News Bulletin of 28 June 2026, 8am

The South African Guide-Dogs Association for the Blind is helping visually impaired South Africans gain greater independence through its **Every Step Matters** campaign. The campaign highlights the work of the South African Guide-Dogs Association for the Orientation and Mobility Department. This equips visually impaired South Africans with the skills needed to navigate their surroundings safely and independently.
Thousands of South Africans have benefited from the programme, gaining practical skills that enable them to move around independently and participate more fully in everyday life.

Eight years after surviving a paragliding crash that left him with severe burns, Mpumalanga's Kelvin van Baalen has returned to competitive flying. Van Baalen, who crashed into 11 000-volt power lines in Barberton in 2018, spent 413 days in intensive care and underwent months of rehabilitation after being resuscitated nine times. Doctors believed he might never walk again.Defying those odds, the 29-year-old returned to the same mountains for the 2026 Barberton Paragliding Open, marking an inspiring comeback at the site where his life changed forever.

Liberty Group South Africa is continuing its mission to provide school shoes to disadvantaged children, helping more learners walk to school with comfort and dignity.As part of its Youth Month campaign, the company is raising awareness for millions of South African children who still attend school without proper footwear, particularly in rural communities. The initiative has already donated more than 100,000 pairs of school shoes. Four 1km walking routes were set up yesterday at Sandton City Mall. For every kilometre completed by participants, Liberty would donate one pair of school shoes to a child in need.