There are some extraordinary people among us. This week I want to introduce you to three of them. I have been fortunate enough to meet two of them in the flesh. The other one I’ve read about in the news.
These are ordinary people, like you and me, making an extraordinary difference in the lives of others.
A Roof for the Homeless
First up is a family in Hertfordshire who provides accommodation for the homeless – vulnerable women and children of all nationalities. They first invited a homeless woman and her child to live with them in the 1980’s. Since then, it has become a way of life for them. They even moved to a farm about seven years ago so they could have more space and help more people. They chose this unconventional lifestyle because they wanted to ‘do something really wonderful and change people’s lives’. Unfortunately, the online yahoo news article about this family has been removed.
A place for scared little people
Next up is a couple from Surrey who decided in the 1990s to explore the idea of foster care. Once the idea had taken root, they opted to provide short term services, meaning children would be placed in their care for a weekend, a week, two weeks, but rarely for longer than two months. However, in reality a few stayed so long they are still part of the family!
Over the years this family took twenty one children under their wing. I had the pleasure of interviewing Richard a while ago because I wanted to know more: What drives one to become a foster carer? What does it take? How long did you do it for? What about your own family? Where did you get your inspiration from? What acted as your beacon; your source of wisdom? His story is amazing as you will hear in a future blog post. I take my hat off to people who so selflessly provide a haven for others.
Inroads against Poverty
Third on the list is Alan Whitaker. Alan started an organization called the Billion Child Appeal in South Africa some four years ago. His mission is to enable one billion children across the world to receive quality parenting and education so they can escape the poverty trap.
To this end, Alan has developed several programmes. One in particular stands out: The National Parenting Skills Training Programme.
This programme provides parents with the skills they need to support their child throughout their education until they graduate from high school; in particular ensuring their children go to school, do homework and study for examinations.
Once a school has run their first Parenting Skills Training Programme, a Community Parenting Forum is established at that school. The original idea was that these forums would be a vehicle for communication between the school and parents. In practice these forums are turning out to be a safe environment where community issues can be tackled. Issues such as feeding families where there is no adult in the household, working with the local police to ensure children are safe on their way to and from school and much, much more. This in turn is fostering a spirit of positivity, care, respect and responsibility for both children and adults in these communities.
Nelson Mandela said ‘Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world’ and that is exactly what Alan is helping to facilitate.These programmes can work in other parts of the world as well. I know Alan is working on that.
The results in South Africa speak for themselves. In July 2013 Alan was recognized by the Worldwide Who’s Who for his leadership in education.
They ARE out there!
How about you? Have you met anyone recently who has inspired you? Someone ordinary who are doing something extraordinary? Do share your thoughts below.
