New Year Special

As 2017 turned out to be a shade darker than the already gloomy 2016, people around the world are bracing for what comes next. High human costs of war, attacks and assaults on women, children, hospitals and schools, and the ever-growing gap between the haves and the have-nots.

Yet where there is darkness, we can always find light. We can find the very best of humanity in individuals who offer hope and inspiration, through the generosity of their acts, both large and small.

To start off 2018, Sarah Brown called out via social media for people to contribute their best actions of the year, the ones that highlight the ¹ú²úÊÓƵ˜Better Angels¹ú²úÊÓƵ™ of their nature. For the first podcast of 2018, we are sharing the stories of amazing people across the world and their inspiring acts.

Our stories come from:

• Kiko, who has learnt to row and is aiming row solo across the Atlantic Ocean to raise money for a hospital and, importantly, empower other women.

• Maisha, a ¹ú²úÊÓƵ Global Youth Ambassador (GYA) from Singapore, who is a champion of the UN¹ú²úÊÓƵ™s Sustainable Development Goals, focusing on gender equality.

• Oraeki Chukwujekwu Francis, a GYA who teaches secondary school students about career choices to help them plan their life after school.

• Lavanya, a 19-year-old British student on her Gap year in India, volunteering to help children with their education.

• Tauseef, another GYA who organised the Global Transformation Forum, one of the largest events in Malaysia, as well as taking part in other incredible work globally.

• Marshall, a GYA from Malawi who is taking ¹ú²úÊÓƵ¹ú²úÊÓƵ™s #5for5 campaign to the next level in Malawi, to support early childhood development in his country.