With so many horror stories coming out of mismanaged orphanage homes around the world, and the vile treatment of migrant children in detention centers here in the United States, we want to remind people that there are good stories, too. There are thousands of caring men and women, in every country on this planet, working tirelessly to ensure the safety and well-being of disadvantaged children.
We are so inundated with bad news these days that it’s easy to assume the world is in a state of utter disrepair, and that circumstances are more dire than they’ve ever been. In fact, the opposite is true. Yes, there are awful things happening, but the good things far outweigh the bad. The progress of human rights on a global scale has never been so rapid and inclusive. But good news doesn’t get the press that bad news does.
When you are feeling hopeless, instead of scrolling through countless posts about the horrific state of the world, take positive action. Search for projects that are making a positive impact in an area that is important to you, whether it is conservation, refugee rights, women’s rights, education, or animal rights.
At Malayaka House, we keep up to date with politics, both in Uganda and on a global scale, but we try to tune out as much of the negativity as possible. Instead, we focus on what we can do. For the 50 children who call Malayaka House home, we can do everything in our collective power to ensure that, for these children and their families, the cycle of suffering and poverty is broken. By instilling in our children the desire to stay in Uganda and improve their country from the inside, we are doing our part to make their lives better, Uganda better, and the world better.
Every example of positive change starts with one person. Maybe it’s Jimmy, maybe it’s Bobo, maybe it’s Viola, maybe it’s Isabella. More than likely, it’s many of them. Maybe all of them. The ripple effect of children who are raised in a loving family and told that their futures can be whatever they want them to be is profound.
Don’t focus on the bad. Propel the good. There’s a lot of good out there…we see it, and the beauty and joy it creates, at Malayaka House every single day.
