according to IOL News. This programme is a major win for the province.
- It’s Raining Kindness
How many times have you complimented a stranger or offered help to someone in need? According to the World Happiness Report, there have been many of these instances in the last year as they report an increase in global kindness for 2025. It sounds bizarre to measure something like kindness as if it is numerically measurable, but actions such as sharing meals with people, volunteering, and helping strangers is a great way to begin. Luckily for us, these acts of kindness have been reported to have increased by 10% since 2019. According to The Citizen, COVID-19 had set a turning point in people’s appreciation for each other. Even if a pandemic caused an increase in global social relations, kindness is still a win.
- #SavingThePlanet
Global warming, climate change, and carbon footprint – we have all heard about it, but have you heard about what a town in Germany is doing to help give the planet a fighting chance? The city of Tubingen has added packaging tax onto to-go packaging to avoid added waste by having people second-guess their actions when literally having to pay for them. This has caused a tremendous decrease in waste and a cleaner city. According to Reasons to be Cheerful, this packaging tax had caused a huge legal debacle with McDonald’s. But in the end, Germany’s highest court favoured keeping the tax due to its positive impact.
- Achieving the Impossible is Never Impossible
Healthcare is a world sector that can always develop, and luckily for us, we have reached a point where diseases that were once deemed incurable are now curable. Gene therapy is a medical method that treats genetic issues. This form of treatment was first approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2017. According to Liv Hospital, illnesses such as sickle cell disease and severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) have been reportedly cured through gene therapy. This is not only a medical breakthrough; it is also a hopeful development for anyone living with diseases that were once deemed “incurable”.
Remember to be hopeful and kind, and always try to look on the bright side when adversity gets you down.
Visual: Jemma Thomson
