Bad Energy Stay Far Away.
It would be a huge understatement to say that 2020 has been — only four months in! — an uphill battle. It feels like we barely turn a corner before being assaulted with bad vibes. These are strange times, and we really just wanted to take a day to not only check in on your mental state, but to actually contribute to making it better. Today, we bring you a few stories that highlight some of the great stuff going on in the world right now:
Don’t underestimate the power of a good, clean breath.
First, let’s talk about the environment. As they say, ‘one man’s poison …’ Well, Mother Nature is experiencing a major high (no, not the 420 kind). With so much of the world home and so much industry ground to a halt, the earth has had more breathing space. Air pollution across the world has dropped by 60% and people are saying that carbon emissions could drop by up to 5% this year — the lowest in a decade.
Who said ‘Netflix and Calculus’ couldn’t be a thing?
Huge strides are also being made on the education front. A bunch of companies are actively working to keep tomorrow’s leaders fully engaged in this period. In Ghana, over 200,000 university students have been given free access to hundreds of online education sites, thanks to an initiative by MTN. In Nigeria, Skool Media — a virtual learning organisation — is providing virtual classrooms to over a hundred public schools.
Tech-nerds may just be the eighth wonders of the world.
One of the best things that’s happening right now is how much innovation and creativity is being borne out of the chaos. In Uganda, an app is helping market sellers who grow fruits and vegetables, to sell and deliver their produce. In South Africa, Uganda and Ghana, they’ve started working to produce ventilators, and some genius students in Kenya developed a prototype in a week. Meanwhile, a company called Wellvis in Nigeria is decongesting the nation’s COVID hotlines by helping people to assess their exposure levels, and in South Africa, the government has launched a chatbot that allows people to get answers about the virus.
Cheques Flying.
And, even though experts have been talking about the long-term negative effects of the pandemic on startups trying to raise money, investors across the world are still encouraging startups to create solutions for now, and the future. The International Finance Corporation has announced that it will invest up to $20 million to help grow small and mid-sized companies in North Africa and the Middle East. An American venture capital firm has launched a $1million fund to support and invest in up to 40 African startups. And, in Nigeria, a media company just raised $600,000 in seed funding.
One more for the road.
On that matter of our literal nemesis, COVID-19 — reports show that over 700,000 people (almost one-third of the people who got the virus) have now recovered and/or been discharged. And vaccine trials have begun in the UK and Germany. If that doesn’t warrant a happy dance, we don’t know what will.
Your Takeaway
Yes, these are troubling times. But let’s try to remember that this too shall pass, and even more, that there’s still a whole lot of good happening in little pockets of our continent, and the world.
What can I do?
Try to stay positive, and surround yourself with the right vibes. And if you come across some good news, we’d love to see it — send an email to: newsletters@thesmallchops.com
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