There is so much doom content online these days, it’s exhausting. The problems of this world Never end, so, it’s easier to tweak my algorithms to generate more happy-go-lucky go , DIY, dogs and babies content.
Perspective is the way we see things. When we look at them from a certain distance, it allows us to appreciate their value.
– Rafael E. Piño
This story is about Relationships, Love and Community, this is not a single story.
The Shadow Pandemic and its Heroes
If you live on Planet Earth then you know about the Pandemic. A lot has been written about its effects and much of it has come out as both positive and Negative.
One of the well-known effects of the Pandemic is a rise in Gender-based Violence at home. In 2020 the United Nations reported an acute rise of GBV cases Internationally.
Early findings from a global UN Women assessment suggest that gender-based violence has significantly increased because of COVID-19. Leading the United Nations to label it the “shadow pandemic.”
We can clearly see there’s a problem. But looking at the problem isn’t the solution or the point.
In my home country, one story in particular stood out: The Murder of World Champion athlete Agnes Tirop in a suspected Case of Gender Based Violence in 2020. The case sparked public outrage and a lot of media attention.
Following her case and others is Investigative Reporter Tom Odula in a film dubbed ‘Kenyans Hidden epidemic’ . In the BBC documentary Kenyan women share their stories in the face of so much pain, a man turns his brother over to the police, after he was charged with the Murder of a little girl and a Change maker works with her community to report these instances and seek justice.
Watch the film here.
It’s clear as daylight, the problems are there and we know them, but that is not the end of the story. Inside these stories we see change Makers, I call them the heroes of the story.
The women who bravely speak out and those who take action: A man who betrays his brother for the sake of the community, and a Woman who takes it upon herself to protect her community and many more.
My takeaway here is. Everytime you focus on the singularity of a sad story, you miss out on knowing the people taking action. The Heroes! The Hero should be the point of any story embedded in gloom.
