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CommunityISSUE 39 | JULY 2025 47who carry in their hearts a flame: a vision for something better, something kinder, even if they may never get to meet the recipients of their kindness.Africa is not short of people who, against all odds, stood their ground to fight for the liberation and empowerment of their people. And they did these things simply from faithfulness to the call and the deep cries in their hearts to stand among those worthy of being called heroes. But, heroism, we must remember, does not always announce itself with grandeur. Heroes do not always fly through the air or wear capes. Sometimes, they are the ones who quietly step aside at the supermarket to let an elder pass. They are the parents who set aside personal ambitions to raise their children with love and intention. They are teachers in forgotten classrooms, farmers who protect ancestral seeds, nurses in remote clinics, and neighbors who show up when no one else does. They are government officials who defy popular practices and stand their ground against corruption. We have these heroes everywhere; we just need to allow ourselves to see them.This particular article was inspired by a post on LinkedIn. It was posted by a gentleman named Chinonso Fidelis (Aproko Doctor) Egemba. He wrote: I didn%u2019t enjoy my childhood.And no, it wasn%u2019t because I didn%u2019t want to, but because poverty gave me no room to.The childhood I dreamed of was not the one I lived.There were no vacations.No fancy toys.And often, not enough food.But there were books.Books that let me leave our cramped home and walk the streets of cities I%u2019d never seen.Books that helped me sit with characters from places I couldn%u2019t pronounce.Books that helped me build empathy%u2026 when I was surrounded by lack.Those pages didn%u2019t just help me imagine a better life.They made me believe one was possible.They made me curious.