Ten great and inspiring men and women were
recognized during the 2012 CNN Heroes of The Year Awards. According to Copper
Anderson the compere of the event, these people against all odds have touched
lives of the helpless and voiceless in their society.
As I stayed glued to the TV all through the
ceremony, I was moved by how these great men and women have changed their
society. For some of them their personal grief challenges became a reason to
change lives
for good.
Thulani Madondo, from South Africa grew up in a
ghetto and saw how many young people lived an unfulfilled live but was
determined to give hope to the next generation of young people.
Malya Villard-Appolon from Haiti, a mother who was
abused at a refugee camp after the Haiti earthquake, decided to speak up
against domestic violence. 'Many women have been raped, beaten by men. I can’t
watch and see all these continue against women. I decided to mobilize women and
speak to them. This has helped them gained their self esteem that was lost due
to these abuses'.
Wanda Butts a Black-American mother lost her teenage
son Josh, who drowned. Wanda mourned her son day and night for a year but
decided to immortalize his memory. She started teaching children how to swim
because she believes that black American children are more vulnerable to die by
drowning because they are hardly told about drowning by their parents. The fear
associated to drowning, she has eliminated in the lives of thousands of young
children.
Leo McCarthy lost his teenage daughter Mariah, to a
careless drunk young truck driver. His fourteen year old daughter was killed by
a drunken truck driver and in her memory he set up a foundation. The Mariah Challenge encouraged young Americans not to consume alcohol until they are
twenty-one years old and can be more responsible for their actions.
The overall winner was Pushpa Basnet a twenty-nine
year old from Nepal that give care to children of women serving jail term in
Nepal. Pushpa said she did not want the children to be jailed with their mother
but wanted them to experience freedom. Pushpa has a home that accommodates
hundreds of these children. She provides education, feeding and shelter for
them. Pushpa said she is inspired as these children spend the best parts of
their childhood before her watchful eyes.
All these inspiring people from different parts of
the world are giving meaning to lives. What is that dream of change that you
have? Why not start something today.
Tina Armstrong (From America)
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