Theremark"theonlygoodnewsstoryisabadnewsstory"issometimesquotedbycynicaljournalists.Positivestoriesdon'tmakeinterestingnews,theysay.AndinAfricaitoftenseemsitisonlythewars,droughtsanddiseaseswhicharereported.ButMiltonNkosi,theBBC'sbureauchiefinAfrica,whoistravellinginSouthAfricaandTanzania,saysthatacrossthecontinenttherearepeopleworkingtoimprovetheirlivesandtheircommunities. 　　InMivinjeniPrimaryschoolinDaresSalaamImettheheadteacherMr.AlexRoberts,aquiet,unassumingmanwhoisinthethickofhiscountry'seducationchallenges.MivinjeniprimaryhasnowindowsandtheIndianOceanbreezegentlyblowsthroughtheSwahiligrammarclass. 　　Theplaygroundisatypicalsub-Saharandirtfield.Thereisnoschoolbell,butayoungboypicksupastoneandbangsitagainstanoldtruckwheelrim,tocallhisfellowpupilstoassembly.InhisschoolMr.Robertshastwoandhalfthousandpupilswithonly50teachers.Thismeansthatonaveragethereareaboutsixtylearnersforeachteacherandclassroom.HoweverthisdoesnotmakeAlexRobertsdespair,insteaditinspireshimtostruggleonuntilallthepupilsmoveontoHighschool. 　　EvenI,asanAfricanwhogrewupinSoweto,wasleftwithalumpinmythroat,afterseeingthetinycuriousfacesofthelearnersfacingtheirfuturewithsuchanincrediblesenseofhopeanddetermination.Theywerepackedingroupsof4sand5satdesksthatwouldnormallysitjustthree.Thistoldmeonething--thatAfricansarenotwaitingfortheoutsideworldtosavethemfromoblivion.Theywakeupeverymorningtoworkfortheirfamiliesandtheirfuture. 　　ButAfricansalsowonderwhatimagetheoutsideworldhasofthem.Perhapsthroughthemassmedia,peopleintheWestimagineAfricansfoldingtheirarmsandwaitingforoutsiderstocomeandassist? 　　Alltoooftentheyaredeniedthefullpicture.WhiletheymayappreciatethatsomeAfricanleadershavemadethelivesoftheirpeoplessomuchworse,they'rerarelytoldhowsomanyAfricanpeopleareworkingtomakelivesbetter.It'sbeenmyexperiencefromcoveringwarsandhumanitariancrisesaroundAfricathatthetelevisionsequencesarealmostalwaysthesame:firstyouseethefliesaroundasicklyorstarvingbaby'sfaceandsoonafterthat,abeautifulblondladywillcomeontothescreentoexplainwhatisreallyhappeningintherefugeecamps.I'veseenitinDarfur,Angola,SierraLeone,Congo,Zimbabwe.ButthetruthisthatoftenlocalNGOsandchurchorganisationswerealreadyonthegroundhelpingandmakingahugedifference.ButwhenthebiggunsarrivefromOxfam,SaveTheChildren,CareInternational,WFP,WHO,withtheirvastresources,theygetalltheattention. 　　JustafewdaysagoIcameacrossRobertSetshedi,ayoungpharmacistworkingintheruralEasternCapeprovinceofSouthAfrica.HisjobisjusttodispenseARVdrugsfromthelocalEmpiliswenihospital.Butmanyofhispatientscannotevenaffordthebusfaretogetthere.SoRobertdrivesupanddowntherollinghillsandthevalleysoftheEasternCapeinhisowncar,usinghisownpetrol,andvisitshispatients.Heuseshisownmobilephonetoremindthosewho'reHIVpositivewhentheyshouldtakethecocktailofdrugsrequiredtosuppressthedeadlyvirus.Thehospitalcan'taffordtogiveRobertacomputer,soheuseshisownlap-toptocollectallhispatients'data. 　　ThereissomuchmoretoAfricathanwars,coups,dictators,dea