A young carpenter who volunteered at an orphanage in Ghana wanted to help children make a living. A couple with a woodworking school in Pennsylvania sponsored his training, education, and other local support. When he returned to Ghana, with a little help from his Pennsylvania “neighbors,” he and local community volunteers built bridges, fixed roads, repaired buildings, and even learned how to preserve foods. A school principal in Leotho realized children were hungry. She asked their parents for ideas, and enlisted an NGO to teach them organic farming. Together, they created a school garden that provided vegetables to feed the children and much more. In both cases, one person saw a need, engaged those in need to nurture an existing skill, involved the community -- neighbor helping neighbor -- and empowered people to create amazing results they didn’t know were possible. One said, “We are a world community. We’ve gotta be friends with the world. And if you don’t give to others, you’ve missed the meaning of life.”
