Reporters on the Job

Grannies Chase Away the Blues: Correspondent Danna Harman was feeling sorry for herself the day she went to a party for South African grandmothers caring for AIDS orphans (see story). But what she saw "totally cured me of feeling blue," she says.

"They were so kind to one another, so appreciative of the small kindness that Ingrid Moloi was showing them . They took so much pleasure in their little party and sang so sweetly that I almost cried. I actually called a friend and let him hear their voices on the phone," says Danna.

"I stayed with them for eight hours, far longer than I really needed for this story. But I went home afterward filled with inspiration that is still sort of buzzing around me."

How to help? Readers who want to may send a check or wire money to:

The Grannies Project

Nedbank at Killarney Mall

P.O. Box 1570

Houghton, Johannesburg 2041

SOUTH AFRICA

Please include the Nedbank Branch Code: 191605, Bank VAT REG NO: 4320 116074, and account No. 1911 103210

Meeting Benazir: Correspondent Huma Yusef was an 8-year-old schoolgirl in 1988, when Benazir Bhutto became Pakistan's first female prime minister. She and her friends idolized Ms. Bhutto (see story), dressing like her and mimicking her accent. Her influence grew all the more when she made a visit to Huma's private school in Karachi, Pakistan, two years later. "She came to an athletic [track] meet. She spoke to the whole school. She told jokes and told us that we could all achieve what she had," says Huma. "I remember that she told us the hardest part was juggling home and career. But she said that we were bright, young girls and we'd manage. At the time, she had a 1-year-old child and was expecting. It was a mind-blowing experience."

– David Clark Scott

World editor

Cultural snapshot
Say it with sand: Artist Sudarsan Patnaik creates a New Year's sculpture of the Taj Mahal on the beach in Puri, India.
Say it with sand: Artist Sudarsan Patnaik creates a New Year's sculpture of the Taj Mahal on the beach in Puri, India.
Sanjib Mukherjee/Reuters

Let us hear from you. Mail to: One Norway Street, Boston, MA 02115 via e-mail: World editor

Get Monitor stories by e-mail:
(Your e-mail address will be protected by csmonitor.com's tough privacy policy.)
(Mary Knox Merrill/Staff)
EDITOR'S PICK Five cities that will rise in the New Economy
From Seattle to Huntsville, Ala., five cities are poised to prosper in the New Economy because of exports, innovation, clean technology, and healthcare.
POLITICS Patchwork Nation
The American voter beyond red and blue

Daily podcast

Monitor Reports

Discussions with Monitor reporters from around the world


Today

Pat Murphy

Kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit could be on his way home.




Making a difference
Making a Difference

What happens when ordinary people decide to pay it forward? Extraordinary change. See how individuals are making a difference, finding solutions, overcoming adversity, and giving back globally.

Richard Berry stands in a former Sunday School classroom in the basement of Trinity Evangelical Free Church. The room has been turned into a men's homeless shelter.

Sarah Beth Glicksteen

A church that is home to the homeless

Pastor Richard Berry lives the motto 'faith without works is dead'