After a 19-year-old stunt biker went to collect takeout, he suffered a terrible accident that fractured many bones in his face. This could’ve left him with permanent damage for the rest of his life if it wasn’t for a community of Good Samaritans who made his urgent surgery possible in the nick of time!

Vereeniging, South Africa (06 March 2024) — Aidan Roos, a 19-year-old from Three Rivers, Vereeniging, and a promising stunt biker with aspirations to showcase his skills in China, suffered a life-altering accident last month.

A seemingly routine outing for takeout took a disastrous turn when he slipped on a wet floor, and his face collided with a balustrade, causing severe facial injuries that abruptly halted his dreams.

But, in an incredible turn for Aidan and his family, his broader community came together just in time to help Aidan get the urgent surgery he needs; setting him on the road to both recovery and his dreams.

A series of initial misfortunes led to Aidan being unable to get his treatment sooner. Initially, he was sent home by the hospital as they were unable to proceed with the operation due to swelling. This led to medical aid opting not to cover his plight as they only cover up to 24 hours after a trauma, according to his Aunt Lynette Smith.

Everything changed for Aidan after that. His mom, Roeline Botha expressed that it has “brought  his bright future to a standstill.”

While his mom tried other means to raise funds, Aunt Lynette took to share Aidan’s story and create a crowdfunding campaign dubbed ‘Aidan needs surgery’ on 13 February.

“We urgently need to raise R100 000 for Aidan to have surgery on his face, because the surgery needs to be done by no later than 19 February, otherwise he will be left with permanent damage for the rest of his life,” Lynette wrote.

In timing that can only be described as miraculous, funds poured in in the thousands and the initial target was met!

Thanks to this mind-blowing display of community kindness, Aidan was able to receive surgery to address the fractures in his facial bones. Considering that his face was broken in five places, this marked a pivotal moment in his journey to recovery.

With follow-up scans, MRIs, and aftercare afoot, the Good Samaritan community is still rallying for Aidan. R119,000 has been raised toward the fundraising target of R160,000, and hopes are incredibly high that the young stunt biker will have his life back soon.

Aidan’s mother, Roeline, expressed her heartfelt gratitude, stating, “From the bottom of my heart, I just want to thank everyone for their generosity, love, and support, and most of all, for everyone’s prayers.” The funds raised have already made a significant impact, securing Aidan’s chance at a healthy, normal life.

You can help Aidan and his family conquer the rest of the target via BackaBuddy!

Sources: Supplied; Zane Groenewald

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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.

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Hayley Carmen Jackson is fighting a big battle at only 15 years old: beating Ewing Sarcoma. But she is not alone, thanks to an army of support behind her!

Durban, South Africa (26 February 2024) — 15-year-old Hayley Carmen Jackson was diagnosed with a great battle in October last year. What began as pain in her left hip turned out to be Ewing Sarcoma — a cancer that impacts bone cells and tissue and is one of the more rare kinds of cancer.

For obvious and heart-jabbing reasons, this battle has changed life for the young teenager and Durban Girls High student. But, it has not shaken her willingness to give this fight her all.

Her community describes Hayley’s character as resilient, strong and vibrant. She’s already nailed seven chemotherapy sessions already meaning she’s halfway to completing chemo, and she’s made the decision to continue her schooling as a determined academic.

Inspired by this brave girl’s heart, Hayley’s community has joined her fight against Ewing Sarcoma. Hearts for Hayley, her social media update page, has shared various stages of her journey. Two things are consistent: Hayley’s smile, and support-filled interactions.

But nowhere has support for Hayley been more apparent than in her crowdfunding campaign as started by her grandfather. To date, R106,214 has already been raised out of the R350,000 goal. And the donor comments are overwhelmed with the most special messages.

With huge courage and an army of South African support behind her, the community-reliant goal of being able to pay for the treatment her parents cannot afford does not seem like a distant dream! In fact, she’s almost a third of the way there.

Hayley receives treatment in Cape Town, and all funds will go to her medical costs, accommodation and transportation.

You can find Hayley’s crowdfunding campaign here, or follow along with her updates here. 

Sources: Hearts for Hayley: Empowering Hope Against Ewing’s Challenge; BackaBuddy

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Leanne Maiden is just a few hundred nautical miles away from becoming the first South African woman to complete the World’s Toughest Row!

Global (13 February 2024) — This morning Leanne Maiden shared an awesome update with her fans and supporters—she is only a few hundred nautical miles away from making history as the first South African woman to complete the World’s Toughest Row. This is the last push!

Initially a whopping distance of nearly 5000 kilometres ahead of her in December, Leanne has made incredible strides. If you’ve been following Leanne’s journey across the Atlantic, you know that it has not come without tremendous challenges. But, in true South African grit, Leanne has overcome everything from salty tears to work-related stress, running out of hot water, rowing into tough winds, sleep deprivation and everything else that comes with the World’s Toughest Row.

Two recent moments marked silver linings of strength for this incredible woman—finding a can of peaches after she thought she had run out, and seeing hope in the sky after noticing an aeroplane.

The aeroplane was particularly significant, as it signalled her first visual indication of being close to land.

“In four days time my family will be flying over in one of those aeroplanes to come and meet me,” she shared in an update. 

With under 200 nautical miles left ahead of her, Leanne’s odyssey is almost at its end and she will soon join other South African legends who made it past their last push, like Peet Botma.

But the last push calls for louder support, and that’s where we know we can count on South Africans! (And in Leanne’s case, Scotland folks too!).

Leanne is rowing not just to make two countries proud (South Africa, her heart and Scotland her home), but also to support three charities: The Mabel Foundation who are the heroes fighting against period poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Women’s Fun Scotland (grassroots programme focused) and The Polar Academy (child-focused).

Beyond these, she also hopes to inspire her children and ‘ordinary people’ (as she inaccurately refers to herself) to do ambitious, crazy things.

Go, Leanne!

Sources: Fair Winds and Following Seas; Leanne Maiden 

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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.

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It’s Midmar Weekend, and the Charity Swims have already been underway with over 200 swimmers taking part!

Pietermaritzburg, South Africa (11 February 2024) — This weekend marks the 51st Midmar Mile, where swimmers from across the world gather over a love of open water dives and camaraderie. But the fun already kickstarted when over 200 swimmers made their way to the water to dive into their 2024 charity swims; making a difference one stroke at a time.

The Charity Swims began on Thursday morning and continued on Friday. The task saw swimmers aim to complete either 8 miles (around 13 kilometres) or 16 miles (roughly 26 kilometres) before or by 2 pm on Friday the 9th of February 2024.

These collective efforts contribute a whopping R2 million (and then some) to the charities taking part of the action—which is as incredible as it sounds.

Take a Look at the Swimmers Speeding on!

Part of the efforts was Jason Raath, an 8-mile champ who has completed the stretch 8 times before. This year though, Jason decided to ‘moove’ in an even more special way as he prepared to run in a cow suit to support CHOC.

Jason ran between the start and finish points that map the dam for the past two days of the event.

After he and a group of riders charioted a cancer patient along with them during the 94.7 cycle, CHOC took up a big space in Jason’s heart. Despite various charity challenges and charity swims over the years, he decided to commit to CHOC so as not to confuse donors.

Meanwhile in other epic Midmar news, by the end of this weekend, two swimmers will celebrate their semi-century Midmar milestones!

Sources: aQuellé Midmar Mile

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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.

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Surfski Paddler Kira Bester flows with victory. She has won multiple titles both locally and internationally, and now has her sights on becoming a World Champion:

Cape Town, South Africa (28 January 2024) — Kira Bester is a name that many more South Africans should know. From winning titles both locally and abroad to her fierce determination to win the Open title in the 2024 World Championships, this 22-year-old Surfski paddler and powerhouse is all about going against the current of the ordinary.

Kira has celebrated her flow of victory over the past few years, with 2023 being a smash hit of success. Last year (among other achievements) she won the Gorge Downwind Paddle in the USA, the Breede River Race, the Biogen SA Surfski Nationals and the Hong Kong Steelcase Dragon Run.

Not to mention, she competed in the ICF Ocean Racing World Championships in Perth where she emerged victorious as the under-23 World Champion!

Kira’s accomplishments are obvious feathers in South Africa’s cap, yet they are not nearly noted enough.

According to Dean McCoubrey who is helping spotlight her achievements, she needs a lot of support to continue her journey and paddle her way to the World Title.

“The international exposure from these races is crucial,” Kira says of her sport. 

Currently, she is coaching part-time in Fish Hoek whilst completing her studies at the University of Cape Town in Environmental Science.

The big call now is for fundraising support for her next rally, the ICF Surfski World Championships set for Madeira this year, as well as other events, including the Malaysia International Race.

Any sponsors who are ready to back an unsung South African superstar can discuss more with her mom Carika. Please email here for Carika’s contact details.

Sources: Dean McCoubrey

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Despite Donald Ramphadi and Kgothatso Montjane facing disappointment for their singles events, hope is still hot on the courts for the pair ahead of their doubles duals at the Australian Open:

Australia (26 January 2024)—South Africa has faced some highs blown from Australia in the world of tennis, but hope is still hot on the courts for Donald Ramphadi and Kgothatso Montjane as they prepare for their Australian Open doubles duals.

Llyod Harris’s nudge into qualifying for the Aus Open was a big high for Team South Africa. However, the pro player only made it as far as the first-round match earlier this month, before facing a defeat that saw him out for the count.

Wheelchair tennis stars Donald Ramphadi, and Kgothtaso Montjane had strong streaks in their singles events up until the Melbourne Park semi-finals this week, where both faced the final bell. Donald went up Sam Schroder while Kgothatso had to go against her doubles partner, Yui Kamiji.

However, the pair are still ready for action and have a chance to earn doubles titles as the Open progresses, which is much-welcomed news for both players and their supporters.

Both have brought home numerous titles before; some of which were etched in the history books for their significance (like the time Kgothatso became the first African woman to win a title at the NEC Wheelchair Singles Masters and the ITF Wheelchair Doubles Masters, or when Donald became the first South African (able-bodied or adaptive athlete) to win a Grand Slam title for the country in decades).

Let’s kick into gear and give them all the support they so deserve!

Sources: Tennis South Africa

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Little Liané has lived with cancer, cerebral palsy, blindness and brain damage all before the age of four years old. Despite the odds, she beat the Big C. Now, hope is on the cards for Liané to push through the aftermath and live a better life:

KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (10 January 2024) — When Bianca Rossouw’s daughter Liané was in the very early phases of her life, she experienced a series of happenings most won’t go through in an entire lifetime.

Firstly, her legs stopped working unexpectedly. This happened during the peak of the pandemic, which meant that getting help was more stressful than ever.

Her family would come to discover that she had a tumour in her chest (initially diagnosed as pneumonia) which eventually was confirmed as cancer. All of this was the reality for a little girl who was not even a year old yet.

The rabbit hole of challenges furthered, and Liane was also diagnosed with cerebral palsy, brain damage, epilepsy, and the loss of her sight. She is also on a feeding tube.

Despite every single challenge, the toddler who will turn four in April, has proved the odds wrong.

This little legend beat cancer, and she did it despite her doctors telling her family that the chemo was not working. She has been in remission for just over a year and a half.

Liané still has a lot to overcome. As her mom Bianca puts it:

“Liané has kicked cancer’s butt, but was left with the aftermath.” Her parents are now seeking dire medical treatment to help their baby’s life improve. 

Her treatment comes at the massive cost of R50,000 every three months.

Upcoming is the hope for Liané, through a golf day fundraiser, set to be hosted at the Melbourne Hotel, Spa and Golf Estate in Pennington. Golfers, friends, helpers or even those who simply want to spread the word are all being called on by the Roussouw’s.

You can get in touch to help at hopeforliane@gmail.com.

Sources: Bianca Roussouw 

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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.

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The TEARS Foundation has shared an important reminder as part of the #16DaysofActivismAgainstGBV campaign—that they are here to help, support, and guide any survivor, no matter what:

South Africa (04 December 2023) — Until 10 December, the 16 Days of Activism Against GBV (gender-based violence) campaign echoes across the world. But for the TEARS Foundation —who have provided support for victims of abuse for over ten years—it is a time to ring the bell of their daily message even louder: help is the start of healing.

With years of experience as women-led helpers and healers, TEARS has provided direct support to more than three-quarters of a million victims of abuse across South Africa. While these numbers are heart-shattering, the impact of their help is a lifeline that cannot be understated.

Because GBV is so personal, for many, speaking out and asking for help can feel like a mammoth task—especially when it’s hard even to process what has happened. Society has gaslit victims for so long to accept or doubt certain behaviours. So, for many, sharing their experiences (no matter the circumstances) is incredibly difficult.

For this year’s 16 Days of Activism, TEARS’ Act Now initiative hopes to amplify awareness around GBV by reminding anyone who has gone through what no one should have to, that they are people who are here to help, 24/7.

It has three main focuses:

• Take action
• Speak out
• Seek help

Not to mention, the Act Now initiative is also about knowing that there is strength in using one’s voice, and they are the ears who will always listen.

For Mara Glennie, the Founder and CEO of the NPO (who has gone to great lengths to keep her foundation going) knowing that there is help is critical. But, so is challenging pervasive norms which starts with listening to women.

However, the TEARS Foundation is not just about offering help. Their mission is also about victims being heard, reassured and embraced with understanding; reminding every survivor of their rights, and that they, are always entitled to be safe, respected and free.

What The Foundation Does

TEARS offers multiple services that are free of charge. One award-winning service connects victims with their nearest emergency shelters, and refers victims to medical facilities while sorting out legal documentation for prosecution.

“TEARS also follows up with the police on behalf of victims who have case numbers, gives victims advice on applying for protection orders, and guides women and men on leaving abusive relationship, says Mara.

Through the Act Now campaign, TEARS wishes to remind all survivors that its services are readily available, even in the darkest moments of uncertainty.

“Our helpline is more than a mere number—it symbolises a commitment, a refuge and an enduring source of support that goes beyond immediate pain. We believe you—make the call, access our resources, and help yourself.”—Mara Glennie.

More Services From The Foundation

• Individual counselling
• Individual, group and couples counselling
• Support groups
• Volunteer opportunities
• Linking victims to emergency shelters
• Referring victims to medical facilities for access to Antiretrovirals, the morning after pill, antibiotics for possible STDS, blood tests, internal medical exams, A J88 for court purposes
• Police follow-ups
• Advice on protection orders
• Referring child victims to child-friendly facilities
• Guiding women and men on leaving abusive relationships

You can access or share the free helpline number *134*7355# or 010 590 5920 or contact info@tears.co.za for any information you need.

Sources: TEARS Public Service Announcement 

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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.

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One of Cape Town’s most art-loving suburbs recently got a wonderful addition that’s beautiful in more ways than one! Artist Bushy Wopp’s Mental Health Mural is a special reminder to check in on our loved ones. Have a look:

Woodstock, South Africa (25 October 2023) — Street artist Bushy Wopp (Chad Hanning) recently gave Woodstock some new art to fall in love with after creating a larger-than-life Mental Health Mural with an even bigger message.

Beneath the spray-painted surface showcasing all things wholesome (flowers, friendship and love) is the reminder that we can never fully know what someone else is going through; even when it comes to those closest to us. You might not understand how much someone needed that hug, text or hang-out, which is why building a culture of checking in on the mental health statuses of our people should always be on our to-do lists.

Bushy Wopp created the display in light of Mental Health Awareness Month. But, its overarching message, ‘Check in on your homies’, is always relevant.

Yes, life can get overwhelmingly busy. And it’s easy to get all too wrapped up in our own journies. But, we all have a responsibility to those we care about, and sometimes all it takes is a bright reminder.

 

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A post shared by Bushy (@bushywopp)

The award-winning street artist known for his striking illustrations and murals that have decorated everywhere from the V&A Waterfront to Thao Dien District in Ho Chi Minh City, was praised all over the country for his recent addition.

But, the mural will soon be on the move (at least, virtually) with plans for it to be digitally superimposed onto other landmarks in South Africa including the Union Buildings in Pretoria, the Castle in Cape Town, and the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, to name a few.

May this art remind us always that Mental Health matters aren’t reserved for October only. Those seeking to be better support systems can read more here, while those seeking self-support can check out SADAG (South African Anxiety and Depression Group).

Sources: Supplied; Bushy Wopp

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The heat is on in Tunisia as African athletes battle brave waters to compete for Olympic and Paralympic placements. As the excitement builds, SA Rowers are giving their home country big reasons to smile thanks to stellar determination and results!

Tunisia (25 October 2023) — The heat is on in Tunisia as rowing champions from around the continent compete in the qualifiers for the Olympics and Paralympics at the African Champs Regatta.

For this week, SA rowers will showcase the best of their best with hopes of securing spots in the biggest sporting leagues and making career-defining dreams come true.

As such, Rowing South Africa has called on sports lovers across the country to send in waves of support for our SA rowers like Courtney Westley (Women’s Single Scull) and Lifa Hlongwa (PR1 Men’s Single Scull).

Straight off the bat of stiff competition at the African Champs Regatta, both Westley and Hlongwa have clearly displayed exceptional talent.

Westley for one, had already won her recent heat while Hlongwa soared in second for his preliminary race, a mere 10 seconds from gold. Westley’s focus is now on securing a top 5 finish in the Women’s Single Scull while Hlongwa rows closer to his Paralympic dreams.

Hlongwa’s story is one of great inspiration as the self-described stubborn young man worked tirelessly to regain the use of his arms, hands and legs following his paralysis.

“Becoming disabled has afforded me the great privilege of learning to have a special understanding of the endless possibilities of the human spirit to overcome challenges. Helping motivate others to tap into their true potential in order to make a meaningful contribution to their lives and the world is an endeavour I wish to continuously embody and reflect in all my works.”—Lifa Hlongwa.

As our athletes continue to wave SA’s flag high, we reflect on the South Africans who have already qualified for the Olympics and Paralympics in their own respective disciplines, including gymnast Caitlin Rooskrantz, surfers Jordy Smith and Sarah Baum, wheelchair tennis star Alwande Sikhosana and artistic swimmers Laura Strugnell and Jess Hayes-Hill.

Don’t forget to share your support by keeping up with Rowing South Africa.

Sources: Rowing SA 

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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.

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