Why We Wrote This

In a little more than two years, Ojok Okello has helped transform a small Ugandan village into a model of rural development, adding a preschool, a boxing club, a shea butter co-op, and an adult literacy program. It’s a vision of progress in the heart of Africa. Hosted by Dave Scott.

Kris Kepler leads LavaMaeX, a California organization that provides mobile showers for those who are unhoused, and creates Pop-Up Care Villages, providing everything from haircuts to job interviews. A story of hope, empathy, and innovation. Hosted by Dave Scott.

Professor Theresa Betancourt of Boston College has studied why some child soldiers in Sierra Leone heal after the trauma of war. But she took it a step further. She’s helping create programs that foster resilience, love, and hope. Hosted by Dave Scott.

Twelve-year-old Daisy Hampton’s mission is to forge friendships with peers who have disabilities and help close the digital access gap for kids who face income inequality. Hosted by Dave Scott.

Susan Murabana’s mission is to give all Kenyans equal access to the skies, and to inspire the next generation of scientists. She and her husband have reached about 200,000 school kids with their Travelling Telescope program. A tale of dream-building and love. Hosted by Dave Scott

Global Gardens is in more than a dozen elementary schools in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Yes, it helps kids grow gardens. But sowing seeds is also a path to learning how to cooperate, manage conflict, and nurture critical thinking skills. It's a program about peace, science, and hope. Hosted by Dave Scott.

Megan Cohen struggled with addiction and homelessness for nearly a decade. But then, aided by small acts of kindness by strangers, she turned her life around. Today, at age 28, she leads The Grace Project, which brings food and medical supplies – and hope – to people who are experiencing homelessness and dealing with addiction in Philadelphia. Hosted by Dave Scott.

Margaret Jankowski has given away more than 3,300 secondhand sewing machines. But The Sewing Machine Project is also a vehicle for teaching empathy, generosity, and how to repair lives. And she has learned to trust that a good idea has power, and is often shaped in ways she could never have imagined. Hosted by Dave Scott.

In preparing its students for the future of flying, the Chicago organization Tuskegee NEXT – named for the esteemed Black military airmen – also represents a small part of a growing effort to supply a new wave of qualified pilots as many in an aging workforce reach retirement age. In an industry where 3.4 percent of pilots are Black, many realize that inclusion efforts are key considerations in filling this important workforce pipeline. Meet Jaylen Bush, a young pilot whose career and life goals this organization is bringing into reach. Produced by Ashley Lisenby.

The Monitor’s London correspondent Shafi Musaddique was 10 years old at the time of 9/11. He, like Monitor editor Husna Haq, experienced the shift as “a flick of a switch,” he says. As the world reflects on 20 years of loss and conflict since the 9/11 attacks, Ms. Haq and Mr. Musaddique reflect on how Western views of Islam and Muslims shaped their view of faith, country, and self. Produced by Ashley Lisenby.