Increments (2)
I recently read a story about an aid project in a small African village which gave unemployed men money for bus tickets to travel to a neighbouring town for work. At first the participants doubted whether the effort would be worthwhile. But after a few months, the project coordinators reported that the participants were happier, their families enjoyed better nutrition, and their kids were back at school. Within a year, funding for the bus tickets was stopped, but the men continued to commute to work, paying their own way. The project had a huge impact on the community. The villagers agreed that their lives were improved because of the hope they now had for a better future.
Stories like this remind me that small and apparently insignificant initiatives can have a big impact and that we should not eschew the little things in life.