World Bum

I really only wanted to post the video here, but I can’t go without putting some context around it. Yet, there’s no need to focus on the writing, just watch the story.

I had the privilege of seeing miss Vivian accept an award for the work she is doing at the Hive — the charter school in rural North Carolina this clip is about. That school is a home for about 50 students who haven’t just dropped out. No other school would even agree to take them in, that’s how hopeless the conditions are for all involved. We are talking about 50 young guys who are in trouble, who are abandoned, and who have almost everything against them. That means taking 50 young men, who are most certainly otherwise headed for jail, and restoring their confidence and hope, while putting them through school. It is a most profound intervention that turns their lives around and puts them on a productive and positive path.

This clip is a slice of what will become a lengthier documentary, I hope I am not stealing its thunder, but I am certain that the producers will happily get in touch with me and ask me to take it down if need be.

The success of the partnership between Vivian Saunders and One Economy, even after one short year, is obvious and has to be scaled and replicated. There are young men all over this country who are simply not wanted — not by parents and family, not by social agencies and institutions. The most difficult element to replicate of this will be Vivian’s love, which is what powers the school and helps heal the boys. I am certain… I am absolutely certain that people like her will step forward and gladly take on the work in other communities where the conditions are similarly dire.

More about the Hive soon.