Looking for Some Joy? We Found Our Most Hopeful Stories from 2018

Global Press Journal reporters covered a litany of tough issues in 2018 (indentured servitude, economic collapse and forced displacement, to name just a few), but they also found moments of joy. We’ve collected 10 of the year’s most hopeful, surprising and heartwarming stories from around the world. Enjoy!

Refugees in Ugandan Camp Using Drawing and Drama to Heal Trauma

Art therapy for refugee children? GPJ reporter Patricia Lindrio found proof that it helps the kids recover from their pasts.

Kiowa Tribe Princess Balances the Demands of Her Position – and Still Does Homework

An 18-year-old princess, selected for the role by her tribe, honors her people by wearing a feathered war bonnet in place of a tiara. GPJ reporter Amanda Hill followed her from home to school and traditional events.

Sharing Secrets: Nepalese Statue-Making Caste Trains Newcomers in Traditional Art

GPJ reporter Shilu Manandhar learned the closely-guarded secrets of Nepal’s metalworkers and what they’re doing to preserve their craft.

The Joys and Hardships of Being a Girl

For International Day of the Girl on Oct. 11, GPJ reporters around the world took portraits of girls, who shared their thoughts on what it’s like to grow up where they live.

Cultural Programs for Mexico City’s Senior Citizens Expand Access to Civic Life

What do senior citizens do all day? In Mexico City, they fill museums and take dance classes. GPJ reporter Mar García took photos of what is perhaps her city’s most active group.

Alone at the Border No More: New Day Care Centers Watch Over Children of Rwandan Traders

In the past, children – even babies – were often left in the care of other, older children at a border post in Gisenyi, Rwanda while their mothers walked into neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo to earn money for the day. In this tear-jerking story, GPJ reporter Janviere Uwimana discovered that a new day care center at that border post now offers a safe space for those children.

Raising Dog Detectives: Breeding and Training Uganda’s Police Canine Unit

Who doesn’t love puppies? GPJ reporter Edna Namara found them at a police dog training center, where they learn to sniff out drugs.

Coffee, a Storied Source of Wealth in Rural DRC, Grows Again

Democratic Republic of Congo was once a coffee mecca. Violence interrupted that success, but coffee farmers are back at it, reports GPJ’s Merveille Kavira Luneghe.

Devastated by Earthquake, Haiti’s Theater Scene Rebuilds With New Purpose

Nearly nine years after a major earthquake destroyed huge portions of Haiti’s capital city, a once-active theater scene is just now getting back to business. GPJ reporter Anne Myriam Bolivar visited the restored National Theater.

In Nepal, Government Promotes Guardianship to Get Street Children Into Classrooms

There are solutions to even the toughest problems, as GPJ reporter Yam Kumari Kandel found when she asked about the fate of homeless children in Nepal. There, a new guardianship program is getting those children into school.