From the ‘warrior’ midwife saving lives in Senegal to the outed Kenyan pop star speaking up against prejudice, these are some of the people that gave us hope
We can be heroes: the inspiring people we met around the world in 2025 – part one
In the thick of the monsoon this June, I found myself squinting at the smallest of orchids and rarest of impatiens (a flowering plant) inside an enclave of lush rainforest in Kerala, southern India. With Laly Joseph, 56, at the helm, dozens of women from the local neighbourhood were in charge of preserving and cultivating more than 2,000 species of native plants either ignored or forgotten by the rest of the world. Together, they are more popularly known as “rainforest gardeners”.
Joseph started working in conservation when she was 19, learning the ropes from her mentor Wolfgang Theuerkauf, a self-taught German conservationist. Her deep knowledge and excitement was palpable as she showed me around the Gurukula botanical sanctuary, explaining the intricacies of caring for numerous varieties of rare and sensitive flora needing very specific conditions to thrive and propagate.
Watching Joseph move through the nursery with a determined stride and singular purpose felt oddly comforting, even as I knew biodiversity collapse was occurring at unprecedented rates outside the confines of this secluded haven. It reminded me of the incredible power of small acts of preservation that can snowball over decades to create a forest like no other.
