Where to look for hope when it seems that all around is darkness and hopelessness

What is real hopelessness?

Sometimes it seems: time passes, but nothing gets better, no matter how hard you try. Every day, the editors of “Takiye Delo” receive messages about how women face domestic violence, how villagers en masse become drunkards, how people with disabilities they find themselves “locked” at home due to the lack of a ramp, how children from villages get to school for 6 hours on transfer bars, how old people cannot get their due treatment. A huge range of social problems creates a feeling of hopelessness. And no one is immune from this: neither residents of the capitals, nor people from the provinces.

However, in Moscow and St. Petersburg, it is much easier for city residents to reach the authorities or helping organizations. And those who live in remote regions often don’t even know where to go to be heard.

In villages and villages, where there is no normal Internet, and the TV shows only a couple of channels, people are isolated from the rest of the world, they are left to the mercy of fate.

Every time we in “Such Matters” publish materials from the outback, describe blatant cases of social injustice, they write to us: “Another hopelessness. There's nothing you can do about it."

Sometimes I give up too. It seems that my work is meaningless. There are such business trips after which you just lie and literally look at the ceiling: what can I do about all this? In March 2020, I went to the Trans-Baikal Territory, where I worked on reportage about the brutal murder and robbery of veterans. The local investigation was conducted extremely poorly: the prosecutor's office pinned the murder on three guys who didn't even really communicate with each other.

This happened in the village of Bukachach. It took the photographer and I a very long and hard time to get there - about 8 hours by bus from Chita. When we got there, I was struck by a feeling of hopelessness: poor houses, a dilapidated clinic, huge landfills on the streets, black snow - there was a coal mine nearby. There is no Internet. Nobody knows how to defend your rights. Everyone thinks that violence is the norm, swearing is the norm, drinking every day is the norm. Almost all stories in Bukachach began with the words “We drank that day.”

I remember the picture well: a small poor house with decayed wallpaper and mold, a mess on the floor, a 3-year-old child sitting and playing with a beer bottle. His mother and grandmother are drunk.

There, I met women who casually told how their drinking buddies raped them “drunkenly,” how their husbands hanged themselves, or how they tried to stab them to death. When I asked them if they knew fundswho can help them financially or provide psychological assistance, they asked: “Who is a psychologist?”

When I talked to everyone and collected material, it became clear to me why innocent people were so easily accused of murder. Because no one feels sorry for them: it doesn’t matter who gets imprisoned. One of the heroes even told me then: “It will be better for such people in prison. At least they're drinking there will not».

I usually send postcards to my loved ones from every business trip. They reached even from the most remote corners of Russia. But not a single one came from the Trans-Baikal Territory. There was a feeling that this was a black hole, from which not only people, but even a postcard could not get out.

I left Bukachachi with the thought that many Russians live in such conditions. It shocked me so much that for several days I walked around in prostration from what I saw and thought: “What can I do? Just tell the story." I often have these internal dialogues, trying to remind myself that I am not a philanthropist, not an activist, but a journalist. I should not hope that after my article the world will bloom with roses. However, sometimes miracles happen.

How to find light in darkness

Sometimes it may seem like there is only darkness all around. But we must not forget: there is light. One active grandmother in a small village in the Arkhangelsk region once told me: “We are dying out, but we are not folding our paws.” I believe that the main thing is not to fold your paws. To expect something to change, you need to do something.

Promote publicity

In 2018, I went to the Kaliningrad region, to the village of Yantarny. The heroine of my report, Nina Vasilievna, worked at an amber factory for 45 years. When she retired, there was a fire and the roof of her house burned down.

The local administration promised to restore the roof, but even after a year the residents continued to be fed promises. Everyone moved out of the house to stay with friends and relatives, but Nina Vasilyevna stayed because they could only move her into a shack.

Her story saddened me greatly. I didn’t understand why the local authorities didn’t want to help such a wonderful woman? At some point, I even fell into despair - I thought that there was no way I could help Nina Vasilievna and she would remain living in a moldy house. I even called the editor and cried: that neither the article nor the people were needed by anyone. But - a miracle! — publicity helped in this situation. Immediately after publication, Nina Vasilievna was moved to a good apartment and renovations began in the old house.

That's why I always say: calling out injustice is important. It is important to contact the prosecutor's office, lawyers and lawyers. It is important to talk about problems, even if it seems pointless - often this is the only way to change something.

Of course, there is a problem here: the further away from large cities, the less people know about the possibilities of the Internet, through which you can contact the same journalists, and about organizations that help them defend their rights.

If you know anyone who would benefit from contacts from funds and support services, please share with them reference book “Such things” to find psychological help.

Take the initiative

I really like stories about proactive people who are trying to make life in their villages and villages better. For example, we had reportage about an elderly woman who built a sidewalk in a mountain village using her pension savings. This story inspired her fellow villagers so much that they decided to donate to their head’s salary so that life in the village would develop.

The fact is that being the head of a village means a lot of responsibility, a small salary and a small budget with which nothing can be done. Local residents understood: a lot depends on themselves, and rather than wait for something to change globally in the country, it is better to act now. After all, now they want to live with a lighted park, walk around normal road and walk along the renovated bridge.

So everyone began to pinch off 100 rubles from their personal budget, and in total they got a decent bonus for the young active head. The village began to develop.

I really liked this story. But in the comments we came across the opinion: “So what? Now will we do everything for power?” But I think, responsibility for a better life lies also with us, ordinary people.

If you are indignant and complain about the imperfections of the world while sitting on the couch, nothing will change. It doesn’t happen that people don’t do them**, but the government works. This is a road to nowhere.

I believe that everything depends on the people who try. improve the world around you. I believe that the initiatives of active people create a desire to join them. Perhaps the chapters, inspired or feeling reproach, will become more active. One official cannot do anything alone. But everything changes if there are people around him who want change.

For example, recently in the village of Khozmino in the Arkhangelsk region I met the local head. She drives her old car around the villages that are part of her department: somewhere she hangs a light bulb, somewhere she pours gasoline for the men so they can mow their own grass. She helps them as much as she can, and they do not remain in debt and also develop the village. For example, due to lack of funding, a local librarian uses the Internet to find people who send them books and toys. She furnished everything in the library with taste: she hung pictures, made a stand with planets and minerals to do with your children in your spare time. She said: “No one will ever give me money. But I see that it is important for people to have a place where they can bring their children, where they can get books. That’s why I chose not to wait, but to act.”

Such examples are the light in the darkness. When articles like this come out, people often write to us: “Thank you for talking about this. Otherwise, it seems like there’s nothing good left.”

Respond to people's needs and support them

I am very inspired when, after our publications, readers begin to write to our heroes, help them, support them, and, banally, say words of gratitude. I can give millions of examples when, after such a response, heroes blossomed and again felt the meaning of doing something, even if they were already I can't.

The last such example is about Natalia, a woman who publishes a rural newspaper in the Karelian outback. When I talked to her, she said that she receives little support from the locals themselves and sometimes sees her work as meaningless.

But when we published the material, Natalia received a huge number of letters from our readers: “You’re great!”, “You’re doing a great job,” “We want you to continue.” Someone even gave her money for a newspaper. This shook her up very much. When we talked to her after that, I felt that the person was glowing.

I like that journalism works both ways. The stories of active and active people about whom we write give others an example and hope. And if we publish articles about people who are tired and despairing, they receive support from our readers. There is an exchange of positive energies. And after this I myself want to live.

How to respond to stories of people who need support

Here are some options.

Write to a person

Remember that even a simple positive comment is a big support. Write under the material what you think about the hero, how great he is, how he inspires you. Wish him health and strength.

If you find him on social networks, write him in a personal message. Or ask the editor for contacts. In “Such Matters,” in such cases, we ask the hero for permission to share his contacts and, if he doesn’t mind, we share them with readers.

Help with advice and recommendations

If the hero is in a difficult life situation, and you understand that you have been through a similar thing, or simply know who can help, write to him about it. Can you recommend a lawyer and psychologist or be one yourself and offer the person consultation. You can tell me the contacts of a specialized charitable organization and so on.

Show attention

Some of our readers like to send cards and parcels to heroes. For example, recently my hero, a priest from a Siberian village, received several parcels with useful items and goodies. He was very happy!

Help with money if a person needs it

Help You can directly by asking the hero himself or the editor for bank details. And remember that any amount is important. Our readers helped people with small amounts to raise money for medicine, pay off debts and even buy an all-terrain vehicle! You can also help through a charitable foundation if the hero is his ward. We at Such Things often tell stories of people who are helped by various organizations. In such cases, the organizations themselves need help. You help them, and they help those in need.

Share the story

Share the material with friends, bloggers and ask them to spread it further. The more people read about a person and his problem or his important matter, the more chances to help him. Publicity in general is a great thing: you never know who will read the text and what opportunities this person has for help. And publicity usually stimulates officials.