Stories of hope

Goods sent from Crossroads touch the lives of many, all around the world. Their stories tell of despair, courage and, crucially, hope.

HIV/AIDS orphans in Uganda

Despite having one of the lower HIV/AIDS infection rates in Africa, thousands of Ugandans nonetheless suffer from the disease and the children, of course, are hardest hit.

Educating to alleviate poverty

Measuring just over 47 kilometres wide, the Gambia reigns as the smallest mainland country on the African continent and is a leader in peanut production, its main source of income.

Help for a forgotten tribe

Despite being among the earliest inhabitants of the Philippines, the Aeta tribe suffers from some of the harshest discrimination in the country.

Finding ways to start over

Ravaged by 25 years of civil war and economic turmoil, Angola is no stranger to hardship.

Kenya: Returning to peace?

On the heels of recent political unrest, Kenya struggles to maintain its stability while continuing to suffer high crime and poverty rates.

“Read-to-Succeed”

Though many in Africa look to Ghana as a model for political and economic reform, difficulties such as poverty, disease, and lack of basic educational tools still plague people in rural parts of the country.

China

80 year old Xiang and his wife woke, in the black of night, as rushing water poured into their village home, bringing down one of its aged walls. Heavy rains had seen a nearby river burst its banks and the elderly couple, in shock, only just escaped before its angry waters saw their house collapse. In minutes, they lost the possessions of decades.

Offering war victims a way back to life

“When the elephants dance, the grass gets trampled. That is the expression we use in Africa.” A worried Ugandan leader reached for this metaphor to help us understand the plight of his people. Members of our team have visited the war torn area and seen the truth of the African proverb: as the rebels continue their fight, those most impacted are the women and children.

Philippines: Oasis in the slums

Little John-Leonard watched his father dying of lung and liver cancer. Even at 4, he realised medical care was out of the question. He had known for months that something bad was coming. He had watched it with growing fear, as their shanty home was small and there was no where for his dad to hide the worsening symptoms. John Leonard's family lives in the slums of Cavite, Philippines. The family's income, literally pulled together from collecting empty bottles, didn't even stretch to adequate food let alone the luxury of a medical consultation.

The Middle East: No fairytale

Normally, the fairytale has it: rags give way to riches. Life in the Middle East is no fairytale, however, and Ahmad's story turned the story book upside down.

Nigeria: Dark night of the soul

In the most literal sense, the light in Joseph's world has gone out. Until very recently, he could see normally and live as an independent man, caring for his family, in his Nigerian village. Like many in his area, Joseph has wives and they, together with his 16 children, need him. Now, though, Joseph cannot see and there is almost no support in his little village for a blind man.

DEADLY SECRETS: The loneliness of India’s abused teenagers

Maria placed a frightened hand on her pregnant stomach as she stared at the home for single mothers. Could she succeed in hiding the shameful secret if she entered here? Her little sister stood quivering beside her, equally afraid.

Fiji: Fighting crime with dignity

What was wrong with this picture, I wondered. The scene I was looking at did not match the words I was hearing. "That street is a hotbed for crime. It is very dangerous unless we carefully patrol it at night," a local Fijian leader told me. "It is typical of the need in my country."

Bosnia Herzegovina: Finding glue for a broken community

Banja was starving. She traipsed from soup kitchens to charities begging for food, but was turned away every time. Each made excuses, even apologies, but the real reason was rarely spoken. She was from the 'wrong' ethnic group. Years before, Banja had fled Bosnia Herzegovina, when 'ethnic cleansing' had seen bitter conflict among Serbs, Croats and Muslims. Now, she had been told, it was safe to return.

SoulTalk: Moving Women From Tragedy to Triumph!

Her ex- husband kidnapped their two youngest children after going through a divorce for seven years, taking with him her only home and her money. For many, that would be the end of the road: it would see them shut down for life.

Tragedy in Pakistan, through a child’s eyes

The filthy waters swirled around their family home, as 10 year old Inamullah stared in growing fear. They had now burst over the river bank and showed no signs of slowing down. “Stay inside until the tide goes down”, his relatives had told him. But was the house safe? Already water was pouring into the ground floor and he ran to see if it was approaching the second. There was no doubt. Any moment now, they would need to move to the third floor and who knew how long even it would be safe?