My Ordinary Hero

Loading player...
Feast your ears on listener Rasheed Naz’s “My Ordinary Hero” essay. All it takes is a little click on the “Play” button above!

Hello everyone!

This week on The Sound Kitchen, you’ll hear a “My Ordinary Hero” essay by listener Rasheed Naz from Faisal Abad, Pakistan.  I hope you’ll be inspired to write an essay for us, too!

If your essay goes on the air, you’ll find a package in the mail from The Sound Kitchen. Write in about your “ordinary” heroes – the people in your community who are doing extraordinarily good work, quietly working to make the world a better place, in whatever way they can. As listener Pramod Maheshwari said: “Just as small drops of water can fill a pitcher, small drops of kindness can change the world.”

I am still looking for your “This I Believe” essays, too. Tell us about the principles that guide your life … what you have found to be true from your very own personal experience. Or write about a book that changed your perspective on life, a person who you admire, festivals in your community, your most memorable moment, and/or your proudest achievement. If your essay is chosen to go on-the-air – read by you – you’ll win a special prize!

Send your essays to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

Or by postal mail, to:

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Here's Rashid Naz’s essay:

Heroes are not always found in stories or movies. Sometimes they live among us, quietly working to make our world a better place. My “ordinary” hero is a community leader in our town, someone who has taught me that real heroism comes from serving others with kindness and courage.

Our community leader, Mr. Ahmed, is not rich or powerful, but he has a heart full of compassion. He organizes clean up drives, helps poor families, and encourages young people to stay in school. Whenever there is a problem - a sick neighbor, a broken road, or a family in need - he is the first to step forward. His actions remind us that small efforts can bring big changes.

What I admire most about him is his humility. He never seeks fame or reward. When people thank him, he simply says, “We are all responsible for our community.” Those words inspire me. He believes that leadership means service, not authority, and he proves it every day through his actions.

To many people, he might seem like an ordinary man. But to me, he is a true hero - a symbol of dedication, honesty, and hope. Because of him, I’ve learned that anyone can be a hero, not by wearing a cape, but by using their heart to make a difference.

That is why my “ordinary” hero is our community leader Mr Ahmed, a man whose quiet strength and selfless service continue to inspire us all.

 

 

Be sure and tune in next week for our annual New Year’s Resolutions program! Talk to you then!
27 Dec 2025 English South Africa TV & Film

Other recent episodes

Your 2026 Resolutions

This week on The Sound Kitchen you’ll hear our annual listener New Year’s Resolution show, co-hosted by my daughter Mathilde (as always!) There’s plenty of good music, too, to keep you in the holiday mood. Just click on the “Play” button above and enjoy!  Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound…
3 Jan 43 min

Merry Christmas!

This week on The Sound Kitchen, there’s a special Christmas programme from us to you.  Just click on the “Play” button above and enjoy! Hello everyone! Merry Christmas! This is Alberto Rios’ poem, which you heard him read on the programme. Christmas on the Border, 1929 1929, the early days…
20 Dec 2025 9 min

Beautiful destructive flowers

This week on The Sound Kitchen, you’ll hear the answer to the question about the water hyacinths in Ghana. There’s The Sound Kitchen mailbag, your answers to the bonus question on “The Listeners Corner” with Paul Myers, and a tasty musical dessert on Erwan Rome’s “Music from Erwan”. All that…
13 Dec 2025 34 min

Côte d’Ivoire’s women speak out

This week on The Sound Kitchen, you’ll hear the answer to the question about women’s concerns in Côte d’Ivoire. There are your answers to the bonus question on “The Listeners Corner”, Ollia Horton’s “Happy Moment”, and a tasty musical dessert on Erwan Rome’s “Music from Erwan”. All that and the…
6 Dec 2025 27 min

A Louvre Museum burgling history

This week on The Sound Kitchen, you’ll hear the answer to the question about the OTHER famous theft from the Louvre Museum. There are your answers to the bonus question on “The Listeners Corner”, and a tasty musical dessert on Erwan Rome’s “Music from Erwan”. All that and the new…
29 Nov 2025 20 min