Through My Eyes

There are people in this world that were sent from up above to change things and make a difference in our society.

People who take themselves very seriously and who never take "no" for an answer.

People like Elon Musk, our very own South African Rockefeller, who is on the Forbes top 100 list with a fortune of over R160 billion. Elon is not scared of anything. He is doing things that are not just revolutionary; he is making great leaps in saving the planet.

Divya Nag, who at the age of 22 is the co-founder of Stem Cell Theranostics and StartX Med. Divya Nag is attacking one of medicine's biggest problems: it turns cells usually from a piece of skin into embryonic-like stem cells, and then uses them to create heart cells.

People like Bill and Melinda Gates who decided that enough was enough so they left the moneymaking hub and started spending their billions on improving lives by various charitable schemes. Since 2007 Gates has given away 48% of his net worth, or $28 billion, which has helped save 6 million lives by eradicating polio internationally through vaccination.

Locally we have people like Kingsley Holgate who turned his passion and love for the continent and exploration into a foundation that not only saves the lives of people and endangered species, but also changes lives through various initiatives. See story on page 5, at his age he is keen to appear before any audience and share his vision with the world for a small donation to his charity.

And then there are stories of cartoonist Zapiro who is using satire to take on powerful figures and in the process opening our eyes to the injustices of men in power in our country. He has been the bravest example how to expose our president of some indignant shenanigans with a vigorous 'phomf'. Sometimes Zapiro's cartoons are so vivid they make me cringe but the truth is the truth and he shows us how difficult it is to run, not to mention hide from the truth.

There are also people like Wim Sak, the developer of Palm Lakes Estate in Tinley Manor. See page 8. Wim left a lucrative career in search of a challenge. Arriving in Durban on business, he recognised the massive potential and even invited friends to join him in building a new town just outside Ballito. Wim is one person who persevered and conquered and now nearly five hundred people are cohabiting on his estate.

Many people believe that they don't have what it takes to make a difference to the world. They believe only people like Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Theresa, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Bill Gates, and the likes, are capable of making a difference.

The truth is, every one of us is put in this world to contribute and make a difference to the world in our own unique way. It need not be anything out of the world. It just needs to be something you do with the intention of 'doing good'.

We all have to remember that to accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream, not only plan, but also believe. Have a super week everyone!